Delivery Driver Crisis Management is a must. As a result of the current global health issues with the coronavirus, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of delivery drivers worldwide are facing an enormous financial loss if not extinction. Uber reports between 40% & 70% of rideshare demands have declined, depending on the city market. Many rideshare and pantry delivery drivers continue working on the frontlines, weighing much-needed income against being infected. The facts define a crisis.
A crisis is stronger than a problem or difficulty. It is a fast onset, severe, and unbidden, therefore unplanned. Once it occurs, those who keep their heads while others around them are losing theirs will benefit most from the inevitable changes and opportunities ahead.
As we evolve from this crisis a swell of delivery driver jobs and gigs will quickly become available. Rapidgo Driver is launching a National Roster of Delivery Drivers for the US & Canada including the experience they provide to help speed recovery of incomes as we resolve the current health and financial crisis. We will be collaborating with numerous government and business entities to highlight delivery drivers and their unique needs.
As the current health and economic impacts resolve, which will happen, the leaders in every delivery driver industry segment will achieve the best benefits from responding rather than reacting to the crippling crises.
The leaders are those who do not get bogged down in the past but look to the future and focus on things that can be controlled rather than dwelling on the past. The past is merely part of where you are going. Fast economic recovery will depend on learning from past decisions and moving quickly in a new arena.
Leaders ask the question are we dealing with a problem or a fact. Problems can be resolved. A fact just is.
All the impacts that are occurring from COVID-19 are facts. The loss of income. Loss of health. The impacts on our families and uncertainty in the world are all facts. We can only respond to them, do the best we can, and practice continuous improvement.
One of the great rules of success is not what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you. It is how you respond to unexpected crises in life that determines the quality of your life and your success in the future.
I am going to share with you some important business practices and protocols that I have learned over decades of business in the delivery driver transportation industry. I have been reminded of these principles by a lifetime mentor, Brian Tracy. Similar to Brian, I have started many companies and traveled extensively. I have spoken to audiences of thousands on business development, leadership, and overcoming challenges.
The first challenge facing today’s leader wanting to take advantage of market developments is what’s commonly called the comfort zone. Most people want to go back to the way things have been done before. In crisis management, you must be prepared to do everything differently than you have ever done it in the past. It calls for a timeout and a reboot to start over. Your mind must be wide open and looking for solutions.
Consider the coronavirus and the effect it is having on your career. It is most likely the number one problem that it is taking up your bandwidth of thinking.
Here are seven points all business executives must implement immediately to survive and thrive. Delivery drivers are their own business executives and will be forced to take responsibility for the outcomes of their businesses over the next several months.
Here are seven steps to help you take control of your future.
#1 Stay Calm
Emotional involvement takes away most of your ability to focus on solving the problem. Be like Tom Hanks in Apollo 13. He did not freeze or lose control. He simply said Houston, we have a problem. Calmness allows the brain to function at a much higher level.
You only have so much bandwidth available. Using it wisely improves your life situation. Go for a walk or run and clear your mind. Meditate and allow creative solutions to conjure up effortlessly.
One of my biggest observations in life has been that the fear of failure holds people back. Fear of failure triggers negative emotions, and negative emotions hold us back from mitigating risk and exploiting opportunities. They cause you to react in a negative way rather than respond with a positive solution.
The solution to the fear of failure is to ask and answer the question, what is it that scares me. I have failed before, many times, and will most likely fail again. So, what is it that has my attention this time? What is the worst thing that can happen? Can I deal with that?
Talk to yourself positively. Brian Tracy says 95% of your emotions are the result of how you talk to yourself. Tell yourself. I can solve this. I got this. Good things are going to happen.
Another way to avert the fear of failure is to look for the good in every situation. You will always find something good especially when you expect it. Look for what will improve your life or the lives of your family members.
Look for the valuable lesson you learned from the setback and difficulty. Find out what’s good. What can we find good about the situation?
