It may seem elementary, but tough times are a reminder to take a fresh look at the basic traits vital to success in business (and life).

Work is defined as physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something; the means by which one earns one’s livelihood, a trade, craft, business or profession Work is an action verb. It means to be doing, making or performing. There is an expected result of the work activity in which we engage.

Ethic or ethics means any set of moral principles or values; also rules or standards governing the conduct of the members of a profession. Ethics, then, are the moral quality of a course of action. Ethics are a standard of expected conduct.

So a work ethic describes the standard of behavior in the workplace, but certainly can be extended to anything in life that requires the doing, making or performing of something. Work ethic can be applied to the boss or the employee.

Back to business basics:

• Attendance – This one is about as basic as you can get. Show up whether it’s physically or virtually, whether it’s a set or fluid time schedule. In the case of a sole proprietor, attendance is even more crucial because if you don’t show up to make your business happen, who will?
• Character – I’ve talked a lot about character in previous blogs so I won’t elaborate here. It goes without saying that how you perceive tough economic times will influence whether you pass, fail or excel in the months ahead. Are you seen as a person of character in your dealings with your colleagues, employees and customers?
• Communication – A plethora of books, articles, teaching manuals, DVD’s, etc have been developed on effective verbal and nonverbal communication. Do your communications skills need a tune-up? Does your communication style effectively display your leadership abilities? If need be, get thee to a bookstore or a seminar or whatever it takes to brush up. How can you be sure if you are an effective communicator? Ask your colleagues, employees or significant other.
• Respect – Blues queen, Aretha Franklin, once sang a song about respect. Rodney Dangerfield bemoaned the fact that he couldn’t get any. People listen to people they respect. Are you respect-worthy? Do you treat others with respect? Do you respect yourself and your ability to rise above tough economic times?
• Teamwork – Again, I have already addressed teamwork but remember that a strong team multiples your effectiveness. That team could be your company’s workforce or that team could be your personal board of directors. What are you doing to keep your team dynamically engaged in your business?

This is just a refresher course. Authors far more knowledgeable than I am have written thousands of words about work ethic. The important thing is to take a fresh look at your work ethic and see if it has the staying power to get you through, and even excel, in tough economic times.

Tough Times Call For will be continued in my December 2008 newsletter. It’s free, all you have to do to receive it is sign up! Thanks to Alice Arredondo from the Department of Economic Security who penned an article in the Arizona Republic on work ethic and from whom I received inspiration for today’s blog.

I was sitting at a traffic light the other day and found myself reading the back of the vehicle in front of me ~ you know, things like the license plate and the bumper sticker. What caught my eye was the name, Pathfinder, which seemed like a fitting moniker for a sporty all-terrain SUV. I got to thinking about what it means to be a path finder, and it occurred to me that in today’s business climate, just finding the path wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Tough economic times call for path makers. So what’s the difference?

The trusty dictionary defines to find as to come upon by accident; to come upon after a search; to come upon through experience or study; to arrive at. So a path finder is one who finds the path either by accident, search or experience. The definition of to make is to create; to give new form to; to cause to become, acquire a stated characteristic or to behave in a particular manner. So a path maker is one who creates or gives new form to the path.

The distinction may seem subtle but it’s this kind of thinking that could make the difference in how your business fairs in these tough economic times. You can choose to adopt the mindset of a path finder. Through accident, trial and error, seeking and ultimately applying what you learn, you may find the path that keeps your business alive, or even prosper regardless of tough economic times.

Or you could be a path maker where you actually create the path that is most beneficial to your business ~ a path that may not even have existed before you caused it to “be.” Several years ago, a popular book espoused the virtues of leaving behind the you-should, this-is-how-it-must-be approach to life and take the road less traveled. Being a path maker is the same kind of thinking. It goes beyond finding a path that already exists, perhaps a very well-worn path that is no longer useful. It calls for a machete knife and good hiking boots because you will be creating your very own path to success.

So are you a path finder or a path maker? The choice is yours.

“Company think” isn’t going to get you through tough times. Yes, there are core beliefs that every company is founded on, and there are some core beliefs that ring true no matter what, such as honesty, integrity, clarity, focus. Nevertheless, there needs to be intense scrutiny about what you are doing when it isn’t “business as usual.”

So I’m going to throw out a few things for you to think about as you navigate your business in tough economic times.

• Is your definition of success achievable? Can your “global” definition remain but be modified for the short term so you continue to succeed not fail? Or do you really need to rethink what success means to you? Mix in realistic thinking with your dreams. This is important because continual failure despite our best efforts and intentions can bring about depression and discouragement.
• Think about how you’ve handled crises and tough times in the past. What did you learn? What helped you successfully navigate the choppy waters? What mistakes did you make?
• Take responsibilities for your decisions. Do you have a I-have-no-control attitude or do you take control and do the best, or even better, for the circumstances at hand?
• Is it time to revisit your company’s vision, mission and purpose? What new opportunities may be on your horizon? Not everyone is wallowing in bankruptcy or depressed finances.

I will leave you with a definition of “crisis” that may change the way you think of that word. In Chinese, the word “crisis” is written as a combination of two characters ~ “danger” and “opportunity.” Which half do you ascribe to? The glass is half empty side or danger? The glass is half full or opportunity?

Unsettled times can cause unsettled feelings ~ unsettled feelings can cause you to take your eye off the ball and take an erratic swing at any pitch that comes your way. Not a good way to keep your head above water and your business afloat. Now more than ever is the time to take a keen, critical look at every aspect of your business, whether you are a one-person operation or have several employees. Every person and every policy has to be focused on positioning your company to weather the current storm and come out the other side hitting home runs. With the right decisions, your business might even thrive during the current difficult economic conditions.

You don’t have to tackle this on your own. Even a sole proprietor can pull together a team of trusted advisers to act as a sounding board and source of counsel. Your team could be paid professionals such as your lawyer, accountant, business coach. Your team could be respected business people in your community or your key employees.

Think of it as your personal board of directors.

Of course, if your company already has such an operating team, then you are ahead of the game. Just make sure that you all get together for vigorous and frequent batting practice because there is no such thing right now as a sure bet or an unbeatable team.