Many businesses, if not all, are being tested during these challenging times of the pandemic. 

It’s like a black swan event – it doesn’t happen each year, but it’s a major disruptor. 

As you continue to lead your organization and reassess some processes in your business, try to glean some ideas from this 2001 book called Managing the Unexpected, Assuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe. 

The book is about the tech recession – a time of disruption, which makes it extremely relevant today. It specifically talks about these 5 key ideas around Highly Reliable Organizations (HRO’s): 

1. Preoccupation with failure

Encourage error reporting and make it safe. Reward or acknowledge your team for telling the error. And if enough people are noticing the small errors, avoid something that becomes a bigger problem. 

2. Reluctance to simplify interpretations

Have deliberate processes, but don't oversimplify. Don't assume too much. Too much of a script doesn't allow for exceptions that are inherent in a disruptive environment.

3. Sensitivity to Operations

Don’t just blindly follow the process, but pay attention to what's going on. Pay attention to weak signals and learn to distinguish signals from noise. 

4. Commitment to resilience

Commit to a countermeasure or a backup plan in case something new happens.

5. Deference to Expertise

Defer to experience, not to a hierarchical rank. Listen to the people on the front lines. Ask them and encourage them to pay attention and provide feedback. Look for those patterns of exceptions.