Awaiting a Tsunami: Aware and Prepared for Change
Awaiting a Tsunami: Aware and Prepared for Change
As we write this first post of 2024, a massive, 7.5 earthquake has caused upheaval in and around Osaka, Japan. The country now awaits the reality of a Tsunami.
As VIM Executive Coaching has an affinity for Japan and her people, we think of that country and its resilience as 2024 is barely hours old. If Japan has any advantage over much of the world, it is that earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis and all of the catastrophic consequences of severe weather are possibilities that everyone in Japan understands. Such disasters aren’t a constant, hand wringing worry, rather a state of preparedness and awareness that is accepted and reinforced with quiet acceptance.
The irony? We think not.
Some might find it ironic that Japan, a bastion of Zen practice and mindfulness lives in a state of change that can fluctuate between calm beauty and natural calamity. In fact, we find it is exactly the possibility of change that has led Japan to greater mindfulness and the ability to adapt.
We do find it ironic that in the U.S., with our constant barrage of information and even whole cable channels devoted to the topic of weather, how ill-prepared we are for catastrophe. There is a subset of the populace who are convinced that bad things always happen to others and not to them. They taunt fate by building homes in flood plains or construct buildings at the edge of a wooded area badly in need of fire management. Worse, when something does happen there are always public outcries against insurers who forewarned them and ultimately refused to honor their claims.
Indeed, we are often regaled with stories of independent souls who drive into tornados for kicks or who refuse to leave an area in threat of imminent danger from fire or flood.
Though tragic, it is always a head-scratcher when someone intentionally tempts fate and then is seen crying about the unfairness of life, during an interview on the evening news.
The awareness and preparation for change, the entire mindfulness discussion, carries over into every aspect of organizational life.
Who could foresee a pandemic?
Less than four years ago, we experienced a pandemic. We will put the political ramifications of lock-downs, PPP funding, vaccines, virtual and hybrid workplaces on hold for now, and simply state that ultimately, it was a test of mindfulness.
The most successful organizations and their executive leaders during the pandemic were those resilient to change. Again, not surprising, Japan readily knew what to do when COVID struck. They were used to masking and social distancing; they were comfortable with self-care and pulling together to accomplish wellness and to maintain the economy.
The organizations (for profits and nonprofit) whose leaders refused to change, who were actually committed to being inflexible, were often the most scarred and affected.
Those organizations that were mindful and open to adjustment, made it through troubled waters and some organizations, made it through better.
To this day, the most inflexible and narrow-minded companies are still losing the highest value asset they “claim,” their employees. When companies take employees for granted, when executive leaders react to situations and rather than respond, valuable people throw up their hands and walk away. We have seen this across all industries, from those we coach in healthcare, to private industry, to entrepreneurial ventures and start-ups to government agencies.
The management of change must rely on several factors starting with authenticity and mindfulness. Mindfulness is a cultivated skill and it is what we coach at VIM Executive Coaching.
As Japan awaits come-what-may, they will mindfully adjust, change and authentically respond. They will make it through the start of this New Year.
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