Opportunity Arises from Chaos… Go Mom!
February 5th, 2009
Submitted by: Raquel Rusing
About two weeks ago, I took the initiative to do something for myself: complain to my mother about my personal trials and tribulations associated with the economic crisis at hand. For example, “No one wants to hire an MBA… they only want engineers! Why was I a pure mathematician?? I should have done applied math! And now I’m too expensive! I’ll never get a job after school and I’ll starve to death three days after returning from Chindia because my bank account will have negative cash flows.” I got so angry with my mother’s optimism because she was ruining my poor fortune, at a time when I needed to vent, that we hung up on one another. Later, I received a text (yes, she’s that saavy). It read: Tweeter, in the Chinese language, chaos and opportunity are the same word because opportunity arises from chaos. You have such a bright future ahead of you! We are so proud of you, take care of yourself. Love YOUR mom.
Aside from the fact that my mother has always been the steadfast backbone of my chaotic lifestyle, I doubt she realized the true weight of her words. And to be honest, I didn’t realize them either until today… thanks to good ol’ Morgan O’Hara. Morgan cracked a joke about how I must have a new fascination with China because of the jade Buddha dangling from my neck. Although I chuckled, I responded quickly to justify its purpose: I have owned the necklace for several years and although I am not a Buddhist, it serves as my tangible reminder to remain balanced. Then, my mother’s text clicked. See, I dedicate myself to a disciplined order of things in hopes of finding balance between my thirst for spontaneity and my naturally linear thought patterns. I have always viewed the constant chaos as a flaw and struggle to repress it. But leave it to my mother to make me feel better because in her own subtle and amazing way, she once again reminded me that we can leverage personal weaknesses to develop ourselves both intellectually and emotionally.
This got me thinking about how I handle chaos. I learned a fairly well-known mantra from a good friend of mine years ago and often recite it when I feel lost. I still strive to truly understand its meaning, but the mantra is for prajna, or Transcendent Wisdom, which occupies a paramount position in Buddhist teachings. One is taught to balance compassion with prajna, such as emotions with logic.
“Tayata gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi soha.”
Translation: “Gone, gone, gone beyond. Gone completely beyond. Awakened. So be it.”
For me, the mantra reminds me that the only limitations in my life will be my mind. It reminds me to never stop searching or growing. I believe it inspires compassion, transforms confusion into clarity and suffering into joy. And I think this is where the concept of chaos and opportunity come into play. Although there is conflict surrounding the idea that chaos and opportunity are linked in the Chinese language, I believe the concept still exists. Like right now! A chaotic economic spiral is the perfect opportunity to Carpe Diem! A Wall Street Journal Article published in October of 2008 explains how such a phenomenon exists in the business world, “…Economic downturns create more opportunities for companies to move from the middle of the pack into leadership positions than any other time in business. Unlike [non-chaotic times], where leaders can thrive on raw power alone, [chaos] requires strategic finesse. That often results in dramatic differences in performance.”
Well, we’re in a spiral of chaos now.. a tornado of change… a moment of opportunity? Your thoughts?
By the by, I called to tell my mother I loved her and to thank you for her words, since they really helped me put things into a new perspective. Her response was, “Thank goodness I read the Wall Street Journal.” HA. Go Mom!
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, China, India, Pre-Departure
9 Comments Add your own
1. Chris Carr | February 5th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Your mother is wise, smart and she is right.
Stay positive. Yes, these are tough times, but victory and success will go to those who can spot the new opportunities that arise and capitalize on them. But that may take some time.
Out of this mess will come some good and new things.
2. Amy Cook | February 6th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
It’s hard not to get down about the current economic state at times. It is a wonderful time to be in school, but as July inevitably inches closer, (and lay-offs continue) our palms begin to sweat from the uncertainty of what comes next.
