by Tapiwa Matsinde, Atelier 55
There is a lot of advice coming at us right now. As entrepreneurs having to adapt in this time of crisis, we are being asked to read this, watch that, do this or buy that. And taking in all the information can at times be overwhelming. Understandably in this time of uncertainty, you want to shore up your business for what comes next but as you read, watch or listen are you considering what all this information means for you and your business’ future.
In times of panic, we tend to make decisions based on emotion (what you are feeling in the moment) rather than balancing with level-headedness. And when we do that, we can find ourselves becoming unanchored drifting whichever way the wind blows us. This means we end up moving away from our values and doing things we wouldn’t’t ordinarily do. Making impulsive decisions that seem right in the moment but further down the line could prove disastrous.
There is an Africa proverb that says, ‘The wind does not break a tree that bends.’ Now more than ever is the time to stand firm in your values. Our values are like roots, they provide a firm foundation that enables our businesses to grow and flourish, and the deeper the roots the better able we are to withstand what threatens to bring us down. If you have ever done a brand strategy exercise chances are you would have gone through the process of setting out your brand values. Values are an integral part of your brand; they are the things that you are not willing to compromise. Values guide your actions and decisions, what you say and what you do. They attract your right audiences to you and help you form meaningful connections. They are one of the reasons someone wants to be a part of your story.
There is good useful advice out there, and some not so good advice. Always question everything (even what you are reading in this message) and ask yourself if what you are taking in is right for you, your business, your audience.
Because when this is over will you still be happy with the decisions you made today? if you are doing something everyone else is doing or telling you to do but deep down it feels yucky and out of alignment then that’s a red flag that you are moving away from your values and need to make your way back. No two businesses are exactly alike, and there is no one size fits all solution. As a rule of thumb listen to your instincts. Advice is there to guide and inspire you, but not everything is going to be right for you so don’t be afraid to say ‘That’s not for me, I going to do this instead.’, or I will take this bit, and leave that.’
Speaking from experience every time I have ignored my values, I have ended up doing things that have put my business and reputation in jeopardy, costing me a lot of time, and mental and emotional stress to get back on track. I now make it a habit of going through my values every week to remind myself what my business stands for and to keep them front and center when I need to make decisions that will affect its future. And in this confusing time, I have been leaning on my values more than ever.
The way we do business has shifted and will continue to experience major shifts for a while yet. As you make sense of the changes you are discovering and having to embrace new ways of doing things but if something doesn’t feel right turn to your values and let them guide you towards what does.
If it's been a while since you looked through your values, I encourage you to use this time to get reacquainted with them and keep them front and center to help guide you through this crisis and beyond.
Tapiwa Matsinde is the founder of atelier 55 an acclaimed platform that shines the spotlight on Africa’s designers and creatives by sharing and selling their work. Through her consultancy Tapiwa curates for and advises organisations, galleries, and museums interested in African design, connecting them to designers for global opportunities that increase their visibility. Through the atelier 55 Academy Tapiwa helps startup and established creative entrepreneurs develop and grow international standard brands that command attention. Tapiwa is the author of several books including Contemporary Design Africa the first art book to showcase and survey a generation of innovative designers from across the continent and beyond who are putting the diverse expressions of African design on the world’s stage. Tapiwa’s podcast Behind The Design introduces an inspirational series of conversations with some of Africa’s exciting designers.
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | WEBSITEBehind The Design Podcast - https://www.atelier55design.com/category/podcast/
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