Two Different Results

A rare feat of heroism occurred on January 15th of this year that galvanized the media and captivated the public. As US Airways Flight 1549 flew through a flock of geese that caused both engines to fail, Captain Chesly B. Sullenberger reacted calmly and carefully. The things Captain Sullenberger did in the few minutes after hitting the geese were the culmination of a lifetime of training and preparation.

Thankfully for the 155 passengers on board, his skill, experience and training had prepared him for this type of scenario. The veteran airman guided his aircraft to a safe crash-landing in the Hudson River.

Less than a month later, Flight 3407 made an approach at an airport near Buffalo, NY in icy weather. Captain Marvin Renslow, a pilot with limited flight hours and a poor training record, and an inexperienced First Officer Rebecca Shaw chatted about her career and shared their fear of flying in icy weather. It is a big no-no to talk about anything during a landing. Moments later, the Dash 8-Q400 Bombardier, a twin-engine turboprop, experienced an aerodynamic stall and plunged into a house. All 49 people aboard and one man on the ground were killed.

After months of investigation, it was concluded that the crash resulted from pilot error.
Incorrect responses to the plane’s precarious drop in speed led the disaster. Investigators said the pilot pulled the nose of the plane up after a cockpit alarm warned the aircraft was in danger of stalling and at the same time retracted the plane’s flaps. Both responses were incorrect for the situation.

An expert on flight procedures in crises situations was asked if the plane could have recovered from the stall experienced by Flight 3407. He replied simply: “Yes.”

Two crisis situations … two different results.

As entrepreneurs, systems and preparation are critical in overcoming different types of situations encountered in launching and managing a business. Whether or not the unexpected situations that arise from time to time are enough to ‘crash’ the business depends on the circumstances. Regardless of the circumstances, however, entrepreneurs need to have systems in place that provide them accurate information to make informed decisions.

Often overlooked by entrepreneurs, one of the areas that often create crisis situations down the road is the financial and sales metrics of the business. Both of these metrics are critically important in safely navigating through the treacherous minefield in growing a business.

In my next posting I will discuss why these metrics are crucial.