Suck it up princess. This is as good as it gets

I rarely ‘go to lunch’. Business lunches, anyway.

But recently I did, with a group of industry veterans including Geoff Morgan, the Founder of Morgan and Banks, and Talent2. In an industry short of true leaders and innovators, Geoff stands out as a remarkably resilient business builder, and creator of careers, as well as shareholder value.

We spoke about a lot of things that day, but one thing he said, simple as it was, shook me, and contains a key lesson for all of us.

Almost in passing, I asked the everyday question, “So, Geoff, what’s your view on when the market will recover”

His answer was short, but mind-shifting for me.

He said, “You know, maybe it has recovered. Maybe this is the new-normal. Maybe, the way it is now, is just… as good as it gets”

And there it is. A paradigm-shifting view. Up until that day, I had been thinking at the back of my mind, “let’s just get through this tough period, and then we will reap the benefit when the market picks up”.

And so are many recruiters and business owners I have been talking to. Toughing it out, ‘until the recovery comes’. But now I say to those people, “build a business that makes good money in this environment. This could well be the way it is, forever”.

And it’s a brilliant discipline for a manager or recruiter. Don’t wait for some magical ‘recovery’ to fix your billings, or your profit. The cavalry is not about to charge over the hill and save us all. You are not going to rise on some magical tide. Forget wishful thinking.

If what you are doing now does not deliver in this environment, change what you do.

Reshape your business, or your offering, or your skill set, to fit the realities of now.

And while you are about it, stop whining about the tough market.

Suck it up, princess. Because this just may be as good as it gets.

Comment by Noel Cocca on May 15, 2013 at 10:52am: Love it! Thanks Greg

Comment by Amber on May 15, 2013 at 11:00am: Good post, Greg. Even if there is a "recovery" down the road, it doesn't change what needs to be done NOW.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on May 15, 2013 at 11:54am: We have a saying in my part of the world ( go figure, Texans have "a saying"for everything)

"business is like your last wife and your last horse, you take her where she stands and go from there.". "work with what you got, it will get better or it will get worse or it will stay the same, but probably not for long."

Comment by Jerry Albright on May 15, 2013 at 12:55pm: I hope it stays this way - as I'm as busy as I've ever been. I see others asking the same thing "When will things pick up?" - Well, I gotta tell ya - if you're not rocking now - RIGHT NOW - then you've missed one of the best markets I've seen. Ever.

Got get 'em!

Comment by Sandra McCartt on May 15, 2013 at 7:09pm: Agree Jer, the salmon are running in my river. I could keep two more recruiters busy right now. If we didn't have to sleep...

Comment by Greg Savage on May 15, 2013 at 7:14pm: You know Sandra I used to think Australians had a good grasp of using catchy language, or skilled at pumping out a pithy phrase or two, but you are without doubt the Queen of the fruity one-liner. More than once you have made me laugh out loud. And I am quite grumpy most of the time :)

Comment by Dane Anar on May 16, 2013 at 11:25am: mind, blown.

Great read.

Comment by Tiffany Branch on May 16, 2013 at 12:27pm: As an internal recruiter, I'm pretty busy.

Comment by Will Thomson on May 16, 2013 at 10:55pm: Things are heating up. Greg, Sandra is the best of the best when saying how it is.

Comment by Nick Lagos on May 21, 2013 at 2:21pm: I'm in IT and very busy, but it's more often than not, "musical chairs". "Incestuous" behavior failed the pharaohs and I expect, if "the new normal" doesn't include "new blood" with fresh skills and "out-of-the-box" thinking, the face of recovery may show a much different image than we're accustom.

Thought provoking article Greg, thanks!