3 ms·

Where else have you heard it? What makes it a tired image beyond the fact that you heard it once in Paris?

by aik 16y ago

bambax 16y ago
I didn't hear it "once"; it was a central theme of the transformation story; there were posters everywhere, email campaigns, leaflets, etc. all based on the "burning platform" standard playbook. The reality is that the "burning platform" metaphor is a classic story repeated ad nauseam in business schools and business books; see this for example (from 2005): The term “burning platform” is a mainstay in business lexicon for many years. For those not familiar with its origin, the story goes something like this: A man working on an oil platform in the North Sea awakened suddenly one night by an explosion. Amidst the chaos, he made his way to the edge of the platform. As a plume of fire billowed behind him, he decided to jump from the burning platform even though jumping is a risky option for the following reasons: It was a 150-foot drop from the platform to the water. There is debris and burning oil on the surface of the water. If the jump into the 40°F water did not kill him, he would die of exposure within 15 minutes. Luckily, the man survived the jump and hauled aboard a rescue boat shortly thereafter. When asked why he jumped, he replied, “Better probable death than certain death.” The point is the literally “burning” platform caused the radical change in his behavior. http://www.imakenews.com/cppa/e_article000368179.cfm http://www.imakenews.com/cppa/e_article000368179.cfm (Please read the rest of this article to know how the story should be used in a business context; it really seems to describe the email, and it's prophetic since it was written six years ago). Where do you think Mr. Elop heard this story in the first time? What's more likely, that he met an actual burning platform survivor, or that he read about this very common story in a business book?
- sethg 16y ago
  The “burning platform” inspirational stories are probably based on an actual disaster: “Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd. The platform began production in 1976, first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas production. An explosion and resulting fire destroyed it on July 6, 1988, killing 167 men, with only 59 survivors. The death toll includes two crewmen of a rescue vessel. Total insured loss was about £1.7 billion (US$ 3.4 billion). At the time of the disaster the platform accounted for approximately ten percent of North Sea oil and gas production, and was the worst offshore oil disaster in terms of lives lost and industry impact.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
- aik 16y ago
  By "once" I was referring to the singular situation you were in, not necessarily literally "once". In any case, I wasn't inferring that Elop didn't get it from there (and that he's a creative mastermind), but my question was specifically about what made it "tiring". I had actually never heard it, but am finding all kinds of sources to it now so it makes sense to me now why you would refer to it as "tiring". Thanks. It is slightly disappointing to hear that he just reused the story, though. I don't even find the story that compelling -- there's nothing in there about the guy succeeding afterwards, but rather just surviving (and changing his behavior). I could think of a number of possibly more relevant stories. Good luck to him though!
  - bambax 16y ago
    > I don't even find the story that compelling Me neither. I think it's a rather weak analogy: shouldn't you first try to put out the fire? And if you're running away, jumping to a probable death to escape a certain death, how is that good or inspiring? But the worst about this story is that you have to tell it. I've never been on an offshore platform, much less a burning one, but I'm guessing if it were on fire I would notice. I wouldn't need to have the boss come behind me and pat me on the back saying: "hey, listen, I think we're on a burning platform, here's a list of reasons why". But when it's used in a business context, it has to be backed up by evidence, which means either that the platform is not really burning, or that it's a matter of interpretation.
ugh 16y ago
The “burning platform” seems to be a popular trope of change management. This is one of the many articles you can find about burning platforms: http://www.wisdom-works.com/lead-perform-sustain/change-burning-platform-effective-metaphor/ http://www.wisdom-works.com/lead-perform-sustain/change-burn...

Where else have you heard it? What makes it a tired image beyond the fact that you heard it once in Paris?

by aik 16y ago

Where else have you heard it? What makes it a tired image beyond the fact that you heard it once in Paris?

I didn't hear it "once"; it was a central theme of the transformation story; there were posters everywhere, email campaigns, leaflets, etc. all based on the "burning platform" standard playbook. The reality is that the "burning platform" metaphor is a classic story repeated ad nauseam in business schools and business books; see this for example (from 2005): The term “burning platform” is a mainstay in business lexicon for many years. For those not familiar with its origin, the story goes something like this: A man working on an oil platform in the North Sea awakened suddenly one night by an explosion. Amidst the chaos, he made his way to the edge of the platform. As a plume of fire billowed behind him, he decided to jump from the burning platform even though jumping is a risky option for the following reasons: It was a 150-foot drop from the platform to the water. There is debris and burning oil on the surface of the water. If the jump into the 40°F water did not kill him, he would die of exposure within 15 minutes. Luckily, the man survived the jump and hauled aboard a rescue boat shortly thereafter. When asked why he jumped, he replied, “Better probable death than certain death.” The point is the literally “burning” platform caused the radical change in his behavior. http://www.imakenews.com/cppa/e_article000368179.cfm http://www.imakenews.com/cppa/e_article000368179.cfm (Please read the rest of this article to know how the story should be used in a business context; it really seems to describe the email, and it's prophetic since it was written six years ago). Where do you think Mr. Elop heard this story in the first time? What's more likely, that he met an actual burning platform survivor, or that he read about this very common story in a business book?

sethg 16y ago
The “burning platform” inspirational stories are probably based on an actual disaster: “Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd. The platform began production in 1976, first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas production. An explosion and resulting fire destroyed it on July 6, 1988, killing 167 men, with only 59 survivors. The death toll includes two crewmen of a rescue vessel. Total insured loss was about £1.7 billion (US$ 3.4 billion). At the time of the disaster the platform accounted for approximately ten percent of North Sea oil and gas production, and was the worst offshore oil disaster in terms of lives lost and industry impact.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
aik 16y ago
By "once" I was referring to the singular situation you were in, not necessarily literally "once". In any case, I wasn't inferring that Elop didn't get it from there (and that he's a creative mastermind), but my question was specifically about what made it "tiring". I had actually never heard it, but am finding all kinds of sources to it now so it makes sense to me now why you would refer to it as "tiring". Thanks. It is slightly disappointing to hear that he just reused the story, though. I don't even find the story that compelling -- there's nothing in there about the guy succeeding afterwards, but rather just surviving (and changing his behavior). I could think of a number of possibly more relevant stories. Good luck to him though!
- bambax 16y ago
  > I don't even find the story that compelling Me neither. I think it's a rather weak analogy: shouldn't you first try to put out the fire? And if you're running away, jumping to a probable death to escape a certain death, how is that good or inspiring? But the worst about this story is that you have to tell it. I've never been on an offshore platform, much less a burning one, but I'm guessing if it were on fire I would notice. I wouldn't need to have the boss come behind me and pat me on the back saying: "hey, listen, I think we're on a burning platform, here's a list of reasons why". But when it's used in a business context, it has to be backed up by evidence, which means either that the platform is not really burning, or that it's a matter of interpretation.

ugh 16y ago

The “burning platform” seems to be a popular trope of change management. This is one of the many articles you can find about burning platforms: http://www.wisdom-works.com/lead-perform-sustain/change-burning-platform-effective-metaphor/ http://www.wisdom-works.com/lead-perform-sustain/change-burn...