Ensuring that projects are supervised and implemented accordingly represents an essential task for an organization manager. However, due to the presence of an array of factors shaping the success of organizational performance, one may find it difficult to define the core contributors to corporate success. Huerta and Calder provide two opposing viewpoints on the subject matter, the former insisting on the necessity to reinforce contingency planning, and the latter arguing that contingency plans are useless compared to actual experience in problem-solving. Although Calder’s assumption also contains some strong points, Huerta’s idea of consistency in planning and problem-solving appears to be the most reasonable approach.
The focus on contingency planning appears to be beneficial to the framework that requires making decisions under the spur of the moment for several reasons. First, the lack of preparedness to specific scenarios implies higher risks of damage and the resulting disruption of the company’s performance. Moreover, the absence of contingency planning implies a shift from making reasonable forecasts within the organizational setting to entering the ram of unpredictability (Austin et al., 2016). Therefore, the process of navigating the target economic environment and making decisions in the target market will not be based on core external factors (Austin et al., 2016) As a result, an overall drop in efficacy can be expected.
Though both solutions have their advantages, Huerta’s position seems to be more reasonable since it provides greater leeway for minimizing risks. Specifically, by focusing on planning, one can create a framework for approaching nearly any scenario with the help of creative problem-solving. In turn, Calder suggests building sustainable solutions from scratch, which implies relying on the employees’ ability to brainstorm and come up with solutions immediately. Thus, the former offers a more reliable risk management approach.
Reference
Austin, R. D., O’Donnell, S., & Nolan, R. L. (2016). The Adventures of an IT Leader, Updated Edition with a New Preface by the Authors. Harvard Business Review Press.