Don’t get excited in engineering emergencies: keep your feet on the ground

I have found this to be sound advice in many leadership situations, not just in engineering “crises.”  

It is precisely when things go wrong that your leadership skills will be most tested.  If you help the team solve the problem in a calm, professional manner, you will inspire confidence.  The members of the team will believe in you and in each other.  You will not only help the team solve the immediate problem; you will reassure the team that it has the ability to solve other problems that may arise.  

If you add to the sense of alarm, your leadership will be counter-productive; it will take the team even longer to calm down and pursue the right path.  

You may want to use the “24-Hour Rule.”  That is, think about the problem and, when possible, don’t make a final decision for 24 hours.

這一則管理邏輯說的是「認清問題根源再做決定」。問題之所以發生，總有一個根因在後頭，如能「對症下藥」，也才能解決根因，而非僅僅在處理表象的問題。

有一本暢銷書，書名是《QBQ！問題背後的問題》，若能懂得抽絲剝繭以找到形成問題的真因，才能真正的對症下藥，否則做出的決策絕不會是有效的決策，故而 Swanson 先生才會期許管理者在做決策之前，如有必要，就必須先冷靜個 24 小時！

一個問題的發生，其背後非常可能不僅僅只有一個成因，所以明朝方孝孺曾於《指喻》中說：「其病在指，其實一身病也！」看似在手指上的病，其實是「一身都是病」的表徵而已，也只有找到病根，才有機會去面對解決，而非氣急敗壞的去處理皮相的議題！孔子說：「人無遠慮，必有近憂」，若能想的遠，將可能的問題都預先解決，總比事後發生再來解決為好，但世人往往總是等到問題發生之後，才願意去面對解決！而解決問題的成本當然也就不小了！面對重大的問題，確實是該先冷靜冷靜，想清楚根因以及解決之道，免得一直疲於奔命的在當救火隊。