Articles and PublicationsJuly 7, 2020

Mindset matters

02 JULY 2020 7:00 AM

Our mind is the greatest tool we own, yet many have no idea how to use it correctly to achieve the results we seek. Through

the power of our mindset, we can be better equipped to deal with the new reality confronting us and move forward through

this new normal.

With COVID-19, life as we know it has changed at least for the foreseeable future.

The whole world is in the same boat—many out of our comfort zone, many finding themselves in situations they never believed possible and finding it difficult

to move forward, never mind growing and prospering. As governments struggle to contain the virus, and now try to restart sectors such as hospitality, we

must learn to cope with the ongoing uncertainty and ‘new normal’ that post-COVID life presents to us.

Our brains are not hardwired to deal with uncertainty, which is why many of us feel depressed, confused and agitated.

Uncertainty often kicks us into our primal survival mode, a state of fear, a state of fight or flight. The result? A neverending

state of reactivity, which isn’t healthy at all. Constant negative news has drained us all, and that negatively

affects the immune system.

Even those who usually welcome change may feel the pressure of constant negativity and worry. While we cannot

control the final effects of the pandemic and all that it brings, we can absolutely control how we react to it. Ultimately, it

is all about mindset.

Why is developing an understanding of how our mind works so important? There is so much happening around us, and

try as we might, we cannot control these circumstances. What we can control is our thoughts and attitude (our

mindset). If we can gain control of our ability to respond in a certain way, this in turn will help us better focus our

actions toward more positive results rather than that feeling of stagnancy.

Leaders: I urge you to consider your group mindset and how it has changed with the pandemic. Employees are

returning to the workplace after lockdown and their mindset has changed, their priorities may have changed, their fear

levels may have changed. Have you taken a pulse check of your organization’s group mindset and the fine-tuning you

may need to do to ensure alignment with your company’s vision and values? Have your vision and values changed?

Do not expect that just because people are back at work that life will just move forward in the same way. I have heard

many leaders and business owners say they’ve noticed changes in thinking. Productivity levels have declined and it’s

difficult to motivate people. These are all common results of mindset changes and underscore the importance of taking

the time to align the thoughts and the attitude of the team to the aspirations of the organization.

When pushed to change, we as a species often resist. This causes a heightened sense of stress and anxiety. Bob

Proctor, my coach and mentor, has often described the impact of taking in information through our conscious mind and processing through our paradigms of

anxiety, lack of knowledge and doubt, which result in feelings of fear, anxiety and stress. If we become more aware of our ability to become aware of our

self-limiting beliefs and paradigms and consider new perspectives in how we filter this information, the result can be one of a more positive and optimistic

perspective toward a challenging situation.

With so much information out there on how to deal with post-COVID times, it is important to remember we have the power to impact our results either

positively or negatively through the way we think about a situation. Our mindset—either individual or group—has changed and in some cases dramatically so.

Take time to do a mindset check and ensure it is aligned with the results you seek. Whatever changes you want to make will not stick if the root cause for

change is not addressed as a first step.

Robyn Pratt is Managing Director of Impact Consulting, with more than 40 years of international hospitality experience.

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or its parent company, STR and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the

freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to comment or contact an editor with

any questions or concerns.

Opinions

By Robyn Pratt

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or its parent company, STR and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the

freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to comment or contact an editor with

any questions or concerns.