So I heard an interesting thought on crisis management:
“Never let a good crisis go to waste!”
Isn’t that frequently how politicians and lobbyists use the crisis, rather than deal with it.
In certain cases, some have even been known to actually create the crisis for their ends!
Whether it’s some politicians calling for strict gun control when there is a mass shooting (perhaps infringing on other reasonable 2nd amendment rights) or it’s right to life advocates demanding an end to funding for planned parenthood when some bad people are caught selling fetal body parts and so on and so on.
Maybe these things are the right thing to do–in which case, a very bad event can end up being an impetus for much needed change and thus, can facilitate in transforming society and from that perspective, be a good thing!
But is the change really and necessarily the right thing to do…or is the crisis de jure just an excuse to get what some people wanted all along.
– Use (exploit) the crisis.
– Maximize the momentum from the crisis.
– Leverage the emotions from the crisis.
– Promptly turn the tables on the issue.
– Leave all compromise and negotiation aside, and seize the moment.
The lesson here is not to just react, because a sudden and impulsive decision may end up being an overreaction and cause negative unintended consequences down the road.
The pendulum tends to shift and swing widely in both directions–neither extreme is good.
Instead well thought policy, use of common sense, maintaining reasonableness, looking at all sides, and a general middle of the road approach usually yields the best results for the most people.
Crisis management should be just that–managing the crisis; the policy should be fully reasoned both before and after. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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