If You’re Not Part Of The Pivot, You’re Part Of The Problem

If there’s one thing guaranteed in a crisis, it is that we all go through stages as we deal with the challenge. First, we rally, committing to come together, a burst of energy behind us. Then we realize how difficult forward is going to be and we start asking questions like “how long might this last?” Next comes a sense of grieving at the realization that what we once took for granted won’t soon return.

In the two months since the coronavirus pandemic brought the sporting world I’ve worked in to a screeching halt, my emotions have gone through all the phases.

My guess is you’re right there next to me – but six feet away! What we thought would be a postponement has become a derailment for some leagues… and some industries. With mandatory closures, suspended operations, budget cuts, job layoffs, and strained resources becoming the current norm, we must face the reality that some businesses will not have a post-coronavirus period on their timeline.

And the ones that survive, will only do so if they pivot quickly.

I’m hoping for the best, but there’s no accurate forecast for how long this will last. Commerce has to happen—businesses will sell and people will spend. But how ready each of us are to pivot into newly adjusted lanes will be critical.

I know what you’re thinking. “Pivot” is the phrase of the day—it’s the trending flavor of the month, right? But the truth is, if you’re not part of the pivot, you’re part of the problem. In basketball, a pivot is used when a player has been forced to stop dribbling but still wishes to re-position for a pass or shot. That player can no longer move at the same pace, but as long as they keep one designated foot in place, they’re allowed to maneuver and look for a better outcome.

How are you going to pivot? What are you learning for the future? What are you studying? What skill is yours today? How will that skill look in the future? How will that skill be sold? Who buys it?

These are the questions I hear daily in my executive circles. There are organizations that lived off a thriving economy when people parted more freely of their hard-earned money. Organizations must now create different value, possibly without reaching previous price points. That means those of us who work within those organizations have to create different value.

Think of the commercial airline industry, for example. How shaken do you think people are right now about traveling for anything that’s not a necessity? As a keynote speaker over the last 11 years, I was on a flight multiple times each week to speak to audiences across the country, but as conferences and conventions were canceled, I’ve had to pivot away from travel. I’ve intentionally replaced that void with dedicated time strengthening other branches of my business. Think of the lodging industry where places nationwide have struggled through nights at less than 25 percent capacity. Several of the major hotel chains have since taken that 75 percent vacancy rate and offered free or discounted rooms for first responders, doctors, and nurses who are helping others fight COVID-19. It’s that type of creative and authentic pivot that can generate value and staying power.

The sports world is pivoting, too. Now the daily push is to plan scenarios for how they can resume play if they can no longer have live audiences in stadiums. How will that affect the player who typically fed off the adrenaline and adulation of the home crowd? How will that player prepare now so that they can still be successful in a different norm once play resumes?

Anyone who views these challenging times and decides to take the same approach in the future as they did before, avoiding learning new skills or adding new solutions, is gnawing on fool’s gold.

If this world is going to be different, you should be different, too!

In my study of the Greatest winners and leaders of all-time, one of the key characteristics is that they Hope for the Best, but they prepare for everything. I encourage you to use this window to build skillsets you didn’t imagine previously. How will you be different when we emerge from the constraints of this pandemic? You can’t control when a vaccine will be developed, but your preparedness for the “next normal” is something you can control right now. Learn something now that can help you pivot—or at the very least strengthen you for the road ahead.

And when you do, I’m praying you can pair it with a sporting event or two!