When your company is facing a business crisis, it may be difficult to see beyond the anxiety and confusion of the present.
The shades of a business crisis are diverse. You could have to negotiate financial crises, personnel issues, natural catastrophes, and even worldwide pandemics throughout your tenure as a leader, as many firms did during the previous two years.
It is your duty as a leader to safeguard the interests of your team members, clients, and shareholders as well as to find and seize any chances that may be lying in the midst of the chaos.
Although it may seem impossible, wise executives can often lead their companies through a crisis such that they come out the other side stronger than before.
As Andy Grove, a former CEO of Intel, famously said, “Bad firms are killed by the disaster. Good businesses manage to endure. They enhance great businesses.”
So how can you seize an opportunity presented by a crisis? Here are a few strategies used by seasoned leaders to overcome obstacles and come out stronger and more prosperous than before.
Aiming high during a business crisis
Kevin Holmes, founder of Hairbro believes in aiming high. He claims: “Setting lofty objectives and the modest activities necessary to attain them is the first stage in a company’s transformation of a crisis PR situation into a profitable opportunity.
This is partially due to the fact that businesses must prepare for the worst possible crisis scenarios and learn how to effectively handle and minimize them. That implies, however, that the business can also maximize the benefits of that catastrophe.
There are a number of business-related developments taking place during a crisis that may open up advantageous chances.
As resources are redistributed or made accessible in new ways, leaders show a greater willingness to take action and make changes.
Finally, the strict processes and norms become elastic enough to allow modifications when the business’s goals become more urgent and clear.”
Solving issues
According to Isla Sibanda, founder of Privacy Australia: “While almost every crisis may be turned into an advantageous opportunity for a business, it’s crucial to remember the original issue that sparked the crisis in the first place.
Although in the best-case scenario, a crisis presents companies with the chance to address a wide range of complex problems or close existing gaps that contributed to the crisis, a firm should focus on resolving the current issue in addition to considering how to go forward.”
Taking lessons from errors during a business crisis
In general, individuals are reactive, which implies that even in anticipated crisis scenarios, they may be caught off guard.
Fortunately, that reaction can always be turned around for the better so that those same shocked individuals may take the required steps to ensure that such a disaster never occurs again.
They can, at the absolute least, improve their capacity to deal with and handle similar issues in the future. Additionally, as they help people and businesses develop and cope with many sorts of disasters, errors are one of the finest methods to learn lessons.
Invest in the proper human and technological resources
According to Steven Holmes, investment advisor at iCash: “A crisis may serve as a stress test, exposing weak spots where an organization needs to make significant changes or minor tweaks. Anything from enhancing cyber security to modernizing team building and leadership development techniques may be improved.
A company must make sure it has the best staff members available in order to implement a strong recovery and maintain future development.
Companies often spend money on workplace mentoring and upskilling during a crisis as a strategy to enhance learning and development and expand the skills and knowledge of the existing staff.
Reducing the need to acquire new employees, may save costs while simultaneously acting as an employee retention strategy.
Testing, investigating, and implementing new technology also offers the opportunity to automate processes where it is practical for greater effectiveness and lower cost.”
Maintain brand relevance
The public often observes how organizations handle a crisis while under pressure. They could seek confirmation that a business is trustworthy, reliable, and aggressive.
It’s crucial for a firm to stay involved not just to maintain the relevance of its brand but also out of a feeling of social obligation since how a company behaves during a sensitive period may have long-lasting good or bad effects.
Investing in staff retention measures is a smart move if a stressful event has the potential to result in workforce cutbacks.
This dedication not only improves an organization’s post-traumatic development and develops its existing talent, but it also sends a message to current and prospective workers that you are an ethical employer that appreciates people.
Avoid getting hung up on expenses
It seems sensible that as income declines, attention would go to costs: what may be reduced, what should be kept, and what should be done? It’s simple to be sucked into that, but try to see things from a different perspective.
If you just think about lowering expenses until life “gets back to normal,” you run the danger of missing all that is occurring right now and being unable to take advantage of possibilities when they do present themselves.
Every single day, new issues are produced; thus, every single day, new possibilities are generated. Take your time to properly comprehend your financial situation, but also keep an eye out for what is about to come your way.
Nobody can predict when or even if things will go back to normal. But it’s crucial that we don’t just hide out and wait for things to happen and that we instead, whenever possible, concentrate on the current prospects.
Let your employees know that failing is all right
Percy Grunwald, co-owner of Compare Banks believes that failure is the key to learning. He states: “It’s doubtful that you’ll just stumble onto the answer to your difficulties. It will take effort, understanding, and, of course, a few mistakes. Or even a full blow business crisis.
Create a culture where individuals are not judged for taking chances if you really want your employees to be innovative and creative in the manner any firm has to do in a crisis.
Your team won’t feel comfortable and secure enough to delve deep and uncover the answers unless your organization has a culture that really values innovation and creativity. The finest corporate leaders are aware of this and provide a safety net as well as room and time for their people to innovate.
The passage of time is also a crucial consideration since, on occasion, the finest ideas emerge only after all other possibilities have been exhausted.”
