Sometimes, it’s necessary to decouple what’s happening around you from what you’re doing at work. This is especially true in sales and marketing, both of which require showing up and grinding every day to be successful.

But some days are different.

This morning I woke up to the news that Russia had invaded Ukraine. Even though my direct ties to both countries are limited to a handful of work colleagues, I feel upset. I’m upset about this specific situation. But more broadly, I’m upset by how much energy so many people – whether down the street from me or on the other side of the world – are putting into the wrong things when we could all prosper by tackling the right ones together.

Even though I’m upset, I’m still here grinding away on my to-do list. But I’m not very receptive to sales and marketing today.

If a Ukrainian flag shows up on your company’s social media channels today in a way that seems like a trivial “me to,” I won’t feel good about it.

If your company’s automated social posts and emails keep firing at me like nothing happened, I won’t feel good about it.

If your CEO speaks from the heart about what’s happening and puts some skin in the game, I’ll feel a little better. If they later do this on a topic more likely to incur backlash than supporting Ukraine, I’ll be a customer for life.

Work can’t always stop when bad things happen. But when the people you’re trying to reach are upset, you have two valid choices. Speak from the heart, or hit the pause button and come back tomorrow.

-Doug

Sometimes, it’s necessary to decouple what’s happening around you from what you’re doing at work. This is especially true in sales and marketing, both of which require showing up and grinding every day to be successful.

But some days are different.

This morning I woke up to the news that Russia had invaded Ukraine. Even though my direct ties to both countries are limited to a handful of work colleagues, I feel upset. I’m upset about this specific situation. But more broadly, I’m upset by how much energy so many people – whether down the street from me or on the other side of the world – are putting into the wrong things when we could all prosper by tackling the right ones together.

Even though I’m upset, I’m still here grinding away on my to-do list. But I’m not very receptive to sales and marketing today.

If a Ukrainian flag shows up on your company’s social media channels today in a way that seems like a trivial “me to,” I won’t feel good about it.

If your company’s automated social posts and emails keep firing at me like nothing happened, I won’t feel good about it.

If your CEO speaks from the heart about what’s happening and puts some skin in the game, I’ll feel a little better. If they later do this on a topic more likely to incur backlash than supporting Ukraine, I’ll be a customer for life.

Work can’t always stop when bad things happen. But when the people you’re trying to reach are upset, you have two valid choices. Speak from the heart, or hit the pause button and come back tomorrow.

-Doug