I remember reading the attached (or a similar) Wall Street Journal article last quarter which got me thinking about all the small “me-too” businesses out there that are struggling through this economic crisis. I wonder how many of them are using it as an opportunity to gain market share. If you didn’t read the article, it likens the economic downturn to maneuvering the dangerous curves of a racetrack. I particularly like the advice on how to survive the downturn:
“Winners in recessions tend to brake quickly heading into a downturn by managing costs carefully and consistently. It’s like downshifting to a lower gear to slow momentum and increase responsiveness. They focus on what the company does best, reinforcing the core business and spending to gain share. They aggressively monitor the competition to ensure they have the best possible line through the curve. That sets them up to accelerate at the apex of the curve, when the economy starts to improve. The farther you can see and the quicker you can turn, the faster you can safely corner”.
As we watch giants in almost every industry fall, I wonder who will take their place when the economy does improve. Will the old “household names” be replaced by new ones? I think it is up to each of us to research the potential of those companies we are interested in. There are those who are really weathering the storm and who may see a new MBA as an opportunity get fresh perspective right before “accelerating at the apex of the curve”.
So, in answer to Raquel’s question, I believe (at least for now) that we are facing a moment where we each have an opportunity to align ourselves with those companies who can be strategic enough to come out of the chaos on top.
And if not, maybe our moms will take us in…
3. Cece Reyes | February 8th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
The moment of opportunity has never been so great for entrepreneurs. We have all heard the saying “necessity is the mother of invention”, but in an economy like ours, the saying takes on even more importance. Last quarter, we discussed ways in which Chinese entrepreneurs can take advantage of the fact that the environment had increased pollution due to the increase in industry. They would be able to build businesses that could clean-up or make things less harmful, businesses that were not previously necessary. Here in the US, there is opportunity for entrepreneurs to create new businesses that can both help to move our economy beyond the current crisis and grow it on the other end. This could be in the form of existing businesses changing or new businesses being built. It is safe to say that the rules of business have changed.
Entrepreneurism tends to be directly related to challenging times or adverse circumstances. With the loss of a job or in an economy that doesn’t offer many opportunities, many times people need to create their own opportunities. It might take being creative with respect to the types of companies for which you decide to work - they may not be the some companies you had in mind last fall. And, there may never be a better time to take a chance on a risky start-up than now, when jobs are scarce and you have just had a year of academic collaboration with your fellow MBA’s (or I&TS’s).
4. Mark Polydoris | February 8th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Raquel, great post. Chaos and opportunity are definitely upon us. But as my father keeps saying to me, “what a time to be in business school!!!” We have the opportunity to study this stuff as it plays out without having to be out there too much. In fact, many of you may remember in the fall that there were two WSJs where one day the headline was “Unemployment soars!” and then the next day it read, “MBA applications up 400%!!!” We couldn’t have timed this any better.
This post also reminded me of an older post entitled, “Weeeeeeeeee!!! I’m gonna die!!!! …meets the world of insurance coverage…” I think business (and life) will always need to be a balance of risk and ‘playing it safe.’ Dr. Anderson’s class taught us about what a scary, finger-pointing, lawsuit-trigger-happy world this can be, and JF’s class taught us to put ourselves out there, be curious about people, and to take risks.
Chaos is an inevitability; pretty much all companies are competing in a chaotic environment. At my old job, “organized chaos” was a term we used a lot to describe our operation, and I think many of us will find “organized chaos” from the inside of seemingly well-run organizations.
And even though we don’t know what the future will look like when we get back from China, I know all of us will be in good positions to either take advantage of the economic situation or to help fix it. That, or I like Amy’s idea of moving back in with our parents…
5. Jamie Hastings | February 11th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I too really agree with all of your posts and especially Cece’s. When it becomes more difficult to find a job, it forces or entices people to go out on their own and some new and wild ideas can arise. This is a great time for entrepreneurship with many businesses either going out of business or selling their operations. This is especially good when financing is relatively good and as our economics teacher say, “Money is almost free” right now. If you can get financed, which might be hard, you have one of the best opportunities available. This would be our own chance at “accelerating out of the turn”.
