REVOLUTIONARY THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES

"A great revolution is never the fault of the people, but of the government."

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Late 18th/early 19th century German poet, novelist, dramatist

In business "government" is management.

And take heart; "revolutions" can lead to good as well as bad.

Don't fear them, plan for them.

The Real Test

"A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner."

English proverb

As good a manager as you might be during good times, you won't know if that is good enough until bad times.

In The Extreme

"Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions."

Frederich Nietzsche

19th century German-Swiss philosopher

Do you want to neutralize the extreme positions of a co-worker?

Begin by neutralizing your own.

You'll Hear From My (very expensive) Lawyer!

"I was never ruined but twice; once when I lost a lawsuit and once when I won one."

Voltaire

18th century French writer

And yet in business we all too often pursue legal remedy to what could be settled by simple conversation and negotiation.

When In The Eye Of The Storm

"The first thing a great person does is make us realize the insignificance of circumstance."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

19th century American poet

In business great leaders make it possible for otherwise average employees to do great things regardless of how tumultuous things may seem.

Setting Priorities

 

"A pessimist is one, who when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both."

Oscar Wilde

19th century Irish poet

How good are you at prioritizing things in business?  

Not all "evils" need be simultaneously addressed, with some never needing attention.

Do you know which is which, when?

Minimize Reactive Management

"Incidents should not govern policy; but policy, incidents."

Napoleon Bonaparte

Late 18th century French general

Eight words, which, in my opinion, should be the center piece of management philosophy.

Don't react to transitory events. 

Manage in a way that is, as much as possible, appropriate for the great majority of likely events.

Managing Controversy

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way."

Bertrand Russell
British logician and philosopher

The next time you and a business associate are at logger heads with each certain you are right, the other wrong, stop and examine what you really know versus believe you know.

There is an enormous difference between the two.

Management Fighting the Paralysis of Fear

"Fear itself has a large shadow but he himself is small."

Ruth Gendler
Author

Being afraid, regardless of what you fear, is worst than the thing you fear.

Given all we have to fear in business today, probably a good time to remind ourselves how true that is.

Crisis Management: What Are You Doing?

"Man is not imprisoned by habit. Great changes in him can be wrought by crisis--once that crisis can be recognized and understood."

Norman Cousins
Political Journalist/Author

1. We don't have to be victims.
2. Good things can come from bad.

He doesn't say how but we can surmise it won't come from doing things as we have before (habit).

I've heard from many of you who are either out of work or feel you are about to be because the company you work for is not doing well. Crisis.

What do you recognize and understand?

Crisis Management: Moving On

"The little that is completed, vanishes from the sight of one who looks forward to what is still to do."

Johan Wolfgang von Goethe
18th Century German Writer

There are many quotes about the importance of putting aside failure and looking ahead, this among them. The common theme is move on with some, as this one does, suggesting that is even more important in difficult times.

More important, tougher to do but essential.

We are all entitled to our "woe is me" time but as mountain climber Julie said, the choice is to move on or sit there in the road feeling sorry for yourself until you die.

What happens when an entire organization is "sitting in the road"? Who's job is it to urge everyone on?

Crisis Management: Seeing What Others Don't

"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity."

John Kennedy, April 12, 1959

We live in a time of financial upheaval when vast fortunes will be made and lost based on the utterance of one of two words; buy sell. The art of crisis management is knowingly doing one when everyone else does the other. Seeing opportunity within dark clouds.