Hi! Managers: Thinking exit strategy

Her strategic plan was for me to divert my attention from this pesky concern, and rather than leaving me with a placebo, she left many books on golf. I read up, imagining the swings in my mind as I recovered. Soon I was well and found my doctor waiting for me on the golf course.

Do-or-die moments are useful at times because they provide a point of departure from routine. Two of my associates were once forced to take a few months' leave of absence from their regular jobs. One of them - instead of feeling sorry for his ill fortune - used the time to write a book that became a classic. The other ran into family trouble he could not shake for a long time. It is heart-warming to hear of opportunities taken, rather than squandered - although in this case there were surely elements of luck and courage involved, for someone to come through such a calamity not only intact but also with something to show.

With the current recession, difficult times are with us at a global level, and apparently for the long haul. Many businesses have already perished. Others, in panic and fear, are starving themselves or cutting off their arms and legs with premature lay-offs. Perhaps these pessimists will eventually see a fulfilment of the doom and gloom for which they seem to yearn. On the other hand, positive thinking might not be enough to carry the rest of us through. But surely, vying for upbeat thoughts beats being locked up in the depressing doldrums for a long time.

Tiger Woods may hit balls into the rough sometimes - even into the trees. But he continues to blast away with his drives, neither playing it safe nor letting himself down. Time and time again, by surviving the calamity and pulling a miraculous recovery, he seems to gain in strength as he progresses through the game. This is a clear contrast with others who quickly collapse and fold once they get into difficulty. No recovery, no exit, no capacity to register lessons learned.

This recession may be a long one. But the lengthy duration will afford us precious time to reflect and to store up on lessons learned. Along the way, it may even challenge us to conjure up some positive thinking and quash negative sentiment. Take this tough time as an audition. Do what you must to get through, but do it in good spirits.

A good doctor, prescribing the perfect exit strategy, will most likely not be here this time. And most likely, there will not be much free time for a game of golf in the immediate future. So just imagine you are another Tiger, and blast away.

DON BHASAVANICH is a councillor at the Thailand Management Association. Follow his articles in Hi! Managers on the first Wednesday of each month.