Election Reflection: How does a Political upset affect Performance? (Part 2)
“I’ve had failures and I’ve had setbacks. Sometimes very painful ones.” Said Clinton in her concession speech on Wednesday. I think this is something we can all identify with! I know I can! Setbacks have a huge impact on our mindset above all else. In most athletic performances the body gives out long before the mind does in a conditioned athlete. And past failures and successes, can be predictors of the future. But most importantly, our mindset and emotions around failure can impede future performance both personally and professionally.
Let’s first address the fear of uncertainty. And how this political upset could affect business performance. In business, we’re still human and as long as people, not AI or Droids, are making decisions emotions and temperament will weigh in. Uncertainty will put business performance and likely financial stability at risk.
Fear of the unknown on election day scared the global economy into thinking that we had another Brexit on our hands. Markets initial reaction to the shock that Trump could and then would be our next president were quite negative yet they rallied as the week progressed. Which only goes to show, sometimes the unexpected outcomes doesn’t automatically correlate with poor performance and can have better than expected results. The markets recovered after Brexit, and many on the street are surprised by the quick rebound but how the market reacts with Trump in the White House will have a lot to do with his economic policies especially international trade and security policies. Tension in our global markets will hinder some American entrepreneurs and businesses in their ability to leverage talent and resources from other countries.
As a brand marketer, perception within the international community is a very real concern as perception can become people’s reality. This could continue to affect the market, international business and ultimately tourism.
How does that kind of uncertainty affect our daily performance and big-picture goals? For me, the uncertainty lies in how the markets will respond and affect business growth as well as the confidence of executives and founders I work with. For Rachael, the highlighted discontent showcases a stronger need for nonprofit programs that help to bridge cultural divides, as well as strong resistance to progressive movements.
As I saw first hand in NYC Union Square yesterday and we’ve all been seeing in social media and alternative news sites, individuals are now moving beyond emotion and turning toward action. I know both Rachael and I have been making our meditation practices higher priorities. And after much reflection and mindfulness, we’ve compiled a shortlist of our own strategies for moving forward.
Moving forward — What we are doing next:
Continue to Prepare. Hillary did indeed prepare to be president, her thoughtfulness came through in her campaign, her debates, and in her concession speech. As athletes we’re taught that preparation is an important cornerstone of success for our must win events, but it does not guarantee it. This election outcome is a great testament to the need and importance of preparation. Without it, Clinton wouldn’t have won the popular vote. Can you imagine the regret if she had not?
Maintain focus and awareness. Keep a clear eye on what your goals are for your business, your physical performance, and vision for the future to keep your own momentum moving forward. Be aware of the external factors that will affect your work but do not let them sway your intention and vision. Know that there are only so many elements within your control — focus your energy on those you can impact and let go of worrying about what’s beyond your limits. Mantras can help get you through the gnarliest of mental and physical challenges.
Have hope. Have faith that the current predictions of chaos and nihilism are overstated. We can hope that as a businessman Trump will surround himself with experts, listen to them, and implement policies that support the middle class, grow jobs, and improve our quality of life. Hoping for a better future, is a positive mindset shift and thus more likely to support positive outcomes.
Take responsibility. Get new perspectives. Find common ground. Our country is evenly split, and we don’t have the luxury to only work with people who share our world views. We each have to reach across the divide to work together to get things done.
Continue to progress. This election has made it clear that our country has deep issues in treating women, minorities, and people of different religions with equity. But more than 50% of the electorate supported advancing rights for these populations. That’s a huge shift in our cultural stance on civil and human rights. Join in solidarity with those who need support and be an ally for change. We can’t give up — human rights are too important.
Find good data. The polls and projections that several media outlets kept pushing were in no way indicative of what the electorate felt. We’ve learned that the data we normally turn to might not be the best source of information, and we have to keep looking for new analyses. The data that we may be currently using to assess our fitness, productivity, and outcomes. Now is the time to reassess our sources of information and look for fresh perspectives.
Step up and lead. The election loss felt like a step backward for women in leadership, but in reality we can’t hang all of our aspirations on one political figurehead. Hillary had a ton of pressure to be the first female president in part because there were few other female candidates in the field to choose from. We need a strong, long pipeline of diverse leaders and women in power to strengthen our representation and chances of winning, and we can be those leaders!
My Own Mindset on Moving Forward: Maybe it’s optimistic, competitive or even a naive, but as I processed the upset on Wednesday and talk to many of the strong, intelligent capable women in my world throughout the week, I have an overwhelming feeling this setback is a call out to female leaders everywhere to stand up and kick ass… to bring our very best selves to work and our communities. Perhaps we all have even more A-game in us, and our best days really are still ahead of us.
Said another way, we may have lost this time, but that doesn’t mean we’re walking away from the game. My glass is always half full (of optimism & electrolytes!) and I’m certainly maintaining my #AttitudeIsEverything mindset not just for myself and my team at Perks but for all of the students, founders and clients I am so energized to work with.
Onwards and Upwards! For both of us, the way forward is to focus on our goals and intended outcomes. We can never guarantee success, but we can commit to working tirelessly (and even optimistically) toward the future that we imagine for ourselves and our communities.
