Surprise! : : from CEOs to Navy SEALs : how a select group of professionals prepare for and respond to the unexpected / / Dave Baiocchi, D. Steven Fox.

• Author: Baiocchi, Dave.
• TeilnehmendeR: Fox, D. Steven.
• Place / Publishing House: Santa Monica : : RAND Corporation,, [2013]; ©2013
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (107 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

This report relates what professionals believe creates surprise, how they respond to it, and how the effects of surprise can be mitigated. RAND researchers interviewed representatives from 13 diverse professions and identified some common coping strategies, such as relying on past experience and trying to reduce the level of chaos in the environment.

Table of Contents

Cover; Title Page; Copyright; Preface; Contents; Figures and Tables; Summary; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; CHAPTER ONE Introduction; CHAPTER TWO Why Study Surprise?; CHAPTER THREE Research Objective, Definitions, and Initial Conceptual Models; CHAPTER FOUR Research Hypotheses; Hypothesis 1: Response Time Affects How Practitioners Prepare for and Respond to Surprises; Hypothesis 2: The Level of Environmental Chaos Affects How Professionals Prepare for and Respond to Surprise; Hypothesis 3: The Surprise Type Dictates the Reaction and Response Path

Hypothesis 4: Strategies for Addressing Positive Surprises Differ from Those for Negative OnesHypothesis 5: Some Fundamental Preparations and Responses Are Common Across Professions; CHAPTER FIVE Research Method; CHAPTER SIX What Strategies Are Common Across Professions?; Experience Is Key; Reduce the Level of Chaos; Provide a Measured Response; The Value of Teamwork; CHAPTER SEVEN How Does the Level of Environmental Chaos Affect Practitioners' Responses to Surprises?; Operating in Contrived Environments; Modulating Merely Moderate Chaos; Working in Highly Chaotic Environments

Humans Magnify ChaosSurprise Generated by Third-Party Humans; Recognized and Unrecognized Surprises; CHAPTER EIGHT How Do Strategists Differ from Tacticians in Dealing with Surprise?; CHAPTER NINE Surprise as an Opportunity; CHAPTER TEN Helpful Lessons from Specific Professions; Yes, and; Look Outside the Immediate Network for Help; CHAPTER ELEVEN Key Observations and Their Implications; Key Findings; Implications and Suggested Practices Moving Forward; In Conclusion; Bibliography