It is natural for government and business leaders to want to make the best of a bad situation. For example, articles on Watergate postulated that we are now better off because the crisis demonstrated the strength of a democracy. Some contend that the Exxon Valdez oil spill had a good side in that there were many ""lessons learned"". THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I do not subscribe to the ""I have to fail to learn and improve"" theory. A set-back leading to ""experience and growth"" is one thing; total failure is another. Few corporations could sustain as much bad press as Exxon, not to mention the opportunity cost of billions of dollars that could have been applied more profitably elsewhere. An organization's most precious resources are its time, energy and capital. They should be directed toward increasing profit, providing better service and improving the organization's reputation. They should not be wasted on damage control. Yet we continue to hear stories of crisis situations that drain organizations of that valuable energy and focus.
- Wheeler L. Baker
When an individual's or group's basic survival is threatened, stress becomes tremendous, and productivity drops. Under these conditions a manager's ability to reason and maintain a proper focus on developing plans or solutions to a crisis is extremely difficult.
- Wheeler L. Baker
We have all heard the saying ""the man with a plan is king."" I believe a man without a plan is just a pawn to circumstance and embarking on a losing strategy.
- Wheeler L. Baker
We have all heard the saying ""the man with a plan is king."" I believe a man without a plan is just a pawn to circumstance and embarking on a losing strategy.
- Wheeler L. Baker
Poorly managed corporations, disorganized businesses, and badly led service agencies experience crisis daily and most will eventually fail. In contrast, the danger is to well organized, smooth running institutions that may not recognize a building crisis. Too often, sound organizations rely on their normal modus operandi to pull them through a crisis. It might. But at what cost? And what if it does not pull them through?
- Wheeler L. Baker
Two a.m. in a dark alley or on a mountainside is not the time to discover your unit is missing a key piece of equipment, or that you are not sure of the radio frequencies of an adjacent unit. The procedural check lists created in training will prevent those critical and unacceptable mistakes. This is the time to benefit from those ""lessons learned"". But leaders must schedule the time to train, do it right, critique, and move on. It is an investment that will bring the most return.
- Wheeler L. Baker
Two a.m. in a dark alley or on a mountainside is not the time to discover your unit is missing a key piece of equipment, or that you are not sure of the radio frequencies of an adjacent unit. The procedural check lists created in training will prevent those critical and unacceptable mistakes. This is the time to benefit from those ""lessons learned"". But leaders must schedule the time to train, do it right, critique, and move on. It is an investment that will bring the most return.
- Wheeler L. Baker
We consider ourselves the leading military school in the country, and we want to stay there. We adapt to change very well; we recognize different learning styles and we adapt to that. We maintain our standards and use the military model as a way to provide structure in education.
- Wheeler L. Baker
We consider ourselves the leading military school in the country, and we want to stay there. We adapt to change very well; we recognize different learning styles and we adapt to that. We maintain our standards and use the military model as a way to provide structure in education.
- Wheeler L. Baker
We consider ourselves the leading military school in the country, and we want to stay there. We adapt to change very well; we recognize different learning styles and we adapt to that. We maintain our standards and use the military model as a way to provide structure in education.
- Wheeler L. Baker