THERE are unexpected and unplanned events like plane crashes, typhoons, earthquakes, and the early split-up of a political alliance. But corporate surprises are usually planned. The hierarchy of an organization is divided into two camps, the surprisers (those who make the decisions) and those who are surprised (those affected by the decisions).
The surprise chain begins with the surprisers who throw the pebble to create the ripples. The first part involves those at the top who make the decisions. (Sometimes, even the top can be surprised by the board or outside developments.) One informal link in the chain consists of those who surround the surprisers. They feed the grapevine with hearsay and speculations based on informal access and overheard conversations.
Chronology (when did you know?) determines one’s position in the hierarchy. The surprise chain includes information on events that have already happened but are not yet widely known. The rumor mill fans the flames with speculation and possible scenarios of events that are not yet known and can go in various directions depending on the reactions to the unknown.
Rumors (with a few variations on the sources) can assume a life of their own, disseminated and embellished by online postings. The “word-of-thumb” spreads swiftly like a virus. The ease of forwarding posts to many addressees at once speeds up the ripple effect and stokes the suspense — yes, I got that text last night.
The surprise chain ends only with an official announcement in a memo or public disclosure for a listed company. An official spokesperson (who may even be among the surprised) distributes the news to the media. (Are there any questions?)
Speculations on possible replacements of an announced “resignation for more time with the family,” unconfirmed job offers, and a major reorganization (involving a new hire) follow the official announcement.
Can one take an all-knowing stance, like claiming knowledge of the event even before the surprisers? The surprised ones are often clueless and disbelieving of even the possibility of an unpleasant surprise. (I just had a pleasant lunch with the CEO last week, so how could he possibly fire me?) To paraphrase Rudyard Kipling’s maxim — “If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs — maybe you haven’t heard the news.”
A surprise should be evaluated on its effect on individuals. An event, no matter how surprising, may be simply interesting, if it has no adverse effect on any person, like a change of the corporate logo.
The shock of surprise depends on the individual affected, like one who loses a high-visibility position. (Can I keep my security contingent?) Adding to the consternation is the realization that one did not even have any defenders at the top. Nobody even organized a despedida party, with a video of the departing one’s achievements… if any.
While one cannot anticipate surprise, he can control his reaction to it. Showing shock at the news indicates the following: a.) The rumors about his exit were not baseless; b.) He could not stop the decision from being finalized; and, c.) He was at the tail of the surprise chain and had no control of the runaway events, except maybe his exit package. (Can he keep the golf club share?)
The word “surprise” comes from French — sur prendre, to take over. There is therefore an element of being taken over and overwhelmed by unexpected developments.
When surprise incapacitates action and abandons self-esteem, the consequences are even worse.
Containing one’s surprise works best. It does no good to look around and check who was not at all surprised by what happened. Surely, a few knew ahead of time, maybe were even part of the group of surprisers. (I was just as surprised as you.)
One form of surprise is disappointment (which can also be unanticipated). When a development seems to have already been approved and the barriers to its completion cleared, it can be disappointing to see nothing further going on. (We will give more details when the closing conditions have been ironed out.)
The best reaction is to remain calm and pretend that the unexpected turn of events was all for the best. Maybe, moving on from some unpleasant news can bring the surprising relief… that it could have been worse.
Tony Samson is chairman and CEO of TOUCH xda