Warning Signs
The signs appear long before the failure does.
By Brent Murton, Founder, Epik Consulting
Principle Judgment
Applies To Hospitality • Leadership • Operations • Risk • Facilities
Reading Time 4 min
The Truth
Major failures rarely arrive without warning.
They arrive after a series of weak signals that were seen...
...but not fully understood.
The challenge for leaders is rarely responding to the final failure.
It is recognizing the first warning.
The Situation
During a Chef in Residence luncheon at Ernest's Dining Room, we noticed water beginning to appear through the dining room ceiling.
At first, it seemed insignificant.
A stain.
A drip.
Then another.
Earlier that morning, a maintenance crew had been cleaning rooftop HVAC equipment.
Before leaving for lunch, a water hose had been left running.
Water slowly accumulated on the roof until it eventually found the path of least resistance.
Inside the dining room, the first warning signs appeared.
What Happened
As the leak increased, we quietly repositioned guests and moved tables away from the affected area.
Containment bins were placed beneath the leak.
Service continued.
Moments later, suspended ceiling tiles collapsed into the containers we had already positioned beneath them.
Fortunately, no guests were injured.
The luncheon continued successfully.
What Became Clear
Looking back, the ceiling collapse was not the first sign of trouble.
It was the final one.
The real warning had appeared much earlier.
Experience has taught me that recognizing a problem and escalating a problem are not the same skill.
One without the other leaves organizations vulnerable.
The Lesson
Throughout hospitality, operations, leadership, and business, major failures rarely begin as major failures.
They begin as:
• Small observations.
• Small irregularities.
• Small concerns.
Weak signals are easy to dismiss because they rarely announce themselves as emergencies.
They appear as inconveniences.
The leaders who consistently protect outcomes are not necessarily the smartest people in the room.
They are often the ones paying attention earliest.
The Epik Principle
Weak signals deserve strong attention.
The first warning is rarely the last.
The leaders who act earliest usually manage the smallest problems.
Ask Yourself
What small signal is your team currently explaining away...
...that deserves a closer look before it becomes tomorrow's crisis?