Creating space in a crisis

Stephen Covey in his book The 8^th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness includes a quote that resounds very strongly with me in terms of business resilience, risk management and crisis leadership.

'Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.....'

According to http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/viktorefr160380.html the quote comes from Victor E. Frankl. More about Viktor E. Frankl can be read here.

 We get so busy sometimes that we forget that there are limits to our ability to think and act on intuition or 'gut' alone. We need to be able to create space for thinking in response to complexity.

·        We all have the capability to create space

·        That space to think before acting is a capability multiplier in delivering value

·        Failure lays in wait for those that seek to adapt on instinct alone. There is still a need to sense and decide (sometimes very quickly)

·    In that space is our power to act

As crisis leaders, we must create and own the space between stimulus and response. By stepping back, albeit briefly from the crisis, we can articulate assumptions in the absence of facts. We can understand the risks and opportunities, reaffirm our objectives and identify what strategies and actions will best support those objectives,  minimise downside risk and capitialise on opportunities.

We lose effectiveness when we get caught always reacting to issues in our work environment. However, there are times this is necessary. To manage this, make decisions but take the time to identify assumptions and make sure you and your stakeholders understand the uncertainty that is inherent in the decision This then allows you to question and test assumptions and adapt effectively as the true situation (often very complex) becomes clearer. Make this a habit as part of business as usual and it will also serve you well in a crisis.

Take a breath, seek a moment of calm and create that space before you act. Be realistic and know the limitations of information. Where possible create the space or make it larger, especially if the decision is critical. The 8^th Habit may not be for everyone (although it is on my recommended reading list), but this is certainly one powerful tool for business resilience during crisis and for managing through complexity.