Lessons from the tsunami

Abdullah A. Ali - Dammam

Translated By: Batool Alharthi

We do not rejoice in disasters and crises, but we learn from them to better manage the life around us.

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan offer several lessons. We have selected those most relevant to our reality, which clearly emerge in the response to the event.

You can discover these lessons by reading the following pages:

1. Consider All Possibilities: It’s not pessimistic to study possibilities and set your expectations. When planning projects, anticipate everything and create plans to address any emergencies. Being realistic enables you to avoid unforeseen factors or changes that might arise after planning has begun.

2. Prepare Alternative Plans: Considering possibilities will lead you to develop contingency plans for various situations. Many incidents can cause disruptions, and it’s okay for some activities to pause for planning purposes. Create one or more alternative plans based on:

* The size of your workload.

* Availability of resources.

3. Identify All Resources: Study your organization comprehensively. You need to understand the organizational environments to utilize available resources optimally. Don’t start your work without knowing what you have. Conducting a resource inventory (SWOT analysis) at the beginning will provide insights that help you plan correctly.

4. Foster Team Spirit: Linking departments and work teams will help you avoid many obstacles, and the integration of team members will yield positive results. Train your teams to work collaboratively and install in them a sense of belonging and team spirit.

5. Aim to Minimize Losses: A leader’s task is always to achieve profit, which can sometimes mean minimizing losses. No work is without losses, and following the previous steps will reduce the damage resulting from a crisis. Try to prioritize by preserving the organization’s assets, with the most important being its people.

Summary: We can learn several management lessons from the Japanese tsunami, including:

* Consider all possibilities.

* Prepare alternative plans.

* Identify all resources.

* Foster team spirit.

* Aim to minimize losses.

Photo by photographer Abdulaziz Alasousi