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.
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.
