• Other key stakeholders are the people who aren’t actively involved in the solution process but who are impacted by it or who can influence its success. Also, like our captain, you have a finite amount of time so you should treat the two groups differently. You might be more proactive with core stakeholders, listening more than you speak, and affording them more time to convey any ideas or concerns they might have. When it is your turn to speak, ensure you share not just what you propose to do, but also why you propose to do it, so your core stakeholders understand the rationale behind your decisions. Assign powers Another useful tactic is to be discriminating when it comes to assigning powers. Think about your stakeholders, and allocate them powers commensurate with the typical value of their contribution. Be careful to avoid equating value with seniority: you will know a number of junior colleagues who make vital contributions, and some senior ones who offer less useful input. Afford your stakeholders powers ranging from the simple right of reply (a chance to opine) to a vote or a full-blown veto. Make your consultations a safe space, so that information can rise to the surface, and avoid being stifled by hierarchies. Airline crews sometimes meet for the first time only minutes before working together. Pre-flight briefing sessions set the tone for the team’s interaction. Leadership specialist, Robert Ginnett, analysed how effective airline captains establish a safe space. He found that, like good business leaders, they acknowledge their own imperfections by addressing some of their vulnerabilities or shortcomings. Ginnett cites a captain’s statement ahead of a crew session in a simulator: ‘I just want you guys to understand that they assign the seats in this airplane based on seniority, not on the basis of competence,’ the skipper said. ‘So anything you can see or do that will help out, I’d sure appreciate hearing about it.’ Airline captains are trained to create environments where crew members feel comfortable asking questions, stating opinions, and challenging authority when necessary. To promote these behaviours, captains learn to create opportunities for the crew to provide information, and use these opportunities to praise the person. In addition, crew members are trained to speak up, no matter what environment the captain creates.
This behaviour goes in concert with a rethinking of the role of the first officer. In the old days, the captain was king, with full decision-making powers and the co-pilot was simply the ‘pilot not flying’ (PNF). This role has lately been replaced as one of ‘pilot monitoring’ (PM), implying that even if the co-pilot is not flying the plane, they are an active participant in crew operations with a shared responsibility for safety. The PM has many responsibilities to support the ‘pilot flying’ (PF), but chief among those is to observe the PF’s performance to detect any threat. Consultation and engagement are positive things – they have saved lives and saved businesses. But leaders need to understand the logistics – how much time and money they are willing to spend on engagement, and the power distribution – who has what powers and when to deploy them. No miracle In Solvable , we reveal a framework that allows rapid, effective decision-making. By putting the right techniques in place, great, and even life-changing, decision-making is possible. The ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ is poorly named, because Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger’s famous emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 was no lucky accident. When the Airbus A320 he was flying hit a flock of geese 2,818ft above New York, and lost power, Sullenberger weighed up various options. During those critical three minutes of consultation with air traffic control, Sullenberger assessed that he would be unable to glide the plane to either LaGuardia or Teterboro airports safely. He decided to ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 people on board. An investigation in the aftermath found that Sullenberger’s decision-making – under great pressure and in grave circumstances – was apt. He worked effectively with Jeffrey Skiles, who did all he could to restart the engines, albeit unsuccessfully. Sullenberger’s engagement with his wider team – Skiles; the flight attendants, who coolly relayed the captain’s ‘brace for impact’ command to passengers; and air traffic control – was exemplary. A decision that literally changed the lives of 155 people was assessed and executed effectively in three minutes. Sullenberger’s ordeal reveals a key truth. All problems are Solvable . You just need to learn how to fly.
ARNAUD CHEVALLIER is Professor of Strategy and Decision-Making at IMD. He prepares executives for the strategic challenges that organisations face in today’s dynamic global marketplace by helping them make better decisions in volatile and uncertain conditions. At IMD, he directs the Global Management Foundations programme that is part of the EMBA curriculum. He has consulted with multiple organisations across industries, including the UN, SAP, STADA, and Shell. is Professor of Strategy and Innovation at IMD. He has worked for clients from different industries, including Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Douglas Holding, Honda, Novartis, MTR HongKong, Roland Berger, Skanska, TUI, and VTT. In addition to running highly customised company-specific programmes that focus on corporate transformation, he is also Co-Director of the Transition to Business Leadership Program, one of IMD’s core general management programmes. ALBRECHT ENDERS Arnaud Chevallier and Albrecht Enders are co-authors of Solvable: A Simple Solution to Complex Problems ( FT Publishing).
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