It is crucial to confidently express and defend our views to avoid failure. However, various examples tell us why this is so important.
One of the main reasons is the influence of culture. On August 6, 1997, Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747, crashed while attempting to land at Guam International Airport. The crash resulted in the deaths of 228 out of the 254 people on board. The flight crew did communicate their concerns about challenging weather conditions and altitude issues. However, due to hierarchical cultures, they did not insist on their opinion, and the captain's confidence led to no adherence to safety protocols, which contributed to the tragic crash.
Similarly, NASA engineers were concerned about the O-rings' performance during the Space Shuttle Challenger's launch in cold weather. However, they failed to communicate their reservations with confidence to higher-ups. Despite their concerns, the launch proceeded in freezing temperatures, leading to the O-rings' failure and the tragic explosion of the Challenger in 1986, resulting in the loss of seven astronauts' lives.
In addition, many financial institutions had concerns about the growing subprime mortgage market bubble before the 2008 financial crisis. However, these concerns were not adequately addressed due to a lack of confidence in voicing their concerns and a culture of risk-taking. This lack of confidence in raising red flags contributed to the global financial crisis, leading to economic turmoil and recession.
Hence, knowing when and how to express our opinions confidently and insistently, with enough data or evidence to back them up, is essential. This will help prevent disasters caused by hesitation and lack of communication.
One of the main reasons is the influence of culture. On August 6, 1997, Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747, crashed while attempting to land at Guam International Airport. The crash resulted in the deaths of 228 out of the 254 people on board. The flight crew did communicate their concerns about challenging weather conditions and altitude issues. However, due to hierarchical cultures, they did not insist on their opinion, and the captain's confidence led to no adherence to safety protocols, which contributed to the tragic crash.
Similarly, NASA engineers were concerned about the O-rings' performance during the Space Shuttle Challenger's launch in cold weather. However, they failed to communicate their reservations with confidence to higher-ups. Despite their concerns, the launch proceeded in freezing temperatures, leading to the O-rings' failure and the tragic explosion of the Challenger in 1986, resulting in the loss of seven astronauts' lives.
In addition, many financial institutions had concerns about the growing subprime mortgage market bubble before the 2008 financial crisis. However, these concerns were not adequately addressed due to a lack of confidence in voicing their concerns and a culture of risk-taking. This lack of confidence in raising red flags contributed to the global financial crisis, leading to economic turmoil and recession.
Hence, knowing when and how to express our opinions confidently and insistently, with enough data or evidence to back them up, is essential. This will help prevent disasters caused by hesitation and lack of communication.
