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Catastrophies don't "just happen."
From Enron to the Space Shuttle Columbia to 9/11,
virtually every disaster is the result of a series of mistakes
-- each one easy to overlook, each one set in motion because
people simply refused to believe the evidence staring right
at them.
Robert E. Mittelstaedt, Jr. identifies the
common factors beneath massive failures ranging from the
Titanic to Firestone Tire, Three Mile Island to "New
Coke." Why did they happen? What could have prevented
them? How did they spiral out of control? Drawing on these
lessons, he introduces the first systematic approach to
managing multiple mistakes so they don't lead to
disaster.
Mittelstaedt addresses errors in preparation,
execution, strategy, and culture. He shows how to
build internal systems that trigger loud and actionable
alarms before "failure chains" accelerate beyond
control. These techniques don't just apply to high-profile
disasters: they're equally valuable in helping you avert
failures arising from mistakes in operations, analyzing
markets, understanding customers, designing and implementing
strategy, or directing capital investments.
- 38 insights that can save your organization
(and your career) - The disasters waiting to happen
-- and how to prevent them.
- Why your record of success can be
your worst enemy - Don't get too confident, don't
get too comfortable.
- "Can't happen?" Says who?
- Identifying and training for your "impossible"
worst-case scenarios.
- Why reinventing yourself once
isn't enough - Knowing when it's time to reinvent
yourself again.
Robert E. Mittelstaedt, Jr. is Dean and
professor of the W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona
State University, and former Vice Dean and Director, Aresty
Inistitute of Executive Education, The Wharton School. He
has consulted with organizations ranging from IBM to Weirton
Steel, Pfizer to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
and is a member of the board of directors of three corporations
in electronics and healthcare services businesses.
Mittelstaedt's research interests have
included executive learning, corporate governance, IT, and
strategy. He formerly directed the Wharton Innovation Center
and the Wharton Applied Research Center. Mittelstaedt founded
Intellego, Inc. He served as an officer in the US Navy in
nuclear submarines at the height of the Cold War.
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