Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com August 31, 2015 • Hartford Business Journal 29 BIZ BOOKS Tips for managing the ups and downs of entrepreneurism "S urvive to Thrive — 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Leaders" by Faisal Hoque and Lydia Dishman (Moti- vational Press, $19.95). There's no such thing as an overnight success. Entrepreneurial dreams are always in "immediate, clear and present danger of demise." Finding the upside when you're upside down requires resilience. Through stories of entre - preneurs, the authors iden- tified 27 resilience prac- tices. Here's some of what you'll learn: 1. "I am caring for myself." When you're on the downside, it's easy to "blame oneself, feel sorry, and/or put oneself down." A self-inflicted pity party makes it difficult to realize that you can make things work. Think about what you do have going for you; connect thoughts and actions to them, and forge ahead. 4. "I am able to guide my destiny." Risk comes with every new venture. Worrying about what's around the cor- ner won't help you through today. Nor will playing "shoulda coulda" relative to past decisions. Learn from what's hap- pened. Today's decisions drive tomor- row's results. 13. "I have a circle of support." Turn "I" into "We." People who count on you are also those you can count on. Your family, friends, employees, other stakeholders, etc. have vested interests in your idea's success. They provide valuable resources as sounding boards, advisors and cheerleaders. 16. "I have to commit to give it my all." Intention isn't enough. When you throw a ball, aim determines direc- tion; the momentum of your follow through determines velocity. When your com- mitment wavers, you always lose momentum. The commitment isn't just to your business; it involves your personal life, too. You have to balance your time so your circle of support remains com- mitted to you. 27. "I can meditate." Research shows that meditation can reduce anxiety, promote well-being and increase self-awareness. Think of meditation as a "gym membership for your mind." There's an app that teaches you how; check out headspace.com for a free trial. Speaking of apps: Resilience requires reminders. Check out the authors' free app at app.survivetothrive.pub. • • • "Meetings Matter: 8 Powerful Strategies for Remarkable Conversa- tions" by Paul Axtell (Jackson Creek Press, $24.95). Who hasn't complained about meet- ings that take time away from meaning- ful work? Axtell believes that, if struc- tured properly, meetings drive outcomes because they present a venue for air- ing various perspectives and sharing information. Of his eight strategies, I believe one, two and four are critical: 1. "Choose the perspec- tive: This matters." Prepa- ration and attitude drive results. Both are in your control. When you come to a meeting as an owner, your preparation and atti- tude differs from that of a participant. When pre- paring, think about what you can do to make the meeting more successful. Your prepa- ration should include talking to others about what they may gain from the meet- ing. It's a subtle way to get them on the owner page. 2. "Master effective conversation." People want to be heard. Listening with- out interrupting spurs conversation. How? It shows you're paying attention to what's being said. Three little words, "tell me more," build a conversation. When people know their input has value, they'll become owners, not participants and prepare accordingly. When you do speak, remember: "You are responsible not only for what you say, but for how it is received." Forget "I"; think "we" as you frame what you're going to say. 4. "Decide what matters and who cares." This deals with meetings you sched- ule. The agenda should only include items that require group attention. Parse out the time for the agenda topics. Stick to the timetable; if you don't, some items that need to be discussed will get short shrift. Invite only those who are most affected by the agenda items. This ensures their attention to preparation. Key takeaway: Pay particular atten- tion to the "Speaking Checklist" and "Conversational rules to master" in appendix D. n Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer. Jim Pawlak TALKING POINTS Subway will survive Jared embarrassment By Andrea Obston K udos to Subway for handling the Jared Fogle crisis the way it should be. Because of their clear-head- ed and sensible approach to the circus around Fogle's guilty plea, they are laying the groundwork to move past the crisis. Here are the les- sons from that crisis that apply to all busi- nesses going through a similar tough situation: 1. Develop and stick to a simple statement that sep- arates your path from that of the offender and indicates that you are going back to business. Subway did exactly that. Here's how I would have written it: "Sub- way has ended its relationship with Fogle and is focusing its energies on delivering quality, healthy fast food." By the way, I purposely added his last name to this statement to make the rela- tionship seem more formal. One name — Beyonce, Sting, Oprah — gives a sense of intimacy we'd rather avoid here. 2. Stay away from long, heart-felt com- ments on the charges, no matter how dis- turbing they are. Once you jump into "We are shocked and saddened by … " you put yourself in the middle of the story. Save your outrage for meetings with colleges and friends. Subway's Facebook post on the day Fogle appeared in court nicely straddles the line between concern and moving on: "Jared Fogle's actions are inexcusable and do not represent our brand's values. We had already ended our relationship with Jared." 3. Help franchisees get back to business. Subway's 21,000 franchisees are the face of the company to its customers. Give them one, simple phrase that gets them to and through the crisis. Make sure they understand that it's counterproductive to talk about the shock- ing nature of the charges, even if custom- ers bring them up. No outrage. No details. Back to making sandwiches. The phrase can go something like this: "Subway has ended its relation- ship with Jared Fogle. What kind of veggies would you like on your foot-long?" 4. Continue putting news out on your site and in social media that reminds people of what you do. Subway's site has news about them breaking a Guinness World Record for the most people making sandwiches simultane- ously; a piece on the company receiving an "A" from the "Eat This, Not That" report; and Entrepreneur naming them as one of the top franchisers for veterans. Perfect! While the circus surrounding Fogle's guilty plea was fast and furious, with wall-to- wall media coverage of his fateful trip down the court house steps, I expect the sound and light show to end as quickly as it began. Subway will be back to doing what they do best without a hitch: asking us if we'd like guacamole with that. n Andrea Obston is president of Andrea Obston Marketing Communications in Bloomfield. Andrea Obston ▶ ▶ Subway's Facebook post on the day Fogle appeared in court nicely straddles the line between concern and moving on: 'Jared Fogle's actions are inexcusable and do not represent our brand's values. We had already ended our relationship with Jared.' ▶ ▶ Risk comes with every new venture. Worrying about what's around the corner won't help you through today.

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