Having lived and worked these last thirty years at relatively high altitude and with a severe climate, I have learned to cope. For instance, we have a policy of keeping cars in the valley so we can get out and about, even when the worst winter weather comes. Its odd, then, to see city tourists dicing with disaster as they enjoy the scenery, risking their expensive motors on snow-bound single track roads with no turning spaces. Apart from the nuisance to essential travellers, it usually results in abandoned vehicles, unless they are fortunate enough to be rescued by a local farmer with a tractor.

It strikes me that there are parallels with the financial crisis. Our bankers are like the tourists, enjoying their adrenalin rush and expecting to be bailed out if things take a turn for the worse. Wise financiers would anticipate the ups and downs and plan accordingly and no doubt some will do so. There is little sympathy for the myopic people whose selfish reward system has cost us all dearly. When the thaw comes will anyone be any wiser? The signs are that they will not. The whole rotten system is un-responsive to feedback and needs to be reconstructed.

The rest of us can get some benefit from our lost investment by learning how to apply these lessons to our own situation. In our own organisations, are we seeing the wider picture (for instance how well are we prepared for the impact global warming?). What are we doing to broaden our perspective and ensure we are prepared to ride the coming storms?

See article on Resilience – How to Survive in Tough Times