The Need for Organisational Resilience - Chapter 7
Known problems are solved
Systems and people are
Fixed line of fortifications,
using proven techniques
impractical and rigidly – ‘go by
firmly maintained
the book’
expectations of where the
enemy’s Schwerpunkt is to
Standard ways to do things are
Local practice has taken over
be expected, and pre-
perfected by fine tuning
from written procedure and has
defined timetables of
become ‘normal’
movement and firepower
Redundancy through design and
Inefficient and complex systems
reaffirmed expectations
diversification has a stabilising
and processes; analysis
and created blind spots to
effect
paralysis
deal with the unexpected.
Disturbances are quickly
Prearranged corrective actions
counteracted by planned
are unclear or impracticable
responses
Table 7.1: Preventative control: at its best; signs of weakness; France pre-1940 (Adapted from Denyer 2017)
A clear sign of the inadequacy of preventative control ought to have been visible in the
focus of training of some front-line divisions This included digging trenches and guard duties,
with less emphasis on training in the adequate defence of a fortified position. Local practice
reinforced the need to defend an area at all cost, but did not provide an alternative for when
such an expectation was not met.
And so a defensive stance of “digging in” gradually embeds itself in the organisational
mainframe. The weakness inherent in lack of breadth of preventative control amplifies the
corrosive need to optimise the status quo (see Table 7.2).
At its best
Signs of weakness
France, pre-1940
Performance improvement –
Lack of novel ideas on how to
Rigid thinking, driven by
‘do what we do better’
‘do better things’
“proven” methods in WWI,
prevailed in the Allied Forces
Known solutions are
Overconfidence in “best
pre-1940.
implemented quickly – even by
practice”; viewpoints of non-
edict
experts are excluded
A clear sense of direction,
People’s individual identities
goals, roles and responsibilities
and motives are at odds with
the organizational goals
A strong individual leader who
Lack of leadership at all levels;
people can relate to
lack of devolved ownership
and responsibility
Table 7.2: Performance optimisation: at its best; signs of weakness; France pre-1940 (Adapted from Denyer 2017)
The need to optimise capabilities to withstand an invasion by German forces started to
dissipate during the interwar years between WWI and WWII. Long periods of success, or the
absence of failure validated the “proven” approach taken in WWI. Such proof was not
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