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Conversations in Management

Rogers Morton

I’m not going to rearrange the furniture on the deck of the Titanic.

Gerald Ford had more to worry about in 1976 than the five primary losses that his campaign manager, Rogers Morton, was talking about. After squeaking by Ronald Reagan to become the Republican nominee, America’s only unelected President would finish the year by losing the “big one” to Jimmy Carter. Though Morton may have missed the mark as a campaign manager, he was curiously on target about the Titanic. As it turns out, one of the gravest mistakes made on the ill-fated night of April 15, 1912 was the failure of both passengers and crew to appreciate the severity of the situation. Instead, they made dangerous assumptions about their safety and spent their time, in effect, rearranging the furniture rather than going about the business of saving their lives until it was far too late.

When RMS Titanic hit the iceberg, things went from bad to worse pretty quickly. Within twenty-five minutes, the third-class passenger cabins were flooding. Twenty-five minutes later, Captain Smith gave the order to begin loading the lifeboats with women and children. Still, many first and second-class passengers remained unconvinced about the danger. Not faced with the immediacy of rising water, they had a hard time coming to grips with the thought of the ship actually sinking. After all, they were on the most technologically advanced ship ever built. It had every possible comfort and exceeded the safety standards of the day. Even as it was sinking, the lights remained on, the cabins remained cozy and drinks were being served. As it became apparent that they’d have to go to the lifeboats, many continued to putter. They spent precious time on wardrobe choices, gathering valuables and collecting their pets. Despite all signs of imminent peril, they clung to the belief that the ship offered some degree of security. While they remained unconvinced that their lives were in extreme jeopardy, the first lifeboat was lowered with only 28 out of 65 available seats filled. That first lifeboat would not be the exception. Though the Titanic’s lifeboats had capacity for 1,178 people (enough for 54% of the ship’s total complement); 466 of those seats would remain empty. A colossal tragedy was made exponentially worse, in part, because people couldn’t accept the reality of what was happening.

The Titanic sank 96 years ago, but many people continue to rearrange the furniture of their lives. They stick with plans, processes or relationships that are sinking fast—though they refuse to accept it. It’s called the Titanic Effect and it occurs every time folks are unable or unwilling to admit that they’ve committed themselves to a failing course of action. Often it’s because the status quo has become so comfortable that change seems less a necessity than a nuisance. In such cases, people ignore signs of a deteriorating situation until they’ve reached a level of crisis that can’t be denied. Unfortunately, by the time that happens, corrective action is costly in terms of time, money and peace of mind. Yet even when faced with a crisis, there are some who remain in denial and instead offer rationalizations. They claim others are alarmists. They cite previous tough times that didn’t warrant major changes. They operate with the naïve belief that if they ignore the problem long enough, it will eventually go away. In short; they just don’t get it. If your organization or life is in crisis, stop rearranging the furniture and head for the lifeboats while there’s still time. The lifeboat may be uncomfortable, but it gives you a fighting chance and it sure beats swimming.

—Ebert