- If there have been external pressures, has there been a failure
to anticipate or to react quickly enough to them? - Have adequate resources (people, money and materials)
been made available, and if not, why not?
CURE
The diagnosis should point the way to the cure. But this may still
mean that you have to evaluate different ways of dealing with
the problem. There is seldom ‘one best way’, only a choice
between alternatives. You have to narrow them down until you
reach the one which, on balance, is better than the others.
Your diagnosis should have established the extent to which
the problem is one of people, systems, structure or circum-
stances. Fallible human beings may well be at the bottom of it.
If so, remember not to indulge in indiscriminate criticism.
Your job is to be constructive; to build people up, not to destroy
them.
Avoid being too theoretical. Take account of circumstances –
including the ability of the people available now to deal with the
problem, or, if you have doubts, the availability of people from
elsewhere who can be deployed effectively. Your recommenda-
tion should be practical in the sense that it can be made to work
with resources which are readily available and within acceptable
timescales.
You must make clear not only what needs to be done but howit
is to be done. Assess costs as well as benefits and demonstrate
that the benefits outweigh the costs. Resources have to be allo-
cated, a timescale set and, above all, specific responsibility given
to people to get the work done. Your recommendations have to
be realistic in the sense that they can be phased in without undue
disruption and without spending more time and money than is
justified by the results.
Take care when you apportion blame to individuals. Some
may clearly be inadequate and have to be replaced. Others may
be the victims of poor management, poor training or circum-
stances beyond their control. Their help may be essential in over-
coming the trouble. It is unwise to destroy their confidence or
their willingness to help.
How Things Go Wrong and How to Put Them Right 313