Cool in a Crisis

We felt we had no choice, it’s all anybody wants to talk about: the crisis, the downturn, the GFC, the R-word.

Fair enough, we’re a few months in now and the news is starting to feel real.

Good advice and strong connections have never been more valuable.  

• Who better to learn from than those who’ve sailed those waters before? Australia has some great recession veterans, we’ll be inviting them to blog and share their wisdom.
• Was anybody actually prepared? Tell us how you did it so we’ll know for next time!
• Are you a highly skilled person unexpectedly out of work? How are you planning your next move?
• The current job-market must be a recruiter’s dream. Are you hiring at the moment, how has the process changed?
• What happens to workplaces when everyone is afraid of losing their job?  Do they become more efficient or is it fertile ground for bullies and poor practice?
• Have your hours been reduced? Could a new attitude to workplace flexibility be an unexpected benefit to emerge from the GFC?
• How is your business adapting? Has the crisis forced you to become more creative?

If you’re under stress, you’re not alone. Keep a cool head, and use Open Forum to get talking to people who can help.

It could be the start of something great!

"Cool in a Crisis" – that’s Open Forum’s featured Topic of the Month for April 2009.

We felt we had no choice, it’s all anybody wants to talk about: the crisis, the downturn, the GFC, the R-word. Fair enough, it’s a worry, we’re a few months in now and the news is starting to feel real.

Unfortunately, talk "recession proofing" and the like can get murky. Scams abound; spam filters have never been more clogged with get-rich-quick schemes. Fear makes us all a little more vulnerable.

Trading on people’s misfortune is definitely un-cool, but there are genuine business opportunities and good deals to be had. It’s not just a cliché that those who succeed at this time are likely to do very well indeed.

Good advice and strong connections have never been more valuable.   

Open Forum is convinced that our readers can help one another stay Cool in a Crisis, so this we want you to talk amongst yourselves and share your insights.  

• Who better to learn from than those who’ve sailed those waters before? Australia has some great recession veterans, we’ll be inviting them to blog and share their wisdom.

• Was anybody actually prepared? Tell us how you did it so we’ll know for next time!

• Are you a highly skilled person unexpectedly out of work? How are you planning your next move?

• With so many quality people out of work, the current job-market should be a recruiter’s dream. Are you hiring at the moment, how has the process changed?

• What happens to workplaces when everyone is afraid of losing their job?  Do they become more efficient or is it fertile ground for bullies and poor practice?

• Have your hours been reduced? Could a new attitude to workplace flexibility be an unexpected benefit to emerge from the global financial crisis?

• How is your business adapting? Has the crisis forced you to become more creative?

• Are you finding new opportunities? Where are they and what’s so special about the timing?

Follow the links below to read the related blogs and articles. You can login in and post your comments in response. Or, if you have any general comments, just post them as a comment on the noticeboard below.

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If you would like to contribute you own blog of 500-800 words, please contact srose@openforum.com.au for more information or to forward your submission. If you are new to blogging, check out our Top 10 Blogging Tips for a start.

Somebody you want to hear from on this issue?  Let us know and we will do our best to get their opinion for you, email contributor suggestions to srose@openforum.com.au.

If you’re under stress, you’re not alone. Don’t panic, keep a cool head, and use Open Forum to get talking to people who can help. It could be the start of something great!

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RELATED BLOGS & ARTICLES:

• Online Networking for Business Value – by Iggy Pintado
• Crisis Needn’t Spell Disaster – by Peter Fritz
• Navigating Rocky Business Waters – by Juliet Bourke
• Australia’s Asian Neighbours – by Warren Reed
• The Code: Principles to Underpin a National Regulatory Framework for the Financial Sector – by Patrick Callioni
• Advocating a Financial Markets Risk Index – by Patrick Callioni
• Implementing Regulation for Success – by Patrick Callioni
• The Weakest Link – by Patrick Callioni
• Sneezing Giants – by Patrick Callioni
• Finding the First 5000 – by Peter Fritz
• Jobless Families – by Jessica Brown
• Waves of financial crisis crash on Australian shores – by the Hon. Joe Hockey
• How bad will the recession be and how long will it last? – by Mike Martin
• Swinging pendulums: accountability, the Global Financial Crisis and prosecuting Google in Italy – by Malcolm Crompton
• Let’s Splash Cash on Elvis – by Sally Rose
• Corporate greed and bringing these disgraceful companies to their knees – by JohnC55
• The ethics of the carbon economy – by Senator Eric Abetz
• Developing business contingency plans for the months ahead: consolidating and building – by Matthew Tukaki