The older, stouter, greyer self!

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" is a great proverb by the Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana. It warns that without an active awareness of past mistakes, humanity and societies are destined to experience the same follies, suffering, and societal breakdowns - I think the same rule applies to operational and event planning. 

Over my period of leadership, it would be fair to say that in many ways there has been fundamental change;  but it is also true that the fundamentals of planning and delivery have remained constant. I have become a little older, a bit more rotund and definitely a lot greyer but I have the experience and insights of major operational and event management over the last 35 years. I am never surprised, and somewhat saddened, when I still see the same mistakes being repeated in planning and execution without reference to past learning and experience by the over optimistic and hubristic leaders seeking personal recognition and advancement: “Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad.’

It is challenging to balance the tried and tested whilst retaining the flexibility, agility and intellectual curiosity to explore new opportunities, methods and technologies. Having said that, shiny new toys do not always make for better operational solutions; in my experience all new tech needs to be operationally tested and refined before reaching its full potentiality backed by appropriate process evolution - rarely does something work as predicted on the first outing. The other trick is to critically understand what you are proposing to use in detail; there are too many instances where responsible commanders did not fully understand the technology and its limitations leading to serious negative outcomes; from the ‘Titanic’ not actually being unsinkable to sub prime mortgages not being a particularly safe investment! Ask the simple questions; kick the tyres, go to practical demonstrations, use less critical events as practical test beds - never be afraid of appearing to be the only person in the room ‘not to get it’. 

In my view, leaders must keep an eye on the fundamentals whilst always being open to new ideas and approaches - cultivating this skill is an asset to have which is beyond measure.