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CRISIS...
The
word CRISIS comes from the old Greek word KRISIS (pronounced
kree-sis). In Greek the word does not mean panic. It simply
means "a time of decision which affects the future for good
or ill."
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The
most stunning interpretation of the word CRISIS comes
from the Chinese. Their word for CRISIS combines two
characters:
The
first character (WEI - on the right) means DANGER.
The second (JI - on the left) means OPPORTUNITY.
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When
we were working in Hong Kong, the workshop participants,
all of whom spoke Man
Mandarin
Chinese, told us this:
English
is a very young language - just about 1000 years old.
Chinese is a very old language - at least 3000 years old.
All of our words tell little stories about life itself.
The
word CRISIS tells us about a trip, perhaps a trip down
a long river. When you start the trip you need to know
that there are hidden dangers, like rocks beneath the
surface. You can never see these rocks. You must learn
to recognize them by observing the currents in the river.
If
you do not pay attention to these hidden dangers, your
trip will be a failure.
But
if you learn to read the river's currents, you will steer
around the dangers and come to the opportunities that
accompany CRISIS. When you start any trip you cannot fully
see the opportunities. They are hidden in the mist, the
mystery. You find these hidden opportunities only by careful
observation and steady navigation.
Our
task, when we consult with organizations in managing change,
is to take seriously this ancient wisdom.
Identify
the hidden dangers and deal with them.
Identify
the hidden opportunities and develop them.
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