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September 10, 2009
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The Robert E. Nolan Company is an operations and technology consulting firm specializing in the health care industry. For 35 years, we have helped clients redesign processes and apply technology to improve service, quality, productivity, and costs.

Our staff members are all senior industry experts with 15+ years in the industry. Visit www.renolan.com to for health care articles, white papers, and client success stories.


Emergency Procedures Required
By Ben DiSylvester
Chairman

Recently, the nation was amazed by the outcome of US Airways Flight 1549. After birds rendered his engines powerless, Captain Chesley Sullenberger calmly glided his plane into the Hudson River with no loss of life.

Shortly after this incident, I read an article that listed the four things pilots are trained to do when experiencing an emergency in flight. They are:

  • Maintain control of the airplane,
  • Assess the situation,
  • Decide what to do, and
  • Do it!
I realized that there are direct parallels with what was necessary to survive this incident and the economic situation companies find themselves in today.

First, when the engines quit, the pilot no doubt was startled, but he maintained control of the aircraft. Similarly, with managers seeing sales and profits quickly eroding, it would be understandable if they took their eyes off of the controls. However, that is the worst thing to do. Customers still call for service, mission-critical projects still need to get done properly, and planning must continue, albeit with shortened horizons for the time being.

Second, management needs to calmly assess what is really happening in the organization. If sales are declining, what percentage is due to decreased market demand versus customers going elsewhere—where service, support, products, and pricing may be better?

Third, deciding what to do is made a bit easier if the assessment is on target. Captain "Sully" knew his engines were rendered useless, but he was not alone in this crisis. He was working with Air Traffic Control (ATC) to determine if there was an alternative airport close by where he could land safely.

Fourth, knowing there was not time to get to an airport, he decided to land in the Hudson. Mixing in these four steps with the appropriate level of communication kept everything under control, averted panic among the passengers, and contributed to the successful outcome.

No one step is more important than the others, but they do build on one another. Maintaining control of operations is essential so that a bad situation does not become worse. Making the right assessments points the way to the appropriate action. Getting help with those assessments from a knowledgeable and trusted advisor assures that all reasonable alternatives are considered.

Finally, settling on the right course of action and properly implementing it increases the chances for success—and, most importantly, affords the opportunity to "fly again" in the future.


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