Crisis Command

This was one of the more interesting programmes that only had a short life. It was not a reality or a game show, but an interesting study in how people react in a crisis. Real heads of Companies and NGO's were invited to form a 'cabinet' and manage a crisis with advise available from professionals to guide their decisions - if they chose to follow it or even ask for it.

One of the most interesting aspects of the show was how badly most CEO's of companies handled a crisis, that is one where decisions had to be taken rapidly with minimal information (especially when it involved the possibility of the loss of life, such as authorising the police to use firearms or shutting flood gates and trapping people on the other side, even when it was clear that far more lives would be saved if the actions was taken). Their decisions, or lack thereof, appeared to show that they were used to analysing a situation and making careful, considered judgements. Meanwhile, heads of NGO's, who are much more used to having to deal with emergency situations I would imagine, seemed to be much more capable of making quick decisions. More than once you'd see the cabinet locked in debate long past the deadline that had been placed (despite constant reminders) and would express surprise when they were unable to implement their choice of plan.

It was also interesting to see how different groups of people handled the same situation in the follow up show later that night.