Never Waste A Crisis

I was at a meeting at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Nashville, TN a few weeks ago and the director was quoted as saying “Never Waste A Crisis.” Of course this sounds like a contradiction but it made perfect sense in the context. We were talking about nonprofits and the need to focus on our core missions and be realistic about our programs and our roles within the community.

After the meeting, I started thinking about the wider implications of this idea in the current economic climate. Almost everyone and every business I know is facing some level of “crisis” and some have been more introspective than others. Clearly, some difficulties are just plain lousy. Some, however, really can be a hidden opportunity or at least a wake-up call.

We cannot rewind the clock and make different choices before the economic downturn began. We can’t rethink a greedy growth mode or undo the program or partnership that was clearly off the mark. We CAN use these lessons and their results to build strong partnerships now – ones that will serve in tough times and will only grow in impact as things improve again. So, don’t waste the crisis… live, learn and look forward.