ABSTRACT
One's first priority is to understand what the situation is, what the objectives are, and what it takes to achieve them. The second task is to assess whether those objectives are achievable, given the current situation. The key point is that good managers do not concentrate on the mistake, or who is to blame for the mistake. Instead, they concentrate on remedying the cause of the mistake and correcting the results of the mistake. They correct the problem that caused the mistake, whether it is poor training, poor execution, poor choice of objectives, poor management, poor performance by individuals, or whatever. Correcting the results of the mistake is often the first priority. Understanding what happened, why it happened, or who caused it may be essential to understanding what can be salvaged and how it can be salvaged. However, that’s done as a part of getting the job done, not as an exercise in itself.
