Manager's Guide to Crisis Management

Chapter 5Crisis Drills

Training isn’t enough. What do you think would happen to America’s military if in the course of their training our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines were only told what to expect in a combat environment, rather than getting some sense of experiencing it themselves? Similarly, do you think any team in the NFL would have a chance at the SuperBowl if their practices consisted of sitting in meetings and being told what to expect when they went out to play the other team? I think their chances would be just about zero.

Training without practice is worthless. Or pretty darn close.

There’s a reason for this: It’s how we learn. I remember sitting in a parent-teacher’s conference and being told by one of my children’s teachers, ...