The article draws from an interview with a New York City firefighter to compare real-world firefighting to corporate crisis management. It emphasizes the importance of scenario planning, noting that every emergency is unique and requires anticipating various outcomes to prevent escalation. In organizations, leaders often fail to clearly define problems or consider how situations might evolve, which contributes to ineffective responses.
The author discusses role clarity as another crucial principle, explaining that firefighters have explicit, non-overlapping roles that prevent confusion during emergencies. Corporate settings frequently suffer from ambiguous roles, dotted reporting lines, and overlapping responsibilities, leading to inefficiency and conflict. The article suggests companies adopt clearer role definitions, especially when handling complex, cross-team emergencies.
Additionally, firefighters are depicted as skilled and passionate users of their technology and tools, ensuring efficient and safe resolution of incidents. This contrasts with typical corporate employees who may underutilize or lack deep understanding of their technology. Lastly, the article stresses overcommunication and positive reinforcement among team members as vital, contrasting this approach with the often negative or insufficient communication in corporate crises. These firefighting practices offer actionable lessons for improving corporate crisis management and reducing chaos.
👉 Pročitaj original: MIT Sloan Management Review
