Rise Above: Tips for Taming Fear in the Business Environment 

The business world is often complex, unforgiving, and intimidating but, as a business owner, it’s important to master your emotions so you can present, negotiate, manage others and lead with confidence. Here are a few tips for cultivating corporate courage. Guest post from Sam Marcum

Motivation 

All businesses are faced with obstacles on the route to maturity, but it’s only the most resilient business owners who find ways to adapt and overcome them. Staying motivated is easier said than done, however – to keep your spirits and those of your team alive, you’ll need to incorporate activities into your daily routine that provide inspiration. A good place to start is on social media – pay close attention to fellow business people who have found success and exude positivity through their online presence. You’ll also find no shortage of content on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube or in text-based communities like Medium. 

Peers 

It’s important to surround yourself with the right people, not just online, but in real life as well. In this respect, a good mentor can prove invaluable, helping you throughout the decision-making process and offering counsel when pressure is mounting. If you don’t already know someone within your industry who can offer mentorship, it’s possible to approach someone as long as you do so in a considerate, respectful manner. 

This same logic applies to your wider business network – it’s often advantageous for both your business acumen and your relationship with the business itself to speak with and spend time amongst peers. Finding other owners at a similar stage in their business journey is easy via social media with Linkedin hosting community networking opportunities or finding alternative meet and greet events. 

Planning 

Confidence often comes from simply knowing where you’re going. For this reason, having an airtight business plan is essential – this will help you to stay organized and focused. Make sure, within this essential document, to detail any long-term objectives & key results (OKRs), performance indicators (KPIs), and sales forecasts. Over time, you’ll be able to gauge the contrasts between expectations and reality. 

For many business owners, work anxiety is rooted in financial security. This is why planning, organizing, and adhering to your budgets are so important. If you want to avoid feelings of fear or insecurity moving forward, start by reducing your overheads and making use of online spreadsheets/accountancy programs. 

Changes 

Often, to shake up a nervous work environment, it’s necessary to make changes to your processes and structure. A good way to do this is by introducing new software or renovating any archaic practices. For example, an image converter will allow you to convert an image to a PDF from JPG formats – this will preserve image quality when sending via email or allow you to convert multiple JPG files into a single PDF. 

Alternatively, you might try hiring new personnel or switching your contractors. The people that we interact with on a daily basis can have a profound impact on our work mentality and it’s often worthwhile to seek out those with a more positive or energetic outlook. Fortunately, it’s now easier than ever to locate skillful, industrious, and cheerful individuals using online hiring or freelance platforms. The right sites will give you the option to vet your hires, checking reviews, testimonials, and examples of previous work. 

Despite the often bullish exterior of many business leaders, fear remains a common emotion amongst the industry’s most esteemed members. Acknowledging your own anxieties and adopting methods to manage them will allow you to proceed forward with new confidence and positivity whilst in a business context. 

 
 
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