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Opportunity.



Stop me if you've heard this one: the Chinese phrase weiji is a combination of the words "opportunity" and "crisis." The implication is that one can look for opportunities in a crisis where others see only danger and failure. The problem is that this trope is not particularly accurate. Wikipedia can explain it better. It's a handy device for bite-sized management quotes. It's true that it falls neatly into the kind of dualism that Taoism represents-- yin/crisis=yang/opportunity. Other than the problem of mistranslation, the idea that opportunity can be taken from crisis also reflects a capitalist view of winners and losers. I'm not opposed to capitalism, but this is not the best approach for career advancement.


Jihui is the better word. It's not crisis, but change that creates opportunity. Change is undoubtedly happening in our industry. Anecdotally it seems greater than ever, and perhaps that's a natural outcome of a pandemic. Folks are either retiring early, moving into new positions, or leaving the business altogether. A recent study suggests the fallout from the pandemic isn't necessarily the Great Resignation, but rather the Great Layoff, which pushed many older workers into early retirement.


Opportunity exists for those who are poised and ready for change.


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