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Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 8)
Most people are very familiar with Winston Churchill but may not be familiar with his “agile” approach to project management, and his management skills as a PM in May 1940. Part 7 looked at how Churchill--faced with the destruction of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF)--is left with no option but to evacuate. This article looks at how Churchill’s position as PM was at considerable risk, and how he turned things around with the most significant speech of his career.
On June 4, the Dunkirk evacuation ended. Even though the British had evacuated an unexpected number of battered troops, most of its heavy fