Aligning Crisis Management to Personal & Business Goals

What I learned from @vorhaus at #IMS10

These last few years have been very complicated for many of us. Those complications brought many things good and bad.

Once you are involved in a crisis you should be able to have the mind set to be able to change and the resilience to land back on your feet as quick as possible.

I think the crisis that affected me the most started while I was still working for my previous employer American Systems. I was on vacation at Disney enjoying my time with my girlfriend & best friend when I got a phone call requesting me to change my vacation plans. I decided not too since our friend had traveled from Abu Dhabi to Orlando, FL. To make a long story short and not going into details these where the first symptoms of what a few months later ended being the closing of the IT Consulting Practice I was working for and me making a huge change from Employee to Small Business Owner.

When I finally got the news that I was being terminated I remember getting on my @jetblue red eye flight from Washington, DC to Ponce, PR and reading Walt Disney’s biography (Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination)at the moment in his life where he created Mickey Mouse. Mickey was created on a train ride from New York returning to California after Walt had been tricked by a previous employer and had lost the rights to one of his early characters. At that moment Walt also made a commitment to himself that he would never again work for someone else. Reading those lines (on that exact date) was a life changing moment.

Given my many disappointments with previous goals that where aligned to my past employers I decided to make the same commitment of going on my own. So on @jetblue flights from Washington, DC to Ponce, PR my current company CIMA IT Solutions (http://cimapr.net) was born. (now people might understand another reason why I am such a Fan of @jetblue and Disney).

When starting my business I was so optimistic and gave it all I had (and I keep doing so to every day) but months later I would find out that most of my initial projects (without going into detail) had been cancelled or affected by the terrible economy.

I ran into financial hardship had to turnover my car, I even received money for groceries from our closest family members, and the last event was actually giving the Great, Mighty, and Ugly “Banco Popular de Puerto Rico” (@mibanco) the first home I bought because once I fell back they did not allow me to catch up on payments (many other posts can be dedicated to the greed and impact @mibanco in our local economy) and foreclosed on my house.

Although things have slowed down a bit these last two months overall 2010 has been a great year. A few weeks ago I confirmed it once again since I had the chance be present in the following presentation at the 2010 Inbound Marketing Summit from Robbie Vorhaus (@vorhaus Crisis Management & PR Expert).

The key valuable points for me from @vorhaus #IMS10 presentation:

Understanding the difference between allowing and resisting. I really got his message during his “Hold your breath” exercise. His description of not breathing as the anti life could not have been better defined. I also learned that managing crisis the old way is not the way to go ( I am naturally inclined to try something different).

My interpretation of @vorhaus definition of a crisis was; disrupting goals and not being able to use previous systems established to keep operating. We sometimes fight and don’t want to understand is that every crisis you experience results in change. So you better be ready to accept change and work around it.

This other key points I have put them on one of the notes I carry on my IPad to go over it and internalize it. I recommend you guys to print this out and do the same.

Just as @vorhaus emphasized the most important part of any effort or business is the “Passion and Inspiration” of the people behind it.

Less of what you don’t Want

And more of what yo do want (comes from your heart.

Practicing One less One more.

At the end of your life you die with the Music in you

Don’t worry about the competition and don’t lose your focus

Trying is an excuse to fail.

I wish I win the lottery…Stop Wishing and Stop Trying do It.

Put together what you need?

Keep your goal in your mind!

Crazy Horse ! Today is a good day to die.

I was able to take and internalize most of the message from @vorhaus (I decided to watch the video multiple times to make sure I did not miss anything). I was very impressed by the simplicity & depth of his overall message.

I heard some great speakers & great quotes at http://inboundmarketingsummit but in my opinion none of them can impact everyone as much as the following one from @vorhaus.

It not what happens to you

It is what you do with what happens to you that counts