There are a lot of hand wringing and blame being thrown around in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy. The flooding actually exposed that our government agencies lack the resources, equipment and training needed to not only deal with crisis situations like this but even in anticipation of it. I wanted to share an interesting article written by Bill Reichert of Garage Technology Ventures, which I though had a lot of insights in dealing and preparing for crisis situations. In it , he recounts being invited to visit the United States Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz and shares lessons on how the officers and crew train to deal with any crisis anywhere in the world. He writes about lessons which can not only be applied in entrepreneurship but also in training for disaster and crisis management. His insights are actually very interesting.

1. Inspiration – Bill writes , “Having a big, meaningful goal is a tremendous force for inspiration, motivation, and cohesion. The Navy’s mission is not some vague, abstract, feel-good paragraph in a business plan; it is very concrete, and very easy to understand and internalize. “ Bill Adds, “everyone had a distinct and powerful pride in what they had accomplished and in the people around them.”

2. Perspiration – The members of the team are committed to do their mission. Bill says, “If everyone buys into the goal, you can get an amazing amount of work done, including regular sixteen hour days with very low pay.”

3. Teamwork – The myth about aircraft carriers is that it is all about the pilots, but without the support crews, the pilot will not be able to get off the ground. “Every single person counts on other members of the team to enable them to get their part of the job done, and no one person can take credit for success, or benefit from another’s failure.”

4. Recruiting and Training – The other myth is that the people recruited into the US Navy or specifically for duty on an aircraft carrier are misfits or failures of society. The opposite is true, not only do they make it a point to recruit and attract very talented individuals, they constantly train to reach a high degree of professionalism and commitment to excellence.

5. Accountability and continuous improvement – “There is no contradiction between an intense ethic of teamwork and the need for individual accountability. In the Navy, everything is monitored and measured. Every system has to perform at 100 percent, and for every system there is a person responsible for making sure that happens”

6. Respect – Bill says the Navy emphasizes mutual respect regardless of race or origin. “Respect isn’t just an altruistic ethic, it’s a necessity.” Bill shared his amazement when he said, “when I looked around the bridge and saw the incredibly diverse team of men and women who were calmly, confidently, and competently running this multi-billion dollar acme of American technological accomplishment.”

7. Overcoming Fear – Almost everybody in the Carrier has had a brush with a life threatening experience. Pilots often share in private the fear of trying to land at night, but they have to do it. Bill says, “you do it, because it’s your responsibility and that’s the only way the mission gets accomplished.”

8. Work Life Balance – Bill discovered that the Navy actually allows and encourages recreation and relaxation as a means of compensating for the loneliness at sea. “When you are on the line, there is no slack, and there is no room for anything less than 100 percent. But when there is a break in the action, you can relax and be human.”

9. One Hundred Percent Performance – “From moment to moment, the operations on board a nuclear aircraft carrier expose the crew to an extraordinary degree of danger. A simple mistake can result in death, and much of what is being done on the ship and in the air is not at all simple. But they make it look simple. We watched scores of planes take off and land on a moving platform without a hitch. The key is training, training, training, and total focus and dedication when you are on the line.”

I really liked what Bill shared because of the relevance not only to entrepreneurship but also in crisis management. It shows the importance of leaders to constantly inspire his followers, work on preparation and teamwork, recruit the best people and demand the best also from them, demand mutual respect, overcome fear , maintain a balance in life, keep things in perspective and always give a hundred percent.

Bill concludes, “Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture on the Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that’s because they don’t really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it’s about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.”

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at stirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit www.stirspecialist.com