Crisis; the best excuse for corporations

The past years opinions were shared about the crisis, what to do about it (always after wards) and who to blame. Countries, people and companies were accused but nothing changed while most likely a new crisis is already under way with new and old victims. Will corporations be better prepared or are they still in remote-sessions?

Announcing a new crisis is not shocking and please do not be alarmed. Perhaps this time the crisis will also hit China. Impossible? Maybe in words because that is another phenomenon seen the past years. China, where the stories are true but the data not, is not immune.

Now when and how is the future. Sure, there are global doom scenarios but also many still believe trees will continuing growing in heaven. Not in Brazil because too many are getting cut to remain competitive while the US will be back on track thanks to greed.

Well, this is all nice to know and you can disagree but what will hit you economically, financially or what makes you (more) happy? Can you influence a crisis or can a crisis only influence you? What about your work? Are you less open minded in a crisis? Less willing to take risks or make efforts for the firm?

That is the point here. Happiness in work through economic prosperity or loosing all interest and connection. Most of us are all guilty of it, some even exaggerate.

Corporations world wide, some suffer more of typical bad management, others suffer less because of better managers, products, strategies etc, have one excuse; the crisis.

The perfect excuse of stop spending and cost cutting. Not a new strategy but old fashion lay offs, budget restrictions and no more Christmas gifts for the employees.

The last is really true. One of the largest insurance companies (French, so know you now) last year at the last moment withdraw the X-mas gifts for all employees but not for the upper management. Probably they will repeat this soon. What a hoax!

Always excluded are the board, top management and shareholders because the show must go on. When not excluded your company is under-performing and someone has to be blamed (to pay the price).

This is exactly the reason of a new crisis because leaving is not without a bonus (for bad behavior), not without loosing market value and not without loosing stakeholders.

The new wonder boy or girl will mark the new place and to create space costs will be cut. The new boy / girl wonder needs full access to succeed but oops....there it happened again. A crisis disturbed all plans and the only way out is getting out.

Being exceptional is more luck than constantly outperforming others. Companies that survived the last crisis or do that now could do that because of better measurements during good times. Changing management will not do the same or can even be worse.

It is a combination of who hired who, what the person upfront is promised (bonus), can he or she manage people or are they just bonus hoppers? In fact there are too many who cannot be successful and they need to be paid too.

When the new crisis appears or even like now slowly evaluates, business leaders have the perfect excuse to secure their positions and that of their network. They tell their staff to cut costs but continue with their dinners, meetings and traveling.

It is all a visual circle where we (the staff) have to find our deals, our customers, our new jobs, our income and our future. This is colored by new technologies, inventions, medicines, leaders and social unrest & development. Where some loose, others (can) gain.

As this goes and goes for decades, even centuries, what is a crisis really? That you lost your job? That your house is not save or can be saved? That your firm is not making profit? That China is growing and the US not? Can that only happen in a crisis?

I believe that is not new at all or can really called a crisis. Perhaps a personal one but look at the stock markets. Some must make a lot of money there and those affected are watching while most others are cashing in.

It is finally the people´s attitude and not the crisis that create your situation. Unfortunately there are a lot of a-holes you cannot always avoid. Some you cannot even touch and you know they will cause the next (your) crisis.

Others find themselves the corporate dream team. Look at me! I saved the company millions said the new CFO (by destroying, not creating, what a hero!). Too bad six months or one year later these millions disappear in the accounts of the management or new manpower is needed.

The crisis creates sometimes hysterical calls for savings with really bad management. "Our budgets were cut. We cannot use your service". I do not know if this is the same for all products and services but when not using an external service that is needed the alternatives will always cost more. Great decision!

The best is to accept how it is, stay out of the way of a-holes and try to make the best of it. So, when you have the chance to make a difference, please do. Go with the flow and try to be like water more often. It is not about what you want but about what you get and do with it. Even when you or your firm is in a real crisis.