As many of you may know there if a fierce debate going on over the past several months in the Israeli society. The government, established a few months ago, has set on a judiciary change that many perceive as a step toward anon-liberal democracy at best, or even the beginning of a non-democratic regime. Some may already know that I am a strong oppose of what I call -“a judiciary coup”. So being part of the democracy defending campaign, I seek for strength and resilience from my endurance sports experience.

I got somewhat tired from the conventional comparisons, so decided to approach this differently. For this purpose I asked chat-GPT to write a short assay about “ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy”. The result is nothing I could not think of, but it was a nice exercise.

So here it is, hope you’ll find it interesting:

Ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy may not seem related at first glance, but there are some interesting connections between the two concepts. Ultra-marathons are long-distance running events that often require runners to push themselves beyond their limits, both physically and mentally. Similarly, the struggle for democracy requires individuals and communities to persevere and fight for their rights and freedoms, often in the face of significant challenges and obstacles.

One way in which ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy are connected is through the concept of endurance. Endurance is a critical trait for both ultra-marathon runners and democracy advocates. In ultra-marathons, runners must endure physical exhaustion, pain, and discomfort to cross the finish line. Similarly, advocates for democracy must be willing to endure long-term struggles and setbacks in their efforts to promote democratic values and institutions.

Another connection between ultra-marathons and democracy is the idea of individual empowerment. Ultra-marathon runners often describe their experiences as empowering, as they push their bodies to accomplish incredible feats. Similarly, the struggle for democracy empowers individuals and communities to have a say in how they are governed, and to hold their leaders accountable for their actions.

Furthermore, both ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy require resilience and adaptability. In ultra-marathons, runners must be able to adapt to changing conditions, such as weather or terrain, and to overcome setbacks such as injuries or fatigue. In the struggle for democracy, advocates must be able to adapt their strategies to changing political contexts, and to weather setbacks such as political repression or opposition.

Finally, both ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy require a strong sense of community and collective action. Ultra-marathons are often events that bring together runners from around the world, who share a passion for pushing themselves to their limits. Similarly, the struggle for democracy requires individuals and communities to come together to demand change and to hold their leaders accountable.

In conclusion, while ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy may seem unrelated, there are some interesting connections between the two. Both require endurance, individual empowerment, resilience and adaptability, and a sense of community and collective action. By exploring these connections, we can gain new insights into the challenges and rewards of both ultra-marathons and the struggle for democracy.

Did you notice the wonder that happens in races? People standing at the start line may come from such a diverse background in their daily life, in international events they may come from different culture, languages and habits. The magic starts along the start line, where one cannot tell who is who. The wonder is what happens during and after the race. The bonding, the giving and the caring for each other, the life long friendships and brotherhood being created. This part, is part of what attracts me to these events, and is one of the most rewarding experiences. All of this happens despite the competitive nature of these events, even at the highest level of the frontline runners.

In my work life, we also talk a lot about diversity and inclusion as essential for success. But often when it comes to strategic decisions, organizations like to produce a monochromatic table for their convenience. Who’s voice is louder at the table seems to be so important in organizational politics: marketing? technology? operations? finance? bizz dev? . The fact that it still happens is a bit imbarecing. Especially while the buzz is about combining cultures, genders, ages, as the key to success. You may hear many excuses “confidentiality”… “most experienced”… “not at the core”… All of this while articles and books have been written about the need to mix disciplines in the drawing of sand dunes.

The dynamism and rate of change in the world require long-term plans on the one hand, with the ability to quickly and flexibly adapt to the circumstances. It requires a different kind of leadership from organizations that want to flourish. A leadership that shares, integrates, in a composition that reflects the same values ​​mentioned before. Leadership that is ready to take decisions, responsibility for actions and execution, and courage to face crises as well as manage long-term processes in short execution cycles. This leadership should give a place to human potential, that goes beyond the defensiveness of the known and experienced into the fog of the unknown. A new territory has never been discovered by those that did not move.

So back to running: this wonder is part of the why. I need a why in my life for the things I do, and this wonder is part of the fulfilling experience, doesn’t matter if in races, work, or even society. These days in Israel, these thoughts and feeling mix, as we strive for leadership that gives a place to human potential, and creates this wonder of bonding, giving and the caring for each other, and builds life long friendships and brotherhood.

Long live liberal democracy.

