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The recent tragedy aboard the Costa Concordia occurred nearly a century after what is arguably the most well-known shipwreck of all time - the ill-fated RMS Titanic. In both cases the ships were headed for disaster, and the Captains of both ships were unaware of the danger.
The coasts of Italy have been familiar to seafarers for well over 2000 years. It is remarkable that such extensively charted shorelines should claim a ship equipped with all the latest technology. We may go slightly easier on Captain Smith of the Titanic, given his lack of radar; but only slightly.
The captains of industry and government have a chequered record too. Numerous well-known commercial institutions have gone into receivership following the economic ills of recent years, and some well-known countries totter on the brink of bankruptcy. Very few economic commentators were crying "danger ahead" before the economic crash - but they could all read the signs after we hit the rocks!
< P>What lessons can we learn from these great maritime and economic disasters? They have much to teach us, and we all have much to learn. We are in greatest danger when we forget we have much to learn. But let me highlight 2 lessons.First, we need our organizations, businesses, and our people to be responsive to the dynamic environment in which we operate. The risks we face may not loom up out of the darkness like Titanic's iceberg, but the economic and social environment in which we work and live is constantly changing and presenting fresh challenges. To meet the challenges of the future, we need our businesses and our people to be agile, responsive, and ready for change.
The second lesson we must learn is we need to keep our balance. We operate in an environment of competing values. It has been suggested that the leaders of the White Star Line wanted to show the world their new ship was fast as well as large. If that is true, the record shows they failed to rea ch the right balance between speed and safety. In business, as in life generally, there are so many things to keep in balance. If we're not careful, improvements in one area can lead to problems in another. The biggest difficulty may not be in knowing what to change, but in keeping all the variables in balance.
We navigate turbulent waters - some more so than others. We can't stop change from happening, but we can become better at handling it. There are things you can do; and developing the change readiness of your organization should certainly be on your agenda.
Steve Barlow PhD is a change management and organizational development consultant with a specialisation in change readiness. Drawing upon the change readiness resources within an organization offers the most direct and cost effective approach to organizational change. Steve is a Director of Redequip Pty Ltd.
For more information, visit our company website at http://www.redequip.com.au/, or email me today to see how we can save you time and money.
Steve Barlow
steve@redequip.com.au