How does one handle crisis? Especially a situation for which one has the solutions but one is so 'frozen with fear' that it gets impossible to apply the solutions. -This has been asked by Arvind Sharma in his comment on yesterday's post. For the benefit of readers, I am expressing my thoughts in a new post.
Ideas for crisis management are a dime a dozen. I believe, that there should be a simple solution for crisis too. It could be :
1. Don't let the center of your consciousness change from calmness to restlessness. Do not let the stimuli distract you and make you restless. Perform all activities with concentration.
2. You can calmly solve your most difficult problems by putting forth your best efforts and at the same time refusing to be disturbed. Just say to yourself, "I am happy and satisfied that I am doing the best I can. there is no reason to worry myself to death". Your focus should be on the action and not on the result.
3. A calm person is a man of decisive and prompt action.
Let me give you a relevant example. One day when Mr John Rockefeller was playing golf, his lawyer came over and informed him that his company has lost a major lawsuit. That the court order will cost him big money and force him to break his company into many smaller units (present day Exxon, Chevron and others). At this point, Mr Rockefeller, exhibited what made him a great businessman. He dismissed his lawyer and not only continued his golf but played the best game of his life. Imagine the state of his mind !
Let me get the answer for crisis management from you by asking you to take a quiz.
1. What would you do in a crisis situation? - Stay calm or get panicky.
2. Would you ? - Assess the situation to do damage control or would you simply let the damage to continue. That is would you be active or passive to the situation.
3. Would you ? - Ask for inner guidance and also consult others or simply go on with old strategy.
I know your answers. It all sums up to - being calm, analyzing and then running hard to get one step ahead of the situation and being a man who is decisive and takes prompt action.
I had mentioned this slightly differently in yesterday's post, the first step is to stop further damage. Second is to review your strategy(one may seek other's advise if required) and third is to apply the new improved strategy. All this while staying calm and concentrated.
Let me also bring in here another very important point - that everything happens for a reason. This is fundamental. And if we accept this then we stop looking at the situation as crisis or as a problem. Rather we start seeking lessons. As a result, we are calm and relaxed and therefore in a better position to grasp the new learning and apply the one that we already have.
After this be non attached to the result. Do your best and then accept the result. Have the satisfaction of your best effort.
Being aware and mindful is of importance - ALWAYS. This is connected to having focus and a high degree of concentration. (somehow all these things are linked)
In such situations let us remember to
1. Detach from noise and stay peaceful.
2. To simplify the situation (remember reality is simple)
3. To ask ourselves, "Are we playing in the hands of the situation or are we active? Have we taken charge of the situation and doing something meaningful?
4. Rather than giving up and imagining failure, we must visualize success. (Be authentic here).
Remember that there are No quick fix solutions. You are unique and the situation is unique, stay calm, stay concentrated, be active and have faith.
We usually work backwards. We think about the result and then start working towards it. It is very difficult for a common man to detach him/herself from the result. But I think by keeping faith, being aware, remaining calm and doing the best we can, one can sooner or later achieve the goal.
ReplyDeleteThanks this helps. Faith and belief, in what we are doing and is to the best of our ability, not worrying about the result or the consequences because of the result is key. And above that making these choices in crisis and executing them is more important. Experience and practicing these principles regularly will help us in crisis.
ReplyDeletevery well written but I don't the accept the fact that everybody gets frozen with fear when they come to a problem. For example when I was in my last school there was a child whose name was Aditya Tyagi. He was a maths genius and you place a question of class 9 instead of a question of class 7 in which he studies, he can do it very easily without even the slightest of the problem. For me the meaning of PROBLEMS is Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength. According to me calmness is the state of God, as Christ always used to pray calmly and seek guidance from his father in the heaven, as Allah calmly used to tell the right path to the Muslims by giving enlightenment to prophets to preach the world. And as Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma used to come down in Avatars and calmly lead the people on the right path, we should also be calm and meet God and know the actual meaning of life. Now lets answer your quiz. My answer is to stay calm asses and repair the leak and ask for inner guidance as it is the truth. As well as inner guidance satisfies you and my word it is the God's guidance. According to me everything happens for the persons good only and if you do good you get good. THIS IS THE LAW OF KARMA. Most of the times the reason of something happening to you is the fruit of your doing. Corresponding to this one should also seek lessons and somehow apply it to test it if it works. The main motto is DO YOUR BEST and the rest goes in the hell. For me none of the things matter accept finding the right road to the path of the success. That's all. Adeious Amigo Mio.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion - it is an uphill task to stay calm when you are under pressure. We tend to forget all the lessons that we usually learn.
ReplyDeleteI do believe whatever happens, happen for the good only. Sometimes we don't know when things are going wrong.
Dear Vikas, It may be an uphill task, but staying calm is important. And even necessary. This is what separates the Rockefeller's from the rest. We have our choices...How do we develop calmness? Meditation helps. So does company of calm people. Practise is the "Master Key". In such situations the mantra should be, "Being calmly active and actively calm".
ReplyDeleteDear Harsh..First, not everyone gets frozen with fear. The calm people don't. Second, to see a child having such deep thoughts is very heart warming. Keep reading, keep inquiring and stay in the company of good children, is my suggestion to you. Third, I liked your definition of PROBLEMS. I will keep that in mind. And fourth, your understanding of Law of Karma is perfect. Once we believe in Karma, we take responsiby for our actions and stop blaming others for our miseries. Keep learning and keep having fun in life. That's what we are here for.
ReplyDeleteDear Arvind...lets condense our thoughts. It finally comes to "Being actively calm and calmly active" - to become a master of crisis management.
ReplyDeleteDear Neena, I agree that non-attachment to result is difficult, but with practice it is possible. The progress will be there, albeit slow.
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