Strategy in turbulent times - how to survive a crisis and bounce back

As the saying goes, never waste a good crisis. We have certainly seen our fair share of crises in the past 30 years. And now there is the COVID-19 pandemic to add to the list.

For some sectors, it is difficult to see the COVID-19 crisis as anything other than a threat. Notable examples include the hospitality industry, aviation and the performing arts sector. For others, such as diagnostics companies, the crisis has turned out to be a gold mine. Some companies have also made some very bold moves.

In this white paper, Vlerick strategy experts have joined forces to reflect on the implications of the pandemic for businesses, to share best practices on how to deal with the current situation in the short term, and to offer methods and advice on how to build a strategy for the new normal.

The message is not to all reinvent yourselves, but rather to put the COVID-19 crisis in perspective and answer some of the most pressing questions facing businesses today. How can you survive this crisis, and how can you be ready for the next one? How can you be better prepared for the future, bearing in mind that that future is unknown? Our Vlerick experts also explore why some organisations cannot see beyond the threats, while others seize the opportunities, and what you can do to help your company succeed.

The COVID-19 pandemic may well have been the trigger, but the analysis and advice presented in this white paper have relevance far beyond the current crisis, a crisis that serves to show exactly how turbulent today’s environment is.

CONTENTS

1. Crisis? What crisis? 
2. How to survive this crisis
3. Do not forget the basics
4. Strategy beyond markets
5. How to take better decisions
6. Imagine plausible futures