Sunday, January 07, 2007

What Horror Movies Can Teach You About Management

There are many things that you can learn from watching old horror movies, such as flying saucers look like Frisbees, giant ants can be caused by nuclear testing, and, when a blob attacks, the main defense of a town should be handled by its teenagers. There are, however, some serious management lessons that can be drawn. Here are a few:


The person who scoffs at danger will get zapped. When the forest ranger says, "Are you crazy? There isn't anything in these woods but raccoons and deer," you know he's a dead man. Complacency comes before the fall.

The most polite person is not necessarily the most ethical. With rare exception, the character with the most ornate manners is a villain. If someone seems oily, he is oily. Pay attention to your intuition.


If you sense something is seriously wrong, don't check into it by yourself. Trust me on this one. The clunking sound in the basement is not a faulty water heater. If you must investigate what might be a major problem, get some hefty allies.

When people keep disappearing, there's a common reason. "There were ten people here an hour ago and now there are only five. What a coincidence!" The sooner you learn the reason for the departures, the better. In the meantime, you should make a special effort to keep the ones who are still around.

When danger threatens, don’t split up. "Let's see now. We are facing mortal danger and so let's send Ralph to the attic, Mary to the garden, Rex to the kitchen, and Ellen to that spot in the back of the house that we were warned to avoid. And let's conduct our search at midnight while the power is out." Stick together and increase communication.

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