The Rapid Response Institute

Category: Best Practice

  • Houston . . .

    Houston . . .

    “The Eagle has landed,” and fifty years ago mankind had accomplished the heretofore seemingly impossible.  Two men on the moon became a game changer and not in just the way most believe.

    Yes, technology advancement owes much to these early space pioneers traceable to the 1950s; realistically a long process going back much further.  Aerospace led innovation has ‘bled’ into all aspects of our 21st Century life.

    The challenge going forward—what is the next ‘small step that will lead to one giant leap.’  Return to the moon or even humans on Mars is not the next step for humankind in this writer’s opinion.  It seems that technology can readily enable those milestones; it is just a matter of spending and will power.

    Blue Marble

    As the astronauts on the moon looked back at earth, they saw our ‘blue marble;’ tiny in the cosmos.  The place we all call home is just a spec of dust in the overall physical universe—whose bounds (if they exist) have not yet been discovered.

    Explorers have always pushed the limits of the known.  Whether sailing towards the end of a ‘flat’ earth or sending robots out of the solar system (Voyagers I & II), learning about the unknown, albeit sometimes terrifying is integral to the human condition.

    In 1969, the information age was in its infancy.  One can make the case that the modern computing era began with the hypothetical Turing Machine in 1936.  However, computational power was centralized and only available to the very few.

    As a college senior majoring in physics (1969-70), I was one of a handful who had access to a time-sharing system sixty some miles away in Atlanta, GA.  Programmed using the then ‘new’ BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)—this was state of the art.

    Communications time was expensive, so we wrote our programs and transferred them to yellow tapes used to program the distant computer.  Only then did the iterative ‘debugging’ process begin.

    The 1960s and early 1970s saw the rise of the minicomputer and other independent devices that would become the so-called IBM Personal Computer popularized in the 1980s.  The current computing device technology of choice is over 12 years old—iPhone and its competitors.

    Some argue that this platform is aging, yet has the next stage been identified yet?  The current rage, Big Data, AI, etc. are but applications and database schemas.  Game changing compute power is not yet mainstream.

    Enterprise Digitalization is also a craze.  Transforming mere mortal organizations into future juggernauts that promise to change businesses if not humankind.  As with the Space Race of the last century, technology fallout and new ways of living will most like result in the year 2069 looking a lot different than the present.

    Neil Armstrong made an interesting comment when he said, “One small step . . . “  The late comedian Eddie Cantor is credited with saying, “It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.”  That is one heck of a lot of small steps!!

    “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

    – Lao-Tzu.

    The computing sector is no longer in its infancy.  It could be that the next fifty years will become the century of something else.

    In any event, we did not get to the moon overnight and we most likely will not arrive at our next major milestone by leaping either.  Focus on your daily steps and who knows where your life long journey will take you.  Go ahead and step off the last rung of your ladder.

    How Will Your Next Small Step Become a Game Changer?

    For More Information

    You can contact the author more information as well.

    End Notes

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_schema

      https://www.businessinsider.com/infographic-how-computing-power-has-changed-over-time-2017-11

      https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eddie_cantor_309843

      https://www.libertyforrest.com/blog/2015/9/13/a-journey-of-a-thousand-miles

      https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13429/turing-machine

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC

  • Fleeting Success: In Pursuit of Sustainability

    Fleeting Success: In Pursuit of Sustainability

    Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  The late Prime Minister nailed it; once again!

    Our journey through life, including our career is a marathon not a sprint.  While we celebrate success, often at happy hour or a party, we recognize it is only a moment.

    Early in this writer’s career, a multi-million-dollar deal closed after more than a year of effort.  A celebration ensued.  The next day the sales manager, “Asked what was next?”

    Attain and Sustain

    Organizational initiatives seem to procreate.  In some ways like the Tribbles of the original Star Trek series.  Cute furry things, the Tribbles multiple at such a rate as to almost consume the Enterprise.  Only the transporter beam saves the crew.