After my previous post “Crisis management, between real life and running”, a friend asked me if can find a difference in my mental and physical state when I compare between endurance sport events and crisis management at work. The answer was obvious to me, but I choose to look at the data and examine this aspect – as suggested in the previous post. So I used the data collected by my Garmin ENDURO watch, and the reports from my Garmin Connect app. This post looks at the analysis shown in the figure below along the year between October 2021 and October 2022.

The data I found most interesting was the stress level. It clearly shows increased levels of stress during crisis as well as competition. Having said that, while a 6 day race and short crisis show mild increase in average stress levels to ~35, a long and extended crisis management period turned out in a massive build up of average stress levels tp ~55.

From here I started looking into my sleep. For this I used both sleep duration as well as its quality grades given by the Garmin app. All and all, there are insignificant changes in my sleeping hours (roughly 6-7.5 Hrs), although some decline can be seen in the first crisis – probably due to multiple flights. This is however not the case for the 2nd and extended crisis period. The interesting part is sleep quality. Here one can see a clear decline during both the race and the crises. In the race it declined to a score of ~50 compared to over 70 in normal times, while in crises it dropped well below 40. Having said that, keep in mind there was a difference in circumstances. During the race I was sleeping in a tent in a sleeping bag, no shower, no change of clothes for 6 days; In the 1st crisis I spent many nights flying between two continents sleeping many time on the plane and in hotels; and in the 2nd and extended crisis I slept at home in my bed. My main observations are that despite the worst sleeping conditions in the race, it showed the least decline in sleep quality. During the crisis management at work, clearly the decline was similar, and its extent was correlated to the crisis length.

One obvious thought would be that my stress levels may be related to my level of activity – training or racing. Here I used the “intensity minutes” tracking to look into this question. For the race, it is obvious that there was an intensity peak. As for the crisis management the picture is different… Due to many flights and travels during the first crisis I did not train much and there was very low level of high intensity minutes, while in the second crisis my training level was going up. To my opinion it clearly indicates that in this case the sleep quality drop and stress levels are not related to the training regime.

Now for some insights and thoughts. It is not surprising that both in endurance run and crisis management the stress goes up. It should be noted that while during the race it is well correlated with peak of physical load, this is completely not the case for crisis management. Here, both crisis show similar impact of stress sleep quality, however, the longer the crisis is the higher is the increase in stress. Which one do I prefer? Clearly the race.

(*Hebrew below)

Between 2020 to 2022, I was involved in several crises. In all of them I played a significant role, leading the crisis management & coordination, leading disaster recovery process, and supporting crisis management and recovery effort. As I was writing my learnings from these events, it occurred to me that there are many similarities between managing crisis and managing yourself in an ultra-endurance sport event.

Before / preparing

I guess one of the first things one should realize when getting into the endurance sport scene, is that you are not just an athlete (amateur in my case), you are actually a manager of an event. It is not only about the training, it is about the logistics, the gear, the medical care during the preparation period. It is also about the mental and psychological readiness. In all, one should not compromise on mediocrity. Excellence will serve you in times of crisis during the execution of your project – the competition itself. Very similar the crisis management or disaster recovery where you must have the best professionals to support you as well as the best plan and process to handle the project. Needless to say the required infrastructure, whether physical or processes should be in place.

Manage your stakeholders… wow.. how many mistakes i made here… In races I think I did it right. Work, family, friends, all – by my instinct not by planning – were aligned with what it takes, my expectations, and the desired/expected outcomes. In real life crisis it is a bit tougher… unlike an ultra-endurance event, crisis is not planned ahead of time nor expected. Therefore, managing your stakeholders is done under the pressure of the ongoing crisis. Here, as in an endurance event, try to align them with your realistic goals. Do not set unrealistic expectations. These will also provide you and your supporting team an undisturbed environment that will enable all of you to focus on the task. Sound doable – but honestly: not easy.

Support team

As in real life, you would expect headquarter supporting bodies must also know the field. This means that the people you choose to help you during the preparation phase will have the sense of what it means to be out there, what it takes to execute, how you feel physically and mentally. They should be integral part of the team, not just performing their obligations. It is very relevant for businesses, and also goes for your coach, physiotherapist, mental trainer, the gear and nutrition provider etc.

Know your people, knw your supporting team in preparation and your supporting crew during execution. If you have chosen the best, then trust them. If you do not trust them – they might not be fit for the job. Crisis time require complete trust. No trust, and everything becomes much harder and might collapse completely. Once you have the right people – provide them the tools and the right conditions to work. No manager should expect his team to excel if they do not have the right resources, tools, and support.

