Managing the Unexpected

Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe

Resilient Performance in an age of uncertainty isnt that what management is all
about? Such an all encompassing statement. Our goal needs to be to give those in
our organizations the training, tools and latitude to make decisions and to be
resilient, so that they can succeed no matter what circumstances they find
themselves in.
Highly Reliable Organizations (HROs) organizations who practice a form or
organizing that reduces the brutality of audits and speed up the process of
recovering.
By definition, crises are unexpected events. The authors explain that the degree to
which organizations successfully deal with unexpected events of course will vary.
So to better understand how some organizations continually deal with high levels of
risk and uncertainty, they studied occupations in which catastrophes are rare. The
authors explain this early in the first chapter and emphasize that the primary
message of this book is that expectations cause problems unless we create an
infrastructure that can accomplish these items:

Track small failures

Resist oversimplification
Remain sensitive to operations
Maintain capabilities for resilience
Take advantage of shifting locations of expertise

A point I thought interesting was that part of resilience includes the ability to recover
from a setback. This requires the ability to combine parts of our past experience,
respond appropriately, have emotional control, respectful interaction, and
knowledge of how our specific systems function.

5 HRO Principles
Principle 1: Preoccupation with Failure
- they pay attention to failure and look at it as an opportunity to learn and
improve
- they treat any lapse as a symptom that something may be wrong with the
system, which in turn could lead to other problems
This completely resonates with me. I am constantly asking why something didnt
work, why others believe we failed, asking for debriefs with clients who did not
select our architecture firm for a job, all so that we can identify areas of weakness

and improve. I have a personal goal to always be learning and growing. I find it
immensely satisfying to learn from my own and from others mistakes and see
improvement take place!
This also is important during the hiring process. One of the key questions I always
ask during an interview is for the candidate to tell me about a time when they failed,
and how they handled or corrected the situation. I am fascinated by their
responses. I firmly believe if someone has not failed and recovered, or if they cannot
identify a time when they failed or fell short of expectation, they are not as well
equipped to handle failure in the future.
Principle 2: Reluctance to Simplify
- Sometimes simplifying and consolidating steps reduces our ability to see all
that we need to
- These leaders welcome diverse experience and negotiating tactics that
reconcile differences of opinion
Principle 3: Sensitivity to Operations
- these organizations are attention to those on the front line where the REAL
WORK is done
- When people have well-developed situational awareness, they can make
continuous adjustments that prevent errors from accumulating and getting
bigger
- This also reminds me of Lean thinking, which includes the feedback from
those who certain decisions or processes will impact
Principle 4: Commitment to Resilience
- realization that no system is perfect expect errors to take place
- the essence of resilience is the ability of an organization or system to
maintain or regain a dynamically stable state
- resilience is a combination of keeping errors small and improvising
workarounds that allow the system to keep functioning
A former co-worker of mine was instrumental in my management style during the
early years of my career. We worked on multiple new office openings from start to
finish and were often troubleshooting and putting out fires, both out in the field and
from the corporate office. I used to travel with him extensively and he never ever got
rattled. NEVER! He always said, Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
Principle 5: Deference to Expertise
- these organizations cultivate diversity, not just because it helps them notice
more in complex environments, but also because it helps them do more with
the complexities they observe

rigid organizations can have errors at both higher and lower levels, and are
prone to problem escalation
These HROs push decision making down and allow those at the front line
with the most hands on experience to make decisions, regardless of their
rank or title. The authors call this decision migration.

Overall, these principles describe an organizational culture in which people know

what types of errors are unacceptable, understand the complexity of organizational
issues, listen to people at the front line, fight to bounce back from mistakes, and
rely on subject-matter experts when appropriate. Unexpected events can get you
into trouble unless you create an infrastructure that constantly tracks small failures
and is willing to learn from them. Mindful organizing allows people to notice the
unexpected while it is happening and anticipate it, halt it or contain it.
Expectations
The authors explain that to have an expectation is to envision something, usually for
god reasons, that is reasonably certain to come about. To expect something is to
be mentally ready for it.
- The deliberate actions we take are based on expectancies about how the
world operates
- Expectations provide an infrastructure for everyday life
- These assumptions are based on routines, rules, norms, training and roles
- They direct our attention to certain aspects of events and inform what we will
notice and remember
*Tricky part we seek out evidence that confirms our expectations and avoid
evidence that disconfirms them.
-

People in HROs work hard to counteract the tendency to seek confirmation

by designing practices that incorporate the 5 Principles. They have to work
hard to override our tendencies all of us face ongoing struggle for
alertness.

I think this is completely applicable in both business and personal settings. We

base A LOT off our expectations. I was just having a conversation with my boyfriend
earlier this week about how we realized we had different expectations from a
certain event. I ended up disappointed, based on a previously determined
expectation, which was based on my own prior experiences, values, etc. I should
probably implement the 5 Principles, or at least some of them, into my personal life
as well

Containment - differs from anticipation in that it aims to prevent unwanted

outcomes after an unexpected event, rather than prevent the unexpected event in
the first place.
Despite the best plans, systems and management, unexpected events can force
organizations to be reactive rather than proactive. Resilient behavior occurs when a
system bends out of shape, then returns to something very similar to its original
state.
The audit process lists found in chapter 5 would be very helpful as long as answers
were honest and impartial. They drill down to the specifics of a firms actual state in
terms of focus on failure, mindfulness, reluctance to simplify and commitment to
resilience, etc. I think it can be fascinating for people to stop and do some self
analysis (although most initially feel it is a waste of time) to gain a new perspective
or some depth into their actual strengths and weaknesses.
Organizational Culture
- an organizations prevailing tone or vibe
- culture is made up of shared beliefs and goals
- culture affects what people expect from each other internally, as well as
externally from shareholders, etc.
I once heard a fact that Barry Wehmiller and his team, before acquiring a new
company, pay a great deal of attention to that organizations company culture. Yes,
the numbers matter, and bottom line is a large factor. But he knows the culture and
the people are the lifeblood of any company. They impact so much! A companys
culture has the power to ensure a companys success or guarantee its failure.
I really appreciated this chapter and do a lot of thinking/talking about organizational
culture and behavior. I do believe it can start either from the top down, or from the
bottom and work its way up. The latter is significantly harder though.

This chart on pg. 117 about the conditions that create corporate culture is spot on!

The authors also discuss flexible culture and learning culture, which are both key.
Fairly obvious, but important.
Overall, this is not a book about leadership, but rather a set of tools and guidelines
for managing expectations, change, the unexpected and how to create a culture
that is capable of doing this. Fire fighting is not a waste of time if we allow it to
teach us about our failures and apply what weve learned to avoid the same/similar
mistakes in the future.