    Like the rah-rah of New Year’s Resolutions, the question is not will I go to the gym in January, but will I still set foot on the treadmill in June or even March.  The road to you know where is paved with good intentions.  It is the sustained energy of the execution that assures more successes than failures—and that failures are teachable moments.

    Culture is one of the current buzzwords, yet Cultural Transformation is the key to sustainability.  Courage requires the organization to pick itself up, so to speak and continue the journey to a sustained high level of Operational Excellence.

    Easy to Say

    According to Forbes, in 2018 “enterprises are expected to invest $1.3 trillion (USD) in digital transformation initiatives to apply digital capabilities to improve efficiencies, increase customer value and create new monetization opportunities.”  The article goes on to posit, that almost $900 billion of that spend will be wasted as goals are not attained.

    Why are these projects always seemed doomed to fail?  A quick Google search identifies a large body of knowledge over the years documenting these types of failure.  So, the beat goes on.

    Hard to Do

    There is also a body of work documenting the “should do’s” of organizational transformation.  In fact, this author has contributed several articles and books on this subject.  Most notably, Implementing a Culture of Safety: A Roadmap for Performance Based Compliance.

    A Missing Piece

    There is a lot of talk about Operational Excellence, Digitalization, High Reliability Organizations, Human Factors, Safety Culture et al.  As with the Forbes data, many are suffering the same fate.  No wonder senior management is skeptical of new spend for more ‘Tribble-itiatives.’

    For example, when a critical infrastructure sector discusses the transformation to a Safety Culture, the term is often expressed as singular, i.e., there is one industry safety culture.  However, all firms have their own ecosystems consisting of multiple and sometimes disparate entities.

    They have developed a culture that is a source of pride, competitive advantage, etc.  Their culture differentiates each organization from their peer group.

    The following figure presents the actual nature of a firm’s Safety Culture.  The reality is that a large organization’s “culture” is a combination of multiple cultural dimensions.  It is this ‘nature of culture’ that must be better understood if a transition process is to be successful and sustained.

    Readers should note that the multi-dimension structure is continuously changing as business, technology, and regulatory environments impact on the Relationships, Behaviors, and Conditions of the situation.  This dynamic requires continual managerial energy and training to sustain the change desired.

    Cross Cultural Engagement

    It would seem to be a daunting if not impossible task to effectively and efficiently train a large work force including relevant third-party suppliers on an ongoing basis.  Of course, the cost would be prohibited as well.

    Not so fast, e-learning serious games are now available to support the training requirements necessary to “sustain” the transformation.  Moreover, specific scenarios can quickly be developed to meet specific organizational requirements.

    The games are developed using Game Theory and Human Behavioral theories.  They simulate a real-world environment and have been shown to give great results over decades.  With Cloud technology, these training tools are now inexpensive and readily available to all.

    Why have your Organization’s Business Transformation Initiatives Failed?

    Check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Tribbles

      https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/03/13/why-digital-transformations-fail-closing-the-900-billion-hole-in-enterprise-strategy/#1f5923507b8b

      https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-0143303003

      Shemwell, Scott M. (2015, November 28). Comments and Thoughts Regarding the IAEA Technical Meeting on Developing Improvement Programmes for Safety Culture November 2-4, 2015. Vienna, Austria.

  • Command and Control: Is this the Way to Run the modern Railroad?

    Command and Control: Is this the Way to Run the modern Railroad?

    The managerial model, Command and Control (C&C) dates back to the dawn of humanity when tribal chieftains dictated the behavior of the group.  It survives to this day in many forms.  Typically, one thinks of military operations as the current manifestation of C&C in the western world.

    According to Wikipedia, by one definition found in The US Department of Defense (DOD) Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, “command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of the mission.”  This definition has evolved from a more simplistic version found in the Cambridge Dictionary, ”situation in which managers tell employees everything that they should do, rather than allowing them to decide some things for themselves.”

