Matter of opinion: The Chinese word crisis is made up of two characters. One sign means danger, the other opportunity. The question is therefore: How do we want to view the current crisis / transformation – as a pure danger, only as an opportunity, or is both justified? Well, like ying & yang, light & shadow, etc., both belong together. We would be blind if we denied the dangers of crisis situations and did not look them in the eye, as these will come our way in the next few years. But we would also be blind if we did not see the opportunities and potentials that will open up – albeit hidden or not yet fully visible – because the change or transformation as a destructive pattern must first destroy the existing and established, and Only then does this necessarily result in new potential. You can trust this principle. You should trust yourself if you want to boldly go through the transformation phase.
Core competencies . Nothing is forever – although of course existence and tradition have to be very high values and paradigms. Adaptation is therefore just as important as the potential for something completely new. We see it in nature – where over the centuries species have gradually adapted to new environmental conditions in order to remain viable. Other species failed and became extinct. But new ones have been added. Some have completely transformed – let’s take the whale as a mammal in the water. And that didn’t happen overnight either, because these were highly complex processes.
So why should transformation work differently for each and every one of us or for organizations as part of society, for countries, continents, etc.? We are all part of the system that is relevant to us and its relevant environment. So how can change and transformation succeed in the long term? Only by first becoming aware of our core competencies, i.e. those very specific, valuable, long-established or naturally given special properties and abilities up to real ability that is difficult for others to imitate. Today and in the future. In the event of a system crash, the first thing to do is to be aware that it has happened. To keep calm and calm after the shock or to gain in order to be able to pause and consider: What is this core competence that is always worth building on? Skills that you can always use, no matter how challenging the situation is. On the one hand, they give us self-respect because we can be proud of it. Skills that are also meaningful and useful in order to continue like this in the future.
There is no such thing as impossible – there is just another way. They exist, these “special skills as our core competencies”. They are in each of us, whether as an individual, as a small system such as a couple or family, as an organization, as a group, as a society, as an economic area. In larger systems it is of course not only “a specialty”, but also a complex model of capabilities due to the interplay of many such individual core competencies.
So if we have “crashed” and think that it is no longer possible … a little light comes from somewhere! That’s what they say. Anywhere and anytime. Certainly only if you make yourself aware and admit: “It can’t go on like this.” Congratulations! After we slammed that door called “past” can we see which other doors could open because the core competencies are still there. We can always rely on them. This disruptive innovation process logically has to do with letting go and losses, whether within us as a person, the organization with familiar processes and procedures, with our people in the organization, who have often “tied up” for many years in the truest sense of the word to be Unit or team interact with each other in a way that is geared towards the goals, or the like. These teams are now more or less “unable to maneuver” at the stand or are tied up in old process corsets and are struggling for air to survive. Now at least, esteemed executives, it is time to act. This is often more reactive than proactive, but one has to be “active” – with all the management and leadership skills that we have or can acquire, because standing still means going backwards over time. It is undoubtedly pointless to just run towards it in the sense of “I don’t know where I want to go, but the main thing is that I can get there faster”, because that is more or less stirring up dust and often wasting resources, but at least not leading in the sense of provide orientation. But doing nothing or “business as usual” is also a waste of time. Rather dLetting time (Chronos) pass by because “it feels like nothing ever happens” (Kairos, the felt time) is rather very dangerous.
Seize the opportunity . A crisis is basically a productive state. Often one should only take away the aftertaste of catastrophe. According to Duden, if you look at the Latin origin catastropha< Greek katastrophḗ = reversal, turn> looks, both the reversal and the turn stand for movement and energy, in no way for a stuck state, and thus actually form an integrative part of the transformation. The crisis is simply part of disruptive innovation as a driving force / energy – otherwise nothing new can arise.
As difficult as it is to see it that way, especially if you have experienced or survived a crisis yourself or know what it means to be stuck in a full-blown crisis – the solution lies in acknowledging this and releasing it from this situation. But of course you only know when you have successfully overcome the crisis what is better or different now, or where the sense and benefit lies. Success stories are always written in hindsight! And failure is just as much a way of emerging from it as stronger. Unfortunately.
One quote says: “Whoever does what he can already do, always remains what he already is.” Basically not bad, but if something “is no longer the case”, no longer fits and cannot be made to fit, then the only thing left is transformation.
On the dogmmen. Plan-B in times of crisis. In uncertain times, it certainly makes sense to work out several options and plans and have them on hand than to wander around haphazardly and aimlessly. It is now up to each individual to distance themselves from the situation for the first time and to look at it: What actually is “the catastrophe”, what was the cause of it? If it had been averted, what of it would not have been? Who or what is still involved, etc.?
Then comes the even more difficult part: self-reflection in the sense of: What was my own contribution to the crisis? Am I still part of the relevant (crashed) system today and in the future and thus basically able to act at all? And if so, what could the “brave new future” look like after the crisis has been overcome? In any case, what from our past and present do we take with us into the changed future – in this way or in another form – and what is new? It is important to set up hypotheses and check them for feasibility, develop scenarios and plans and check them for suitability, discard or adapt them if necessary, then evaluate them again – until a valid basis for decision-making and direction is available. From this, goals can be derived in the sense of a vector as a “directed quantity”, but also agile and adaptable Set a target corridor so that you can remain agile and adaptable for the unexpected.
At least now it is clear – you can hardly cope with it all alone. Neither as an individual, as a team, as an organization, etc. Because the perspective “system-independent from the outside” as well as the distance due to the involvement for “factually correct decisions” is missing. Even the best surgeon cannot operate on himself. In this phase we come into play as a sparring partner, coach, mediator, moderator, consultant, project manager or interim manager, and to incorporate these observations, questions, findings or perspectives that you simply do not see as “system parameters involved” can what is often referred to as “operational blindness”. Don’t worry, this is also the case in our own consultancy systems!
Because of this, our Systhat approach is a collaborative and collaborative approach . We are not compulsively looking for projects for a large, permanent team of consultants, we provide up-to-date, effective and efficient help with our specialists where there are challenges, and provide you with precisely those people from our cooperation network who are the best fit for working with you to develop solutions .
Take a look at our range of services and contact us as soon as you feel that it might be useful to do this! Grab the opportunity – Let’s SYSTHAT!
