Crisis management involves two aspects:
avoiding a crisis and facing the crisis.
The crises created by factors within one’s control can be avoided, whereas, those created by factors beyond one’s control have to be faced.

Very often a crisis is first created by an individual on account of certain habits in terms of patterns of thinking and behaviour. Major crises can be avoided if we act upon a situation at the right time. The old saying “ a stitch in time saves nine” is eternally true.

Our two tendencies are postponement of the unpleasant and non recognition of the problem. By eliminating these, many crises can be avoided.

Our typical tendency is to tackle what is easy and pleasant and postpone what is difficult, painful and troublesome. Over the years, it becomes a trait. We often create crises by postponing. An intelligent man accepts this and does not evade something that is unpleasant. It is worth reversing this tendency, because you will find yourself changed! You will find that there is nothing unpleasant! There are only comfortable and difficult situations. We must become mature enough to accept the unpleasant and avoid crisis born of postponing.

We must recognise the problem and act. It is not right to disown a problem. The problem should be first accepted. Action presupposes a decision, a will, and the will can be only where there is recognition. Accepting a problem is very important.

Now let us see how to deal with crises arising out of external problems. We live in the society and so many situations may not be conducive to us. Unfavourable situations will have to be dealt with. Dealing with a crisis requires an inner strength and we should be able to do whatever is to be done. We must be alert and our values and capacities must be intact so that you can deal with situations.

We have three powers: to know, to will and to act. These are the powers at our command to act in different situations. But we must also remember that these powers are limited.

We must accept that success does not come as a rule because our powers are limited and very often, we have to take an effort with a calculated risk. We must accept our limitations and must be ready for failure also. By getting depressed, we often create more crisis. If we go to the root of the depression, we see that it is because of our refusal to accept our limitations. Accept the fact and keep acting. Life becomes a learning experience. Graceful acceptance is more a recognition and not surrender. Defeat comes only when we do not accept facts.

So, let us accept our limitations gracefully and thereby avoid the sense of failure. Then you become one who is together as a person endowed with the three powers at your disposal and you do what you can do. This makes you an effective person to face any crisis.