2 Ways to Make the Most of a Crisis

Spectacular feats seem to happen in a crisis: people step up, productivity increases, and politics and red tape take a back seat. Unfortunately, this type of energy can't be sustained once the crisis dissipates. But, there are important lessons to take from this elevated mode of operation. Next time your organization has an emergency, do these two things:

1.Hold a post-crisis clinic. Ask everyone who was involved in the response what happened differently and why. Help people identify the new ways of working they adapted.

2.Focus the energy on a critical initiative. Ask people to apply the energy and dedication they mustered in the crisis to a stretch goal that you want to achieve in 100 days or less. This will help you determine which new ways of working are sustainable and can be integrated into a more routine way of doing business..