Tap your survival skills to beat all odds in these trying times

The most difficult part is dealing with external elements we cannot control. In our case, it is the ever-increasing oil price, the turbulent political situation in the country and a general loss of confidence in people. Internally, the difficult bit lies in managing shareholders, rumours, staff confidence and, most importantly, customers. 

Therefore, the test of time is now - of how we handle the missiles coming our way and how well we survive them with the hope of a positive outcome. Through these testing times, we will face criticism, praise, encouragement, complaints, worries and blame from all sides - foes and friends alike. So, is my way of solving problems really the way out? I am not quite sure. But one thing is for sure, running a company with as many as 1,000 people in it puts me in charge of managing their livelihood, which is far more important than just my survival.

A key element that can stand the test of time is transparency in the way we handle business. If we maintain transparency throughout, then we can concentrate on solving problems without having anything to hide. And, that is to say we have cut out one huge problem from our business. The second element involves judging the pros and cons of macro and micro problems and opportunities, as every decision we make will have consequences.

The third element is sharing the information. If we keep all information to ourselves, without seeking assistance because of ego and image issues, we will only have one head with which to solve the mighty problems and that can result in missing out on the different options to make rectifications.

The fourth element is focus. If we do not focus on the main objectives, we will have too many problems to solve at the same time and end up accomplishing nothing. And the last element is not to be emotional (which is really difficult). Sometimes, being too emotional can lead to wrong decisions and consequent regret.

Today's business environment has more than a handful of challenges; the point is to remember the best you can do is look for the valuable feedback from customers, shareholders and staff. And let us just hope that this way, we can draw out the best in us as managers.

Patee Sarasin is chief executive of Nok Air. Follow his article on the first Friday of every month.