Who’s to blame?
“Houston, we have a problem …”, that is how the astronauts aboard Apollo 13 reported the incident, in 1970, when an explosion on board ruptured an oxygen tank … and led to the abandonment of the mission which was to have included the third lunar landing.
“We have a problem …” is a phrase that I have come to dislike … if not, actually, to fear. Not all problems are serious … some are easy to resolve … but others …
One of my friends says that the first Russian word I ever learned was probably “problema” – problem – because is a word I frequently use. Maybe that is not surprising, because a major aspect of my job is to solve problems. I always maintain that the best way to solve a problem is to prevent it happening – “prevention is better than cure”. Hence I spend a lot of my time thinking about, predicting and planning for potential problems – and, more importantly, how to overcome them. So much so that many of my friends think that I am a pessimist. It’s not true – at least, I think that it is not true. I prefer to think of myself as a realist. I am always delighted when things go perfectly according to plan, but I am always aware that, as Robert Burns put it: “The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft a-gley, and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy”.
No matter how much I plan – things can still occur which interfere with those plans. Even if I thought things through thoroughly, considered all the options, all the pitfalls, all the potential difficulties that could arise … there is always the possibility of something coming along which was not foreseen.
A surprise … I hate surprises …as far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as a “nice surprise”.
Some eventualities can be planned for – whilst others are well and truly out of my control. I can make sure that every vehicle carries a spare wheel in case of a puncture, but there is nothing I can do to prevent an earthquake. I can, however, think about what steps to take in the event that one does occur. Another example: We won’t accept bookings for a Torugart crossing in the first ten days of May or October because the border can close, suddenly, at these times … although maybe not. One year six groups, fortunately none of ours, were left stranded. The border has closed, without warning, at other times as well – perhaps due to bad weather … but there is no way to predict this and I appreciate that this is a risk … but closures in May and October can be anticipated – and hence our caution … even if it means losing a potential booking.
When things do go wrong, there is a tendency here to try and avoid blame. I suppose that is something that happens all over the world – but I am told that it was a particular feature of Soviet lifestyle and is encapsulated in the phrase: “Ya vinovat, shtoli?”, (“Am I to blame, Really?).
I have heard this phrase on numerous occasions. Sometimes it is a fair question … and the answer is: “No, but we do have a problem – so let’s see what we can do to try and solve it.” On other occasions it is simply a defence mechanism … an attempt to shift the blame.
When I first arrived here I was told by one interpreter that the difference between “Westerners” and “Locals” could be summed up in their respective attitude to problems. The local attitude was to ask “Who’s to blame?” and the Western approach was to ask “What should we do now?”
My attitude when faced with a problem is to take things in steps:
- Find out what the problem is. Do we really have a problem? … and if so, what is it? That might sound facile, but it represents an important issue. It is importasnt to understand the real nature of the problem, the people and their emotions. There is a saying that “problems come in threes” … and a common mistake is to focus attention on the immediate manifestation. The way in which the problem presents itself may simply be a symptom of something completely different – and thus hide the “real problem”. If we don’t understand the nature of the real problem then the action taken to resolve the issue may tackle the immediate issue, but do nothing to address the underlying, (the “real”), problem. In some cases, it may even make things worse. Then again, some problems are really serious, and require a drastic, immediate, response whilst others are less so – indeed, they may already have been resolved and so merely represent a lesson for the future.
- Decide what needs to be done to resolve the situation – and do it. After discovering the facts and analysing the situation it is necessary to find a solution to the problem. It is important to address the immediate areas of concern … not simply to take action – any action. One of the biggest dangers is that “in the heat of the moment” a decision is taken that addresses a similar problem that has been met before. Each situation is different and has itsd own peculiarities. In most cases there may be a choice of possible actions … which would be the best? What are the implications for the future?, (for example, what might be the effect on meeting a particular deadline – such as meeting a flight).
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Find out how it happened, there are two reasons for this:
- So that it can be avoided in the future. One of the most important things is to learn from our experiences – especially if mistakes were made … so that the situation is not repeated. It is not possible to “put the clock back” – but it is possible to take measures to make sure that a similar recurrence does not happen.
- Decide if it is necessary to take remedial action – and if so, take the necessary steps. If someone is to blame, then they need to be told. It is necessary for people to understand that their actions have consequences … some of which may not be pleasant. Maybe a reprimand is in order – or some other form of disciplinary action.
Bishkek