Learning from history: historical examples highlight the importance of looking at a problem from a new perspective, not letting obstacles stand in the way, and taking charge when the situation demands it.

• Author: Herrmann, Keith R.
• Position: Management & Careers

There is a tradition of looking to military history for management insights. As an example, many people have looked to Sun Tzu's The Art of War, or one of the many business books based on it, for ways to run their organizations better. It is not necessary to go all the way back to sixth-century China, however, to pick up important insights. This article will highlight several examples that can be of use to local government practitioners, including the importance of looking at a problem from a new perspective, not letting obstacles stand in the way, and taking charge when the situation demands it.

ADVANCING A GOOD IDEA

To succeed, good managers need to approach difficult situations in new ways, and then made an effort to get their solutions implemented. The following example is extreme, but illustrative.

During the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy fired 9,500 shells. Only 121 of them--1.3 percent--hit anything at all. This level of performance would be disastrous by today's standards, but it was world-class in 1898. And in 1899, in a further display of its then-prevailing leadership in naval gunnery accuracy, the U.S. Navy held a target practice exhibition to benchmark its performance. In 25 minutes of firing at a target ship from a distance of approximately one mile, two hits were registered, and these were to the sails of the target ship. Yet by 1902, the U.S. Navy could hit a similar target ship every time it fired; half the shells could hit a square 50 inches on each side.

What caused such breakthrough performance results in so short a time? The answer, in short, is William Sowden Sims. As a young naval artillery officer, Sims sought to reform naval gunnery by improving target practice. His superiors resisted his suggestions, failing to see the necessity. He was also hindered by his low rank.

It could be said that Sims changed the world, through a process we now call reengineering. While on maneuvers in the China Sea, Sims noted some of the breakthroughs in accuracy that British gunners had begun to accomplish with just slight adjustments to the way they targeted and fired. Sims began to wonder what would happen if these innovations were developed further and put to use aboard American ships. He discovered a simple way to dramatically improve the gun's aim, compensating for the height and timing of the ship's roll. He also advocated moving the gun sight from the barrel so the gunner would not be affected by the gun's recoil, allowing...