How do we get to define what a crisis is? Is it an unforeseen unfavourable situation that explodes right in our faces? Is it a result of erroneous planning? Or is it just a situation that has eluded human control for a time frame?
Whatever our definition of a crisis might be, we can narrow it down to one foundational truth, “it gets everyone’s attention“.
In retrospect through history, I am compelled to ask, do we have to be called to attention before we offer our attention to what matters in our personal life, family and organization?
Another question I can’t help but engage with is, does a crisis have the potential to alter culture, values and vision?
I consider to be true that just as character gets tested, crisis tests the validity, the quality and the preciseness of any vision, and of any leadership structure and strategy, be it that of an individual or that of an organization.
What’s the caveat? Crisis is a mirror, what we see through it, is what we have first placed in front of it.
Crisis isn’t first an input, it rather yields output from an overlap of years of input we have made in stages of personal, organizational, national and global growth and more importantly from corporate-personal decisions.
Decision making (which is where the rubber meets the road) in its true essence at any level is about the quality of input we are making and the ripple effect of those inputs on all processes worthy of consideration.
As I gaze more intently on current realities, I will not fail to ask, what is the quality of your daily inputs?
In essence, to effectively manage a crisis, you first have to be cautious of your daily inputs and decisions in your work and life.
Effectively managing a crisis does not begin when a crisis is obvious but rather it begins before a crisis erupts. This is the change in perspective and approach I am hoping you will realize that will help you manage, overcome and re-focus your energy, resources and time in the midst of a crisis.