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Emergency Procedures Required
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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NOLAN COMPANY ANNOUNCES NEW REPORT
THE NEW ERA OF SERVICE DIFFERENTIATION
The Robert E. Nolan Company announces the
release of a new report containing research and
original articles on the topic of service improvement
and differentiation.
In the insurance and health payer services arena,
service
excellence has
proven to be the dominant market differentiator.
Strong, sustainable relationships with
customers and agents are essential for long-term
success. This new report from the Nolan Company
provides a diverse, real-world perspective on this
complex topic.
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Join Us...
CAHP 24TH ANNUAL
CONFERENCE October 19 - 21,
2009
JW Marriott Resort & Spa
Palm Desert, California
More
Meet Onsite
2009 TEXAS RURAL HEALTH
FORUM November 9 - 10,
2009
Hyatt Regency Austin
Austin, Texas
More
Meet Onsite
We welcome the opportunity to meet you in person at
this event. Click "Meet Onsite" to
send us an email with your contact information. We'll
be in touch to arrange a convenient time to meet you
at the event.
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Previous Nolan e-Newsletters Online
Past articles of Trend Line, as well as
Nolan's other
e-Newsletters—Bank
Statement and Nolan Spotlight—are now
available on our website. Follow the link below to
browse the archives.
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2009 Nolan Events and Sponsorships
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