Crisis handling tip

Crisis - an imposed reality. How not to be an effect of it?

Since quite some time a word sprung up. This word has been wandering around our society and causes effects. I suppose it would not be surprising to you that this word is “crisis”.

I do not think it is worth speaking about the reasons and the effects. There are other publications which deal with these issues and it seems that an agreement how something is bad and awful can easily be reached. But after such a discussion and agreement one remains with the strange feeling that “That’s the way it is” or “Let’s hope together that better times will come”. 

And thus we turn into Observers and Effect of what someone else is doing. We fall into the trap of the crisis.

But most of us want to be Participators in life and business, not just Observers; we want to be a Cause for the events around us and for what happens to us. And this is a correct goal. But the problem is not with the goal. It is with the means, the knowledge of reaching it.

Because of this two of the most often reactions in times of crisis are cutting budgets and sucking people. At first glance it seems to be a very natural reaction. The problem is that it is a reaction. And every reaction is an indicator that man acts as an effect of something and not as a cause for it. And this act is not always the surviving act. Short after such actions people realize that there are no positive changes.

Where is the key to the enlightened and successful approach? What to do in cases when we hear that thunder “crisis” or that it is about to come to us? When leaders of top-companies declare that 20-40% drop is expected in their branch? Or when a super expert says: “don’t count on such and such sector” or “many businesses will not survive the winter”?

In order to find this key we should first know something. Mr. Hubbard speaks about 12 conditions of existence in which a person or a company may be in. They start from the condition of Confusion where the person does not know where he is, who he is and what he is doing. And the heist condition is the one of Power where the person controls and manages things in his sphere if influence at will. In between these two conditions there are 10 more conditions which go in gradients. Each one of them has a formula – a sequence of steps and actions which is understood and followed bring the person to the next higher condition.

Each of us and each company is in some of those conditions. How to find out in what conditions we are? By the time trend of the main statistics which gives value if a given function. For example if I am a HR manager one of my main statistics would be the correctly recruited people for the correct position, the number of people who go up in results, a number of motivated people.  

If I am a marketing specialist my main statistics would be the number of surveys that gave me the necessary information about the market; the number of successful marketing campaigns which led to interest. And thus for every function of the company. Besides the company also has an overall statistics – it would be its credibility for example.

When we have this number we can define the condition we are in. If my main statistics goes slightly up then my condition is normal. If my main statistics does not change or goes slightly down, then my condition is Emergency. If my statistics goes seriously down then I am in Danger.

The periods of the so called “crisis” ordinarily correspond to the condition of Emergency. In this condition there are 5 steps in an exact sequence.

The first one is: Promote (show yourself) and produce. And this is just the opposite of the many people’s and shrinking businesses’ reactions – they start seeking faults and cut bonuses, suck people and spread out panic and tension.

Here we can include more intelligent marketing which should give information for the everyday movements and demands of the market; good and adequate PR, raising the quality of the products/service; more mature and unite leadership which is flexible and responsible.

The second step is: „Change your operating bases”. Change your habits, processes, procedures which led to the drop in statistics. Here many people would say: „but the market is shrinking” or they are looking to other external reasons. Well, we help them see that the reason is mainly internal, in their organizations. And when they see it, life becomes easier.

I will mention the fifth step too: „Stiffen the discipline”. What is a discipline however? This word is charged with negative connotation and that’s why it needs clarification. Discipline in our terms is the ability of the mind to make the difference between the following things:

1. What must be done (the most important priorities);

2. What should not be done;

3. What is only desirable;

4. What is trivial.

It looks simple at first glance and it is. But in our practice as coaches and consultants we have seen quite a lot of examples for mixing of the above mentioned things. For example, a company instead of investing in improving the capacity and competence of its leaders, its marketing and PR specialists it distributes dividends or organizes a big party.

Another mistake in crisis is the mass sucking of people, cuts. On one hand crisis is a good period of realization what money is being spent for, what the energy and resources of the company is being used for. Lots of managers are surprised after such a balance. This happens because the condition of the company is not measured only by the main statistics for the activities. If I am in emergency and I act as if I was in Danger then the measures will not be adequate and it will not be long before I find myself in Danger. Sometimes in Danger those general changes, mass reorganizations and sucking people are needed but NOT in emergency. That’s why we need statistics and knowledge of the Conditions to know what to do.

Only then we will be able not to be an effect by striking titles in the press, by negative conclusions of authorities, by inadequate reactions of our clients, suppliers, partners and of whole markets. 

As we know the formulas of the Conditions and when we are able to assess where we are only by statistics of our activities every single crisis for us will just be an opportunity to find new horizons and sure survival.

Our mission is to help leaders and managers to improve themselves and their surrounding by this technology and to be a Cause.    

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Success

Marc J. de Turck

© 2007 IDEAS.  All Rights Reserved. Grateful acknowledgement is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. HUBBARD, L. Ron Hubbard, are a trademarks owned by  R.T. C. and are used with its permission.