Mutiny on the Bounty
“When I find business problems, I find communication failure, when I find communication failure, I find business problems"
👏 Happy Friday!
On this day, April 28, 1789, acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian led a bloodless mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty, commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh, in the South Pacific Ocean. The result was that Captain Bligh and eighteen of his loyal crew members were put in an open boat and set adrift in the Pacific by the mutineers. Captain Bligh navigated more than 3,500 nautical miles, taking his men safely to shore in Timor in the East Indies. This was considered a staggering feat of navigation, given that they had been set adrift without charts. After Bligh reached England in April 1790, the Admiralty despatched HMS Pandora to apprehend the mutineers. Fourteen were captured in Tahiti and imprisoned on board Pandora, but Christian’s party was not found and was believed to have hidden on Pitcairn Island.
✅ Captain Bligh might have been a brilliant seaman, but his leadership style played a significant role in the crew’s rebellion. He had an authoritarian approach to leadership and showed little empathy or consideration for the well-being of his crew. Captain Bligh was notorious for stealing food from his crew and even hitting his officers. While this was one of the main reasons for the mutiny on the Bounty, there was also a lack of communication between Captain Bligh and his crew. Bligh did not communicate his decisions, plans, or expectations clearly to his crew, which created confusion and resentment. A business leader must communicate clearly with their team to ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them. Effective communication is essential for smooth day-to-day operations and especially during organisational change implementation.Communication Failure Equals Business Problems.
“When I find business problems, I find communication failure, when I find communication failure, I find business problems"
👉 With over three decades of international experience in business operations and project management, I have come to recognise that communication breakdown is at the core of most business problems. Employees may fail to comprehend business strategies, their roles within the organisation, or the bigger picture due to inadequate communication. It can be a lack of communication between two functions, headquarters, and satellite divisions, or two individuals at loggerheads. It can be operating procedures not communicated properly across an organisation or insufficient communication of a change. The result is usually the same: poor financial performance, damaged relationships, disgruntled employees and customers, etc.
Have a fantastic weekend with the ones you love and care for, enjoy some fresh air, exercise, eat, drink and be happy.
Further Reading: Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change Volume 3.
Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change®.
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Peter F Gallagher is a Change Management Global Thought Leader, Guru, Expert, International Speaker, Author and Leadership Alignment Coach.
Listed #1 by leadersHum Top 40 Change Management Gurus You Should Follow in 2022 (Mar 2022).
Ranked #1 Change Management Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Change Management (2022-2021-2020) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #1 Business Strategy Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Business Strategy (2022) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #2 Leadership Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Leadership (Aug 2020) by Thinkers360.
Business Book Ranking
Change Management Behaviour - Leadership of Change® Volume 6, listed among the 50 Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2022.
Change Management Adoption - Leadership of Change® Volume 5, listed among year-to-date’s (Jul 2021) most popular books on business and technology from Thinkers360 member thought leaders.
Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change® Volume 3, listed among the 50 Business and Technology Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2021.
Change Management Pocket Guide - Leadership of Change® Volume 2, ranked within the top 50 Business and Technology Books (Jan 2020) from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders.
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