I recently listened to a really interesting interview on Radio 4 regarding the ill-fated football Super League. Lord Jim O’Neill was being interviewed when he mentioned that “you need to make the most of a crisis” or something to that effect. This phrase really resonated with me. In change circles we frequently refer to the four box change model elements; a pressure for change, a clear shared vision, capacity for change and actionable first steps. In essence, if any of these elements is missing you will have an unsuccessful or at least a sub optimal change programme. The same also applies to making the most of a crisis. During a crisis you can often introduce a level of change that would previously have been thought impossible. I remember one such conversation with the CFO of a major multi million pound organisation. Decisions which would have previously taken months or even years to make (I know because I’d been pushing for them) were taken in a matter of seconds!
During the pandemic many organisations have taken the opportunity to totally rethink and radically change their business models for the better. They have made the ‘most of a crisis.’ I'm not disputing that it's not been very tough for many, but some organisations have even managed to increase turnover and profits as a result. So, my question to you is ‘Have you and your organisation made the most of the current pandemic and other crises to take the difficult decisions which you know will benefit your organisation in the long term?’
Lawrie Catt
Transformational Improvement Specialist
‘Helping ambitious leaders deliver phenomenal transformation improvement’