During

In order to succeed – to create a clear and orderly path. This will help you to frame any event within the path you figured out before, especially in time of stress and distress that are very frequent as the event rolls. Having said that – this is easy said then done… A crisis or disaster recovery processes are the land of the unknown and unexpected. It is impossible to move forward if you want to have absolute zero risks.
Therefore, during the event you have to make real time decisions and not just go with the flow. This is the essence of being a manager: decision making (not avoidance) and accepting responsibility for actions and deeds (not for people). It is you who takes the decisions when you are out there on your own, and it is literally you that carries the consequences of your decisions.

You have to show managerial courage and make decisions even under conditions of uncertainty. One should adopt the mindset of “how” instead of “if”, and if you can take your team to this point the project will benefit greatly. As you take your decisions, rely on data for making these decisions. Avoid “I believe that…” or “I feel right…”. Data does not lie. And yes, sometimes gut feeling does work.

When it come to real tough decisions, try to bring all relevant functions to the table. Get advice from fellows, as diverse as possible. You cannot imagine how valuable this approach is. Although ultimately it is you taking the final call, diversity is not a PR word – it really helps.

As in driving, also in races and more so in a crisis: one should enter the turn slowly, learn the curve and adjust the steering wheel patiently, and then speed up or slow down according to the unexpected road conditions… the quality of the infrastructure, heat or cold, rain, sun, snow. Other factors should not be ignored, and actually need to be managed: the other drivers/runners and your passengers – your stakeholders. All of them can affect the crisis management process and the quality of the outcomes. Failing to manage them may have a negative impact on both.

After

Let your team celebrate the victory. It is theirs as much as it is yours, you should be proud at the achievement, not where the credit goes.

ניהול משברים, בין החיים האמיתיים לריצה

בין 2020 ל-2022 הייתי מעורב בכמה משברים. בכולם שיחקתי תפקיד משמעותי, הובלת ניהול ותיאום משברים, הובלת תהליך התאוששות מאסון ותמכתי בניהול משברים והתאוששות. כשכתבתי את הלמידה שלי מאירועים אלה, עלה בדעתי שיש קווי דמיון רבים בין ניהול משבר לניהול בין 2020 ל-2022, הייתי מעורב בכמה משברים. בכולם שיחקתי תפקיד משמעותי, הובלת ניהול ותיאום משברים, הובלת תהליך התאוששות מאסון ותמכתי בניהול משברים והתאוששות. כשכתבתי את הלמידה שלי מאירועים אלה, עלה בדעתי שיש קווי דמיון רבים בין ניהול משבר לבין ניהול עצמך באירוע ספורט אולטרה סיבולת.

אני מניח שאחד הדברים הראשונים שצריך להבין כשנכנסים לסצנת ספורט הסיבולת, הוא שאתה לא רק ספורטאי (חובב במקרה שלי), אתה בעצם מנהל אירוע. זה לא רק על ההכשרה, זה על הלוגיסטיקה, הציוד, הטיפול הרפואי בתקופת ההכנה. זה גם על מוכנות נפשית ופסיכולוגית. בסך הכל, אסור להתפשר על בינוניות. המצוינות תשרת אותך בעתות משבר במהלך ביצוע הפרויקט שלך – התחרות עצמה. דומה מאוד לניהול משברים או התאוששות מאסון שבהם אתה חייב לקבל את אנשי המקצוע הטובים ביותר שיתמכו בך, כמו גם את התוכנית והתהליך הטובים ביותר לטיפול בפרויקט. מיותר לומר את התשתית הנדרשת, בין אם פיזית או תהליכים צריכה להיות במקום.

נהל את בעלי העניין שלך… וואו.. כמה טעויות עשיתי כאן… במירוצים אני חושב שעשיתי את זה נכון. העבודה, המשפחה, החברים, כולם – לפי האינסטינקט שלי ולא לפי תכנון – היו מתאומים למה שצריך, לציפיות שלי ולתוצאות הרצויות/הצפויות. במשבר בחיים האמיתיים זה קצת יותר קשה… בניגוד לאירוע אולטרה סיבולת, משבר לא מתוכנן מראש ולא צפוי. לכן, ניהול מחזיקי העניין שלך נעשה בלחץ המשבר המתמשך. כאן, כמו באירוע סיבולת, נסה ליישר אותם עם המטרות הריאליות שלך. אל תציב ציפיות לא מציאותיות. אלה גם יספקו לך ולצוות התומך שלך סביבה ללא הפרעה שתאפשר לכולכם להתמקד במשימה. נשמע בר ביצוע – אבל בכנות: לא קל..

