No laughing Matter

Management by Crisis

By Madan Lamsal

We have been importing everything from the needles to the planes and from the hi-tech to the lowly know-how. Yes, we are also the exporters as we are exporting carpet, garment and pashmina, but unfortunately their time seems to be now over. However, we still have something more fantastic that we can export - the concept of ‘management by crisis’.

The preparing for the 11th SAARC summit, has once again proved that Nepalis can manage the best when there is a crisis. Though during the summit our senior managers also applied the traditional theories such as ‘management by terror’ as well as the most indigenous theories of ‘management by trivialization’ (e.g. the way PM Deuba trivialized and pushed aside supposedly serious questions during the post-summit press conference), the most strikingly noticeable was ‘management by crisis’. PM Deuba also gave some glimpses of the technique which can be called "management by faux pas". But I intend to limit this time on "management by crisis" reserving the other for later analysis. Though "management by crisis" is not originally a Nepali concept, we have over the period incorporated so many improvements in it that now we can rightfully claim it to be our own. We should rush to get a worldwide patent for it.

There are plenty of examples of ‘management by crisis’ being practised not only in government but also in private offices. However, it has been originally a government sector philosophy which was brought from the government departments first to the public sector corporations and finally to the private sector. If one has to show a field in which the private sector has benefited the most from the government is in learning the practice of ‘management by crisis’. And the private sector managers have very ardently been observing this unique and the most indigenous management tool.

Several fairs and exhibitions are organized by the private sector on different occasions. If you visit the exhibition venue just prior to the inauguration of the show, you feel proud to see our top level managers and even the business tycoons personally busy decorating their respective stalls till that moment. Getting such preparations made well in advance steals away the opportunity for such high profile participation which is good also from the emotional point of view. I hope the behavioural scientists would shed more light on it.

The horizons of this noble philosophy of ‘management by crisis’ are being expanded into almost all the sectors of our society. Therefore, though crises are brewing in all the spares of our society, we need not worry. Rather be happy that such evolutions make the situation ever riper for the most effective implementation of this noble management tool of ours. Once an expert in ‘management by crisis’ is entrusted the rein of such a situation, everything will get corrected at once.

If you also want to follow the method of the ‘management by crisis’, here is the outline of some major components of this time tasted typical Nepali formula.

I. Neglect a small problem long enough that it develops into a first class crisis. Then there is a charm in managing it.

II. Create a problem. If the running becomes very smooth, the top management may assume that the job can be done by anybody, even by their young nephews or nieces. Thus there is a danger that they may replace you. If there are major recurring crises then only will you be considered irreplaceable. You will also be treated as a person with ever increasing value.

III. Do not recognize a problem until it develops into a real crisis. The advantage of ‘management by crisis’ is that it helps to reduce workload since no problem is accepted unless it becomes a crisis. A lot of problems are not needed to be faced at all. They just vanish with the lapse of time.

‘Management by Crisis’ gives a manager the feeling of a great achievement. Did not you notice the cheerful face of PM Deuba at the press meet? In a smoothly run company the manager gets bored, as he has nothing to do after lunchtime. There is no excitement in the job. What a job without an excitement in it?

So, go for a long leave and ponder on this Nepali management philosophy of ‘management by crisis’ and be careful that the leave is long enough to let a simple problem develop into a good crisis. Then enjoy its management !

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