"When things go well, something should happen in the very near future. When things are going worse, they will go even worse in the near future. " Murphi law
We decided to make a newsletter about our consulting services. He chose a beautiful paper, ordered elegant forms and envelopes, printed the text and sent to the pre-selected addresses. And everything would be nothing, yes it happened in the memorable summer of 1998. Many plans and hopes collapsed on the same day, on August 17. Our company also shook great. One of the partner banks went bankrupt, some customers, and we ourselves lost decent money there. Someone did not have time to sell the GKO, someone owed buyers and returned depreciated rubles. And for some time, the law enforcement agencies presented to us before the default. To get to the bottom and not to detect seemed a good idea, the benefit to the bottom was hand to file.
But it was not my then chief, a person uncommon and advanced for that time is unusually. He did not lose the presence of the Spirit and reasoned something like this: Yes, we had a sad experience, but it was he who makes us stronger and competitive. Without all his constraint, he went to contact with customers, and in a conversation, at first very unpleasant, almost always there were points of interest. Chef neither the droplet was afraid of unpleasant conversations, and I studied with him boldly smoke into the discomfort zone. But one conversations will not be fed. As the heroine of Irina Muravyeva said in a famous film, it's not to cry, here it is necessary to act. By collecting the last money, we went on a business trip to establish new contacts. Before meetings in the cafe, the conversation plan was discussed (I am for courage - coffee with brandy), then took a relaxed look and confident step included in the offices with an expensive finish, in which big bosses were sitting. We naturally sat down on the designer chairs and began a serious conversation. What is good crisis? The most courageous ideas from the series "why not" come to mind. There is nothing to lose. We offered new forms of cooperation: we were vital for money. There was a weak likelihood that previous providers are in a stupor together with the global economy, and here they are young and arrogant. So, by the way, it came out - using a common komatosis, we got a profitable in a row.
We have gradually be established, the cash flow was restored, we worked more and more successfully, mastered new products. So my first serious crisis gave impetus to business and led him to the next round of growth, thereby taught me the first lesson: do not be logical. By the way, in the fall of 1998, I received an answer to my newsletter from somewhere from the Russian depth. People wrote that they got my letter into one of the black days in the life of their company, and thanked me for the fact that it was a bright spot in their falnial mood and literally inspired faith in bright tomorrow with its view and content. It also happens.
Crisis - in the country, in the world and in my own life - then repeated with enviable regularity. Each of them was a unique experience and an invaluable lesson. I remember the words of an elderly doctor of a radiologist for life. Confirming me one extremely unpleasant diagnosis, she said: "Now my words will seem to you strange, but over time you will realize that the disease has changed your life in an incredible way for the better and gave you anything that has no comparable experience." Thank you, I do not need such experience, I thought then. And now, after 20 years, I often remember her words. What seems to be painted and crashing hopes, often just kind of change. Changes do not always look like a New Year's surprise - may not be balls and serpentine. More often, changes are masked under the footsteps, it happens slightly, and sometimes very painful. The ability to change - that's how I perceive the crisis now. It may turn into something new, and can salt in despondency and hopeless.
Next lesson: Trust. This has taught me the recent (penultimate, it seems) the economic crisis in my country. The course crawled up, introduced currency restrictions, everything as usual, a small business in ... to put it mildly ... a stupor. Our typographic business and so worried about the best times, and then the paper looked sharply, the customers also had a sharply meal. Everyone predicted an ambulance ending, typography closed as shutters in the evening. When meeting, familiar sympathetically asked: how are you alive? And then my husband suggested a chart of temporary solving problems. I shrugged: Come on, absolutely not believing in success. We have attracted resources, agreed with suppliers of paper by installments, clients also gave the opportunity to postpone from payment, against the background of a common panic tried to perform orders on time. And when the course stabilized on the average mark, we began to receive deferred payment from customers, I received my temporary contribution back, we retained the business and the team and eventually turned out to be in winning. The typography and designer bureau calmly lasted until the next season. The stereotype did not work, and we survived. Here is another lesson: ignore the cliché.
Since childhood, we constantly impose catastrophic scenarios. Do you eat bad? Forces will not be! Neaxo handwriting? Will go to the wipers! Did you get a two? Do not see you (about horror) medals! No protection? Will not take to work! Bulk baby? Wearing! Broke up with her husband? Get on with children. Etc…
There is no rules. My daughter almost eats nothing in the understanding of my grandmothers, but full of energy and can run without tired, jump on one leg, swim or skiing. Sometimes it seems to me that she, like enlightened yoga, feeds on the energy of the Sun.
Studying at the university, I attended lectures that it was impossible to record from the board, because the teachers scratched something absolutely unreadable? And these were lectures of the most brilliant scientists, world-famous physicists! And if we talk about study, then a certain number of "unawares" for tips and bold behavior did not interfere with the gold medal unnecessary in my life (the children have long pulled it out of the box and buried far away, to avoid unwanted connotations). And these most unlocked the spoiled children please me every day here twenty-three and a half years in a row. And yes, I never had so much time and forces for your own classes and self-development, as in that short period, when my husband and I decided to live separately. Here is another my personal crisis, which eventually led me to me. Probably, it was possible to come to myself somehow shorter, more directly. Without shocks, quarrels, tears, snot and experiences. I am almost sure that this path somewhere exists, in a deep theory, but I needed a crisis, I would not be afraid of this word, Collapse to harmonize myself with the outside world. Therefore, I do not really believe the prophecies and continue with an assistant stubbornness to look for new opportunities in threats, as we teaches the science of business. So far it turns out.
Ekaterina Mikhalevich, Entrepreneur, Head of the International Education of StudentPol