By Jean Hollands

Are these good times or bad? Check your watch

We are entering turbulent times. The morning newspaper will warn of disaster, the afternoon television will claim that Alan Greenspan says we are not in an economic downturn, and by nightfall the radio will announce more layoffs and company endings.

How do we cope with the roller-coaster financial ride we are asked to endure? How do we conduct ourselves as though everything is fine when the cash flow begins to dry up before our eyes? Besides the energy shortages and long rainy spell, how can we cope with fluctuating warnings of depression, inflation, bear market, bull market or frightening market?

Here’s how: Your ability to cope with changing financial security depends on you-your hardiness, your learning agility and your optimism.

Do you have:

an optimistic belief that bad times precede or succeed good times?

back-up plans to cope with the moment?

support teams to encourage you when you are frightened?

faith in your own abilities?

a team that works together with you?

long-range priorities?

the ability to reframe the anxious times?

a positive historic approach?

the vigor to regroup, restructure, capitulate, throw things out and start again?

the guts to try another direction?

the stamina to survive in shaky times?

the courage to change, to simplify your life?

the ability to lower your standards?

the heart to look innovatively at current financials?

the belief to know that you deserve the good life?

I attended a strategic planning meeting recently, in which the facilitator suggested that the goal for these uncertain times needs to be not 50 percent of sales projections, but double the number anticipated. That’s optimism! It could be quite contagious.

Jean A. Hollands, CEO, Growth & Leadership Center, and author of “Silicon Syndrome: How to Survive a High-Tech Relationship,” “Optimistic Organizations” and “Red Ink Behavior: Measure the High Cost of Problem Employees,” was voted Businesswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1996. Write to GLC, 1451 Grant Road, Mountain View, CA 94040.