Resilience is often spoken about in the business world, but finding tangible instructions and advice- really usable information- can be harder to come by.
Every day, I come across women in business in the Hawkesbury, displaying forms of resilience in a variety of different ways.
From juggling daily family life with the demands of clients and customers, guiding their business through the various seasons of feast and famine whilst remaining visible in an ever-changing market, I see it all day after day.
I have recently been reflecting on the past 7 years and it inspired me to share my own take on those five pillars, too. As you read, though, I hope you will also spend time in reflection upon each one. This is the first approach towards us building our wider Resilience plan which we will later share with you all.
Pillar One: Self-Awareness
Being self-aware is a combination of knowing your limitations and patterns. As a business owner, when you are self-aware, you are rarely caught off guard by a trigger point because you are attuned to your sense of self; you understand when you are overcommitting and becoming burnt out (or on the way to becoming burnt out).
Understanding your own skill set and what energises you (and what drains you) allows you to be honest with yourself and seek help where needed.
Reflect: Think of a time you needed to be totally honest with yourself and admit that a client’s work was not the right fit for you.
Pillar Two: Connection
Businesses rely on other businesses and likewise, business owners rely on each other. Even in the depths of isolation, remote and sole trader work, at the core of what we do, we are reliant on one another.
In business, connection means relying on each other as business owners, business partners, colleagues and friends. Seeking connection from networking and social experiences like Hawkesbury Women in Business means finding a light in the dark and a knowing shoulder to lean on in tough times and celebration alike.
Reflect: When have you relied on business networking like HWIB to get you through a particular season? How did it uplift and guide you?
Pillar Three: Adaptability
Even the best-laid plans don’t always come to fruition. Some days we feel like we’ve cycled through plans 1, b, c AND d and still don’t have the right solution.
When client briefs change and markets become unstable, a business owner’s adaptability is the capacity to adjust the plan without losing sight of the overarching goal.
Reflect: Consider a time when you pivoted your business plans and how you overcame that circumstance. Did you rely on your business network? Were you able to construct an alternative solution?
Pillar Four: Purpose
Purpose is what keeps business running. Oftentimes, people reference their “why”. Why they started their business, why they keep going. This purpose is what drives the momentum forward for businesses.
When the day to day gets rough, or an invoice is long overdue, remembering your purpose is a motivator that keeps you getting up each day and pushing the business forward.
Reflect: Why did you start your business, and have you reached that goal? What will it take to get there?
Pillar Five: Boundaries
Boundaries are the binders and protectors of the four resilience pillars above.
Without boundaries in business, your self-awareness is disregarded, and connection loses its value. It becomes increasingly difficult to adapt to change and your purpose is invalidated.
When we bury our boundaries, or blur the lines, we tell not only our clients but also ourselves that our thoughts and feelings don’t matter.
Consider these 5 pillars as a bridge. Each stone (pillar) holds the next as they build an archway over a river (our business). When you remove one stone, the arch collapses. Boundaries are non-negotiable.
Reflect: Think back to a time you set a boundary with a client. How did you uphold your boundary and make it professionally clear that it is not for negotiation?
Resilience belongs to all of us and each of us has the obligation to uphold these five pillars for themselves. Built from these five pieces, practised over and over until they become habit, self-awareness, connection, adaptability, purpose and boundaries all work together cohesively for the greater good.
This is a large part of what makes a community like Hawkesbury Women in Business to incredibly valuable and not one member has to build every pillar alone. Events like our coffee catch ups bring us together so we can learn and grow as business owners together.
If one of these pillars stands out as the one you're still working on, then bring it to the next meetup, share it in the group, or reach out directly. We exist to lift each other up and we rise together as a like-minded business community.