כמו בחיים האמיתיים, הייתם מצפים שגם גופים תומכים במטה חייבים להכיר את השטח. זה אומר שלאנשים שתבחר לעזור לך בשלב ההכנה תהיה תחושה של מה זה אומר להיות שם בחוץ, מה נדרש כדי לבצע, איך אתה מרגיש פיזית ונפשית. הם צריכים להיות חלק בלתי נפרד מהצוות, לא רק לבצע את המחויבויות שלהם. זה רלוונטי מאוד לעסקים, ומתאים גם למאמן שלך, לפיזיותרפיסט, למאמן המנטלי, לספק הציוד והתזונה וכו’.

הכר את האנשים שלך, הכר את הצוות התומך שלך בהכנה ואת הצוות התומך שלך במהלך הביצוע. אם בחרת את הטוב ביותר, אז סמוך עליהם. אם אתה לא סומך עליהם – ייתכן שהם לא מתאימים לתפקיד. זמן משבר דורש אמון מוחלט. אין אמון, והכל נהיה הרבה יותר קשה ועלול להתמוטט לחלוטין. ברגע שיש לך את האנשים הנכונים – ספק להם את הכלים ואת התנאים הנכונים לעבודה. אף מנהל לא צריך לצפות מהצוות שלו להצטיין אם אין להם את המשאבים, הכלים והתמיכה הנכונים.

כדי להצליח – חובה ליצור דרך ברורה ומסודרת. זה יעזור לכם למסגר כל אירוע במסלול שהכנתם קודם לכן, במיוחד בזמנים של לחץ ומצוקה שהם שכיחים מאוד בזמן שהאירוע מתגלגל. אחרי שאמרנו את זה – קל יותר להגיד את זה מאשר לעשות… משבר או תהליכי התאוששות מאסון הם ארץ הלא נודע והבלתי צפוי. אי אפשר להתקדם אם אתה רוצה להיות באפס סיכונים מוחלט.

לכן, במהלך האירוע צריך לקבל החלטות בזמן אמת ולא רק ללכת עם הזרם. זו המהות של להיות מנהל: קבלת החלטות (לא הימנעות) וקבלת אחריות על מעשים (לא לאנשים). זה אתה שמקבל את ההחלטות כשאתה בחוץ לבדך, ואתה הוא זה שנושא בהשלכות של ההחלטות שלך.

אתה צריך לגלות אומץ ניהולי ולקבל החלטות גם בתנאים של חוסר ודאות. צריך לאמץ את הלך הרוח של “איך” במקום “אם”, ואם אתה יכול לקחת את הצוות שלך לנקודה הזו הפרויקט ירוויח מאוד. בזמן שאתה מקבל את ההחלטות שלך, הסתמך על נתונים לקבלת החלטות אלה. הימנע מ”אני מאמין ש…” או “אני מרגיש נכון…”. נתונים לא משקרים. וכן, לפעמים תחושות הבטן כן עובדות.

כשמדובר בהחלטות קשות, נסו להביא את כל הפונקציות הרלוונטיות לשולחן העבודה. קבלו עצות מעמיתים, מגוונות ככל האפשר. אתה לא יכול לתאר לעצמך עד כמה הגישה הזו חשובה. למרות שבסופו של דבר זה אתה שמקבל את ההחלטה האחרונה, גיוון הוא לא מילת יחסי ציבור – זה באמת עוזר.

כמו בנהיגה, גם במירוצים ויותר מכך במשבר: צריך להיכנס לפנייה לאט, ללמוד את העקומה ולכוון את ההגה בסבלנות, ואז להאיץ או להאט בהתאם לתנאי הדרך הבלתי צפויים… איכות התשתית , חום או קור, גשם, שמש, שלג. אין להתעלם מגורמים אחרים, ולמעשה צריך לנהל אותם: הנהגים/הרצים האחרים והנוסעים שלכם – בעלי העניין שלכם. כולם יכולים להשפיע על תהליך ניהול המשברים ועל איכות התוצאות. כישלון בניהולם עלול להשפיע לרעה על שניהם.

ובסיום – תן לצוות שלך לחגוג את הניצחון. זה שלהם כמו שזה שלך, אתה צריך להיות גאה בהישג, לא לאן הקרדיט הולך.