A Toolbox for Contingencies
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"Go points" come in all shapes and sizes (as do "no go points") and some have serious implications, as in a crisis. Michael Useem's primary objective in this book is to help his readers to prepare for such situations so that they will know what to do and how to do it. In this context, I am reminded of Sun Tzu's assertion in The Art of War that every battle is won or lost before it is fought. Useem cites all manner of examples to illustrate his key points and I was especially interested in his discussion of decision principles and tools involved in three immensely complicated and perilous situations: the death of forest fighters in Colorado, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the crash of a plane in the Andes in the early 1970s. Several valuable lessons can be learned from each. During the Andean ordeal, for example, Roberto Canessa was guided by five principles "that continue to inform his decision making more than three decades later": stay focused, set the bar high, get back to basics, no second-guessing, and stay cold and calculating to maximize your chances of success.
It is noteworthy that these are among the same principles that guided Ernest Shackleton's efforts to save all of his men as well as himself after their ship, Endurance, was crushed by expansive ice during the course of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1916). The 28 crew members managed to reach Elephant Island, hauling three small boats with them. All eventually survived after Shackleton and five others made their way to the southern coast of South Georgia in one of the small boats. Shackleton then organized efforts to rescue the men who remained behind.
The template is one of many reader-friendly devices that Useem skillfully employs throughout this book. As he explains, "To be truly useful, a decision template should be generic enough to apply to many situations, yet specific enough to provide real guidance with real-life choices." Useem provides seven templates that enable each reader to "dig out the principles, good and bad, that emerge from tangible experience" to "begin to build [her or his] own decision templates." The five are for making decisions (Pages 180-181), preventing unforced errors (228-230), seeing ahead (142-143), touch choices (90-92), transcending personal profit (205-206), and using the net (1151-116). Useem suggests that each of these templates be viewed "as an open-source initiative, a collectively generated product."
I also appreciate Useem's excellent suggestions with regard to further reading on decision making and responsibility. He is a strong advocate of lifelong learning as a never-ending process of preparation for the "go points ahead." Of course, the nature and timing of future go points have yet to be revealed so "a passing familiarity with all of the principles and tools gathered [in this book] should help make for stronger decision making across a range of venues in the future."
When preparing to write this book, Michael Useem accumulated a wealth of information from interviews and observations that indicated both recurrent themes and unique experiences across a range of organizations and even national boundaries. His purpose was "to extract what is most enduringly important for decision makers when they carry responsibilities for others, regardless the context. I have also drawn upon a broad range of research studies and historical accounts, some but not all cited in the pages of this text."
As you begin to read this book, pretend that you have just entered Useem's Hardware Store and its owner is taking you on a personal tour, explaining what each implement is and what it can do as well as when and how to use it most effectively. Once the tour is completed, select those tools that are most appropriate for your current and imminent circumstances. Over time, they will almost certainly change. Fortunately, you will know what is needed and how to respond effectively. And if you need expert advice, you can always return to Useem's Hardware Store. Its proprietor is always eager to be of assistance.
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