By September 16, 2020
The Chinese word “危机” meaning “crisis” is made up of two characters: “危” and “机.” “危” means danger, and “机” has the meaning of chance and opportunity. During periods of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, only great leaders and talented people are able to turn the situation into an opportunity that allows them to excel and be much stronger than before.
Crises are expected at any time, and it is out of our control. However, we can control our response, adaption, and ability to excel in such a situation.
It is an opportunity to look at how we do things and restructure our process to be more agile. Many examples can be shared here about things we thought that couldn’t be done in another ways and now we are not only doing it in a different way — ways that can turn out to be more effective.
It is an opportunity to foster innovation and encourage talents to try new processes and technologies that could boost our performance to a higher level.
It is an opportunity to look at our knowledge and expertise gaps that directly affect us and address them along with other gaps in resources to be more consistent.
It is an opportunity to optimize with realistic measures to sustain with available resources.
Opportunities are endless, and what we need is to realize early and prioritize them based on their value added and alignment to our vision. Then it has to be well communicated to ensure engagement of others while monitoring its progress and impact on what we do.
In conclusion, change is always painful and challenging for leaders and teams, but responding to crises can make it much faster and easier. Therefore, it is our opportunity to change and excel.
Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of the writer, and not necessarily those of the publication.