7 ways to be positive about Brexit
Looking at media reports you’d be hard pushed to find a positive Brexit-related headline or rhetoric that isn’t all doom and gloom. One thing that business leaders all seem to agree on is that on-going uncertainty isn’t doing businesses many favours. So it’s time to concentrate our efforts on framing our departure from the EU in a different context: by focusing on the positive aspects it can bring to businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Late last year renowned British chef and restaurateur, Marcus Wareing, told the BBC that he felt it was time to be positive about the changes Brexit will bring, saying it’s time for Britain to build its own future: “I think it is going to make us better employers,” he said. “We need to change our approach a little bit more. What quality we have, we need to really take good care of it.”
Now, for Wareing, who works in an industry that relies on labour from Europe, imports food from across the globe and voted to remain in the EU, to decide to be upbeat, is quite some thing. He admits to feeling ‘shocked’ when he realised the vote hadn’t gone the way he was expecting, yet he chooses to be excited and positive about where our current position – and the potential it can provide. And we can all take a leaf out of his book.
7 ways in which Brexit can have a positive impact on business
Just like Wareing, we can all start by looking closer to home – at our own businesses – when it comes to embracing change. This period of limbo prior to Brexit offers the perfect opportunity in which to look at operations with a magnifying glass, and make positive adjustments.
“Instead of worrying about the future – a future we cannot control – we are focusing on what we do well and refining how to work in a way that is even more effective,” says Robert Manik, Managing Director of Language Link UK Ltd. “In times of uncertainty, I think human relationships are even more important; and that’s where we’re focusing our energy – on building really good business relationships.”
This view is endorsed by an article in Forbes magazine that cites a Harvard study into business success that found that 85% of professional success comes from having people skills.
So how else can business owners move forward with positivity in the post-referendum, pre-Brexit era?
1. Be your own business coach
What do you do well? What could you do better? Analyse which areas you’re focusing all your efforts and work out if it’s worthwhile. Where do you see your business growing in coming years – and do you have the right people with the right skills to see this through?
2. Look at your core values
What are you really about – and do your people and image reflect this? What does this say to your clients and prospective customers? Are you projecting the right messaging, from the very first point of contact?
3. What are you offering to clients that your competitors aren’t?
Define your unique selling point – and communicate this to staff and customers, alike.
4. Ensure consistency…
… in your brand image, core values, internal relations, customer relations and the job that you do. You’re only as good as your last piece of work. Be sure that all internal processes are in place to ensure that the next piece of work you do is as good as the last and that clients keep coming back, thanks to that good, consistent work that you do.
5. Be honest
Having integrity is key to building successful relationships of any kind. If you’re not able to deliver on something, say so. Honesty and integrity build trust. Trust is integral to building successful business relationships.
6. Be accountable (know what your liabilities are)
Be sure that everything you do fulfils all professional and compliance liabilities so that you don’t store up trouble further down the line.
7. Look after your staff
Could they benefit from additional training? Is everyone clear about what your core values are – and what your expectations are going forward? Communicate and invest time in them and your staff will help you to build the relationships with clients that you need to be successful.
What are your thoughts about how businesses can look at Brexit as an opportunity for positive change? Here at Language Link UK our offices may be based in Europe, but our business is a global one, so like the rest of the world, we’ll be watching events of the next few months closely. But we’re ensuring that we’re at the top of our game in terms of customer service and delivery of a quality product by building on what we do best.
Robert Manik is Managing Director of the full-service translation and interpretation agency, Language Link UK Ltd and he’d love to hear your opinions about the positive changes that Brexit might bring or how you can use Brexit as an opportunity for change. Drop him a line here