Friday, August 7, 2009

When Less is More

I'm working with some organizations that have had to refocus because of budget cuts. The remarkable thing is that refocusing is good. Whereas in more flush times they might have made some decisions without much thought, the scarcity of resources is making them think.

Even more remarkable, the tight times are making some smart people look more intently at accountability.

Unfortunately, these good outcomes from bad times aren't found in every company or organization. There are those who - when faced with scarcity of funds - panic and start to flail around like a drowning victim. If you're a swimmer, you know the rules for getting out of a rip current. Number one, don't panic. Number two, don't fight the current - outsmart it.

I hope that if your organization is facing scarce resources, you'll refocus, not flail.