    One suspects that most laypeople believe the latter definition to be to be the typical approach to C&C in their organizations.  In today’s complex (often global) organizational ecosystem, that version is outdated.

    The International Command and Control Institute, publication (circa 2005) , Understanding Command and Control develops this management construct in great detail.  As the following figure suggests, even a simple C&C structure such as a heating/AC system is driven by a set of KPIs.

    This is indicative of the digitalization of the system versus the analog controls many of us can recall from our youth.  Adding another layer, today’s ‘Smart’ thermostat operates within a well-defined governance schema such as the Internet of Things.

    Strong Bond Governance

    We first made the case for “Strong Bond Governance” in our September 17, 2013 Governing Energy blog, Strong vs. Weak?  In Critical Infrastructure sectors such as energy, medicine, etc. as defined by the US Department of Homeland Security we make the case for the construct of High Reliability Management (HRM).

    The Strong Bond Governance (SBG) paradigm enables HRM.  SBG demands Board of Directors and C Suite engagement in operations.

    Not directly but by putting in place a governance structure.  This has not always been the case with a number of catastrophic man-made disasters as the result.

    In some ways, C&C mimics HRM.  However, there are some significant differences.  HRM sets in place a structure designed to meet the test of adversities.

    • Preoccupation with Failure—a recognition that ‘failure is an option’ and the organization must respond quickly and effectively to mitigate exposure and recover. C&C does not directly address is concern.

     

    • Reluctance to Simplify—today’s organizational ecosystems are complex. Reducing operational decisions to the so-called Power Point three bullets, High, Likely, Low is completely unsatisfactory and potentially exposes the firm to business or technical process catastrophe.  Likewise, C&C models do not directly address this approach.

     

    • Operational Sensitivity—the field is where organizational action is, and senior management must have a focus on this critical component of the business. C&C also has a focus on operations, especially in the military sector.

     

    • Resiliency—things will go ‘bump in the night.’ Organizations must but in place the processes and expertise to rapidly respond to goblins that will be encountered.  C&C does not address this process.

     

    • Deference to Expertise—engage those who have the ‘know how’ to solve problems and that is mostly likely not the management team. This is substantially difference than the C&C model

    HRM allows management to look at computer dashboard and get a snapshot of most if not all aspects of the organization.  However, this does not mean that these individuals can manage from afar.  Those closed to and more knowledge about this issue must take the lead.

    Concluding Thoughts

    Watching the news, History Channel and/or various movies, one can see that even the military no longer uses simplistic C&C.  Small semi-autonomous teams take on the bad guys.  To be sure there is a Mission, Rules of Engagement and other governance controls in place.

    This provides local commanders the latitude needed to accomplish the mission at a minimum of human (good guy/non-combatants) and other collateral damages.  Additionally, military aircraft employ ‘High Reliability Management’ techniques where the expertise of the entire crew is used rather than the Captain dictating operational performance.

    Asiana Flight 214 crashed attempting a landing at San Francisco in July 2013.  One causal component was deemed to be the C&C culture of the Korean pilots.  Cockpit Management might have saved this aircraft and the lives lost.

    Likewise, those organizations and their ecosystems in critical infrastructure sectors that use HRM enjoy safer and more productive track records than those that do not—better bottom line.  The October 2014 Ebola scare is an example where the public health sector employed HRM and limited the impact of a highly contagious deathly pathogen.

    There is a tendency when the stakes are high for management to take the ‘reigns.’  In other words, engage in micromanagement.  The usual results are often sub-optimal.  The ‘gut instinct’ towards simplistic C&C is a strong urge and this addiction must be put into remission.

    A well-established Strong Bond Governance, High Reliability Organization can weather any storm the markets or nature can throw at it.  However, this organization transformation must precede the advent of major challenges!

    Traditional C&C is not an OE Imperative