Never waste a crisis....

Cover via Amazon

I recently heard author, speaker and pastor John Ortberg address the challenge of making the most of tough times. It is the 'topic de jour' these days. Most of us have experienced one kind of crisis or another - be it illness, job loss or something else. And, how we respond to those crises can often have dramatic impact on the trajectory of our lives going forward. In light of the current economic crisis, where unemployment remains high even as many companies and the markets begin to rebound, individuals are still hurting. Millions remain either unemployed or underemployed. This morning, on Good Morning America, Diane Sawyer interviewed special contributor, Tory Johnson. She has just released a book titled, Fired to Hired. I have not read the whole book yet myself, but after watching Diane's interview and reading the Amazon.com details, it's safe to say that this book encourages readers to use their pink slip as a way to start over.

Tory talked to Diane about her own story and how the experience of being fired actually opened the doors for her to go and do something she really loved. I recently spoke to a friend who told me an incredibly sad story of a guy who washes cars. That's his job. Any guess how much he makes for each car he washes? Eighteen cents. That's it. Obviously, he is having a really hard time feeding his 3 young children or paying his bills. So, he's thinking about starting his own car washing business. And, if he feels that he's good at washing cars and he is passionate about starting his own business - then he should! What appears at first glance as a crisis (a travesty, to be sure) could actually force him to take some short-term risks that pay-off in the end.

At Larcen, we not only help companies and individuals manage through periods of change and uncertainty. But, we also work to help those same individuals and companies to leverage strengths and build upon passions. This may sound both simplistic and optimistic, but my guess is that one of the defining characteristics of those who emerge from this tough time, even stronger, will be that they're doing something they're better at than anyone else and they're passionate about their work! If there were ever a time for this kind of investment - in a firm or in yourself, the time is now.

Clay Christensen has done extensive research on disruptive technology, and the stage has indeed been set for companies to emerge with bold, new ideas that redefine the way we think about and use certain products or services. These ideas may come from start-ups or they may emerge even from large firms that resist the temptation of feelings of entitlement or attempt to externalize blame. These, among others, are some of the reasons that Jim Collins outlines in his book, that great companies sometimes fail. On the other hand, the subtitle to his book is, 'and why some companies never give in'. From this, there's a ray of hope that some companies can resist these temptations and successfully fight to survive....and, maybe, even thrive.

If individuals and companies are to emerge from a crisis, even stronger than before, then they must not only build upon strengths, developing new products/services that are in some fashion 'disruptive', striving along the way to avoid pitfalls of the likes that Collins outlines....if they are to emerge, then the last requirement is that of resilience.

When I was young, there was a phrase some would use, 'if it doesn't kill you, it can only make you stronger'. I'm not sure that's 100% true, but I think there is some wisdom in learning from tough situations, rather than allowing trials to perpetually put you in the position of 'victim'. Psychologists Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatte have written a book called, The Resilience Factor. Their book is based upon the idea that your thinking style determines your resilience. And, thus, you can increase your resilience by changing the way you think about adversity. They offer a variety of different thinking strategies that can help in this effort. One is called the ABC's. In a nutshell...

ABC's Stand For:

• A stands for ADVERSITY (what pushes your buttons)
• B stands for your inherent BELIEFS about life (triggers your responding actions/feelings)
• C stands for CONSEQUENCES

The ABC Model in Practice

• We can't avoid A's
• If we analyze and 'revamp' our B's the result will be
• Our C's will improve which leads to greater personal peace and happiness

At heart, I am an optimist. While I try to simultaneously maintain a firm grip on the realities of life, I prefer to look at the world with a 'glass is half-full' approach. And, thus, I am optimistic about the future. I do believe that individuals and companies will come out of these crises stronger than before. But, I know it not be an easy process! Along the way, we'll see some great companies who simply can't resist the temptations that inevitably lead to failure. From those ashes, perhaps new start-ups lead by people determined to finally do what they really love will emerge. No matter where we are - at a big company, a start-up or even if we're a mom at home raising young kids - we can all use this time to boost our resilience factor and build upon the things we love and can do better than anyone else! That's one way to never waste a crisis.