dispatches from the new world of work

100 Ways to Succeed #138:

A Good Formula

From the above we can learn a lot about dealing with crises in general. While not the complete story, I take these gleanings:

(1) Concoct an authoritarian control group that numbers three. [Yes, I like this number per se.]
(2) "Over"-communicate.
(3) Drop all pretense of formality.
(4) Park egos at the door.
(5) Ensure that the group is diverse. [The Post points out that the current troika consists of a Wall Street titan, an academic, and a career civil servant.]
(6) Each member should have towering competence.
(7) Each member must have widespread credibility.
(8) Also "over"-communicate beyond the group.

Tom Peters posted this on 09/19/08.

Comments

"A threefold chord is not easily broken" Ecclesiastes 4:12

Thank you, TP, for such a super list. I will hang it on my office wall as a consistent reminder.

Posted by Judith Ellis at September 19, 2008 8:31 AM

A common purpose or goal and strong leadership can get results. Public schools, federal, state, and city governments, frontline managers and workers...there are some valuable lessons to be learned from this list. Teamwork and crossing functional boundaries can be a performance multiplier!

Posted by Dave Wheeler at September 19, 2008 9:05 AM

Actually Tom why do we have to wait for a crisis to use your 8 points? – Surely they are a framework for good management thereby preventing of the sort of crisis we now face.

Interesting also that 8 is the number … Memories of ISOE and 8 key messages. Maybe both 3 and 8 are your favourite numbers!

The biggest challenge is to find three people at a senior level who are prepared to park ther egos at the door. The second biggest challenge is communication – my favourite GBS quote that I use all the time is:

‘The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished’ - George Bernard Shaw

The older I get the more obsessive I become about checking comprehension of the message I am transmitting whether that be verbal or written. And the less concerned I get about being accused of ‘over checking.’ Every week I experience several incidents of rudeness and bad manners where people simply do not reply to e mails or phone calls. And that to me shows a complete lack of care, integrity, sense of self esteem and professionalism.

And what about a new Number 9 as follows:

More concern from managers and leaders about the ‘people stuff’ rather than the ‘money stuff’

Posted by Trevor Gay at September 20, 2008 9:11 AM

Tom: your spelling! "Insure that the group is diverse." Ehhhh?!?!?!? Where can you buy a policy for this and isn't providing this type of policy one reason why financial institutions are in their current mess? I think I've picked you up on this point before but I'd plump for: "Ensure..."

Posted by Mark JF at September 22, 2008 2:40 AM

I'd add another point, developing one that Tom's pointed out before: "Crisis management is about action and therefore 98% of it is about implementation. Surround yourself with people who get things done and in the right order."

Posted by Mark JF at September 22, 2008 2:50 AM

Mark - And don’t forget the ancient trusted and well proven strategy at times of crisis. Put the 3 inch thick ‘Emergency Planning Manual’ to one side for reference purposes only and instead implement MIUAYGA - a technique well known to all consultants.

MAKE IT UP AS YOU GO ALONG.

Finding myself – by default - in charge of a real life and death crisis of evacuating over 100 elderly patients from a hospital that was flooded in the middle of the night in the middle of a freezing cold, gale-ridden January in 1978 I can testify from personal experience MIUAYGA works.

Posted by Trevor Gay at September 22, 2008 4:42 AM

All fixed, Mark. Thank you AGAIN.

Posted by cathy mosca at September 22, 2008 8:15 AM

To expand on Trevor's point about crises manuals

If you have prepared and trained well you will have a thick book of processes that tell you how to do things. Unfortunately most processes tell you what to do not how to do.

A good process helps a fast, slick execution but does not tell you what to do.

For example in the medical world I want a Doctor to quickly determine what to do e.g. what injection to give but I want the person giving the injection to be trained in and follow a well known process in the correct way to stick a needle in my arm.

Posted by PaulH at September 22, 2008 11:08 AM

The thick manuals do have a use Paul in a crisis ... they make great door props :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at September 22, 2008 12:40 PM

Hey Tom! I love this kind of Posts. There are so many people who will not follow these rules, don't even know that this is a good thing! I did find a great book on this called why whork sucks
I've been writing a blog on inspiration motivation and innovation, hope you check it out some day.
florenciaoliver.blogspot.com

Posted by florencia at September 23, 2008 2:03 PM