On another note and in keeping a level head and optimism, I think our economic situation is far from “chaos”. I am not jumping down anybodies throat, just bringing light to our situation. We live in the most powerful and prolific country in the world. None of us are going hungry tonight, we have no war on our doorsteps, and things are pretty complacent. I have spoken with my grandparents about this a bit and our economic downturn is a far cry from the depression. I am sure other parts of the world are experiencing more drastic and life changing effects than we are. Just my $0.02.
6. Mark Wegemer | February 11th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Thanks Raquel for this post. Those than can come out on top in times like these will have the greatest success when the economy is doing better. Yes, we are in a hole, in a rut, you could say. Back in 1982, my dad just graduated college and was looking for a job. He had a job secured going into the last quarter of school and found out at the end of his last quarter that the job dropped. He had no job with a bachelor’s degree. But it’s ok because he was able to scrounge for money working at local places before he landed a job in Los Angeles a few months later. Those were equally tough times but tough times demand smarter people. What time is a better time to get an MBA or MS&IT or other master’s degree than right now? I pride myself in interviews about getting the master’s degree. It’s the best solution to times like these. We are that much better than those with bachelor’s degrees.
7. Andre Ourthiague | February 11th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Well, we’re in a spiral of chaos now.. a tornado of change… a moment of opportunity? Your thoughts?
Raquel, your dynamic with your mother made me smile.
The advice I was given regarding the current state of affairs differs quite a bit from previous comments. My dad comes from the “I’ll give you something to cry about” school of parenting, and his words are rarely optimistic. “Dre, nothing will ever be given to you in life. You get what you deserve based on the hard work you put into something. There are special exceptions, of course, but don’t assume you’re one of them.” My dad isn’t good at silver linings, but he can shed some valuable light on certain situations.
Hard work is the one factor you can always control. Raquel is correct, we are in a spiral of chaos. The current times have already turned most markets into aggressive dog eat dog environments. I will take my dad’s advice to heart in these times, and I will put in the time and effort to out work those around me. There are opportunities out there, this is true. However, today’s chaos requires we work harder than ever to realize them.
8. Nick Chamness | February 13th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I think that is one of the toughest things I have had to deal with in life. Being able to recognize the opportunity in chaotic times is very challenging. Its important to closely follow what is happening, while simultaneously looking for that opportunity.
I feel there is an opportunity to at least learn something from every situation. Whether it be from a talk with professor, the current way our government is attempting to address the economic crisis, or a bad grade on a test, taking one step backwards and reevaluating the situation can many times teach us important lessons.
As the speaker series professor said yesterday, “This kind of economic crisis will likely happen again in your lifetime”. After he said that I realized that I better watch and learn from what is going on right now even more closely. Even in rough times such as these, there is money to be made somehow. So, like Raquel was saying, keeping your head on straight and preventing yourself from getting too distraught, might just allow you to spy an open window of opportunity.
9. James McMillan | March 8th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
To point specifically to an opportunity rising from this economic crisis, how about more people being able to afford to buy their first homes. 3 years ago, I’m sure many students coming out of college thought it would take years before they would be able to afford a home in California at the rate at which home prices were going. Now they have actually come down to affordable range and on top of that the government is willing to kick in $8k as a tax credit at the end of the year. With mortgage rates being extremely low it seems as though everything is in favor of would be 1st time home buyers. Those able to secure a solid job after graduating this summer may find themselves in a great position to take advantage of this opportunity that has risen out of this economic crisis.
I too know there is and will be many other opportunities that will arise from this current economic mess. The key is to have the knowledge, the readiness, and the guts to take advantage of it when it comes your way. Sounds cheesy but if you are missing one of those 3 how do you expect that opportunity to work for you. It’s likely not just going to fall in your lap.
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