“We have to start somewhere” - Creating a problem or contributing to the overall goal?

In this blog post, Enablement Advisors Founder and CEO Ivor Terret (MSc) and our Head of Leadership Development, Hani Davidson touch on shortcuts, optimal versus minimal and implementing solutions that increase risk as opposed to mitigate it.

The phone call...

A short while back, I was contacted by a friend and respected colleague (I’ll refer to him as “J”), about his organization’s recent in-house training for a specialized, covert, and surgical risk mitigation function.

The operational requirements of this detail, and consequence of failure are high, whether the failure is in stopping a hostile act, or exposure by the public or by the press.

The primary challenge with this detail attaining operational readiness is the members’ current time constraints and the resulting lack of available time for training for this specialized task.

Certainly not a unique challenge!

The discussion evolved to discussing how to get the team operationally ready whilst under genuine and inflexible time constraints.

The in-house training, as planned, was due to time constraints, 1/10 of the minimum of what is required for minimal acceptable operational readiness for this task.

Upon mentioning this to J, I was told, “team members do not have the time, and we have to start somewhere"; the conversation evolved into a discussion which led to a uniform conclusion:

1. This is a common challenge of almost every detail.
2. J had a plan to attain that level asap and progress to the optimal level over time - the issue was the starting point/level not being at the minimal acceptable level for this task, however, the development plan by J was solid (many organizations don't have one - they just wing it from a taster of what should be).
3. We need to address this common pitfall in a blog post, so here we are!

The above introduction brings me to the crux of this short write up: how do we know when the “somewhere“ as in “we have to start somewhere” is “good enough”?

Some guidelines to help you answer that question:

1. Have a clear, written and known definition of what the high level goal and mission is (I’m confident that 90% or more of the readers do not have this).
2. Assess if what you want to implement supports that goal.
3. On the basis that whatever change supports the overall goals of the mission, gain a clear and objective understanding of all the risks versus benefits versus necessity of such change.  
4. Define an optimal level of operational ability and readiness (and how to attain and maintain this).
5. Define a minimum level of acceptable operational ability and readiness (and how to attain and progress to optimal).
6. Re-check that #4 and #5 support the overall goal and mission.

Then, and only then, start planning:

A.   Define the characteristics of team members (not limited to qualifications and experience).

B.   Define an ideal timeline to prepare the team for the optimal level of operational readiness (as in #4 above).

C.    Define the shortest timeline to prepare the team for the minimal acceptable level of operational readiness (as in #5 above).

C.1. Plan, ahead of time, a training schedule to enable the detail to reach optimal levels as part of their non emergency tasks.

D.   Decide if either B or C as above is pertinent, practical, and relevant.

E.   Recruit/select suitable team members and leads as per A above.

F.   Write robust operating procedures (actually write robust and well detailed operating procedures).

G.   Train the team on the written procedures (first define, then train - avoid creating procedures as a result of training).

H.   Attain the minimal level of acceptable operational readiness and ability.

I.    Deploy to the field.

J.   Adjust and attain the optimal level of operational readiness and ability as circumstances allow during non-emergency operations (as in C.1. above).

K.   Maintain the optimal level of operational readiness and ability.

L.   Reassess and adjust as required.

Remember that most operational units and details will remain at the "we need to start somewhere" level, and you need to ensure this does not happen to your detail.

So really, based on many years of assessing and helping some of the world’s leading details create or realign their programs, our observations are that the common (training/planning) disconnects in most details that do not attain an effective level of operational readiness are:

• No clear, written, understood mission statement.
• No process of reflecting if what is being done serves the overall mission and goal.
• Prioritizing “starting somewhere” over defining and attaining the minimal acceptable level of operational readiness.
• Prioritizing “doing something” over risks to the organization, reputation, and team members.
• Prioritizing “doing something” over doing something the right way because it’s easier/more palatable.
• Operating without placing as much effort and importance to emergency situations as is placed to keeping everyone happy.

“So what if we need to do something but we don’t have the time/resources/people etc.?”

1. Approach the problem objectively.
2. If after considering everything, you still cannot attain the minimal level of acceptable operational readiness without increasing risk, or without the available resources:
3. Then work with your leadership to plan the solution into the overall strategy for the future.
4. If you still cannot attain the minimal level of acceptable operational readiness without increasing risk, or without the available resources - don't take shortcuts, wait until you can do it properly - doing it regardless will not serve the mission, it'll create a new problem.
5. Definitely don’t try implement what increases risk for the sake of checking the box, because it sounds cool, or appeasing others.

Enablement Advisors is a boutique consultancy serving UHNW Family Offices, Fortune 100 Companies, and other esteemed clients across the globe. We are leaders in specialized training, leadership and manager development, program creation, alignment and operational readiness, and specialized risk mitigation and management operations. Contact us now for more information!

Our upcoming leadership classes are:

• Corporate Security Leadership, Palo Alto, CA, USA , 01 - 04 May
• Executive Protection Manager/Team Lead, Palo Alto, CA, USA, 05-16 June.