Think of the actions you can take to resolve your situation. The boldness of action will carry you to the next action and the next. Start now. Every positive action in the direction of your goal puts you that much closer.
#2 Get the Facts
Stand back to ask what is actually happening here? The key is to ask questions and that will help keep you calm. Businesses ask how did this happen? How can we be sure? What are our assumptions? What if our assumptions were wrong?
#3 Take Responsibility
Negative emotions arise from blaming. You cannot move out of your problem while blaming someone or something else for the situation.
To stop the negative emotions and stop blaming, simply say out loud, I am responsible. I am responsible. You may not be responsible for the event, but you are surely responsible for your response to it.
Taking responsibility is the character of your fate and your future. Only then can you help others to be responsible.
#4 Remain Confident
Yes, these are tough times. But you have gone through tough times before and you will do it again. You can land on your feet.
This is a test to see what kind of character you have. How strong you are. How much grit you have to keep working for your end game.
You must be asking what can we do? What can be our next step? Start with wash your hands, over and over. Everyone is watching you. Your friends and family need you. Your job is to be a leader. You are in control of your outcome. As a leader, you help everybody know what the next step is. And that allows them to be in control.
#5 Unleash Your Creativity
Einstein said every child is born a genius. You are born a genius. It never goes away, only underground. To unlock your creativity, ask questions.
The difference between positive and negative results is how you approach a problem. You cannot avoid them. It is how you tackle them. Are you a problem-oriented person or solution-oriented?
Think in terms of actions you can take to solve the situation. You can only have one thought at a time. You can only think of one thing at a time. So, you take control of your thinking by concentrating on the positive outcome, your goal.
#6 Concentrate on Priorities
The problem you have today, someone else has already dealt with this problem. Get some answers to your questions. Do your research. Learn how someone else responded and apply that solution to your problem or massage it to fit your current problem.
Focus on things you can control. For a delivery driver, that means saving your money and finding other means for earning income as a delivery driver.
#7 Counterattack
Become action-oriented. Make decisions. It may be the wrong one for now. What do you do? Make another decision. Move, dodge, Continuous offensive. Never stop moving toward your target. Only continuous improvement.
And finally, lend a hand where and when you can. We are all in this soup at the same time. Maybe your existing health or age dictates you stay clear of possible exposure completely. Stay home and stay well.
If you feel confident you can protect yourself, to mitigate your risk as a delivery driver, follow protocol for infectious disease protection. Wash your hands repeatedly throughout the day. Wear gloves where appropriate but avoid touching your face with your gloves. Wipe everything you can. The virus has been shown to remain active on cardboard for 24 hours and plastic and metal up to 3 days. Wipe your glasses, pens, cell phones, steering wheel, gear shift, door handles, anything you touch.
Outtakes
By definition, a crisis is an unexpected event that requires immediate attention and problem-solving. Leaders look to upcoming opportunities. Rapidgo Driver is launching a National Delivery Driver Roster across the US & Canada to inform drivers of rapid recovery job and independent contractor positions when businesses reopen.
The steps to finding solutions to a crisis require asking questions, making decisions, and taking actions toward achieving a result.
Step 1 – Stay Calm
Step 2 – Get the Facts
Step 3 – Take Responsibility
Step 4 – Remain Confident
Step 5 – Unleash Your Creativity
Step 6 – Concentrate on Priorities
Step 7 – Counterattack
As of today, many non-essential businesses are being ordered closed by federal, provincial and state governments to restrict and reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The delivery driver gigs that remain available are changing daily.
In the US and Canada, Instacart is hiring 300,000 shoppers for essential food delivery. Opportunities are currently shifting for delivery drivers to find sustainable income. Rapidgo Driver is committed to keeping delivery drivers informed of advantages to take as dramatic changes impact our daily routines.
Take care of yourselves and your families. Watch for where there are those helping, for there you will find hope.
In addition to Delivery Driver Crisis Management learn more about Uber driver options HERE.
