Excelling in the Midst of Adversity: Reacting as a Strategy

A collaboration between Chaordic Design and Estonian Life

This week’s theme is “React”.

In life, as in Innovation practices, many influences and events occur around us; some rudimentary, others influencing, and some quite surprising. What is most interesting is that we have the ability (and choice!) of specifically how to react, and if we are clever, can do so strategically, for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Innovation as an Active / Reactive practice:

Reacting as a strategy is a constant practice, requiring us to have empathy, self-knowledge, and ultimately, self-control. Firstly, when reacting to something that has happened, we must appreciate the context of that event in order to understand it fully, so that we might create more options for ourselves, and choose the proper response. Also helpful is deep empathy for our audience, and understanding their point of view (POV), hearing the true signal from the noise of our quick decisions, or early feelings about the event. In this way, we can choose the experience and the solution we wish to create, and the proper timing for it. The right idea at the wrong time still will not work, so it is important to have freedom of choice to react with intention.

(Full story available via link below)

Illustration of Lilli Suburg by Vello Paluoja, photographed by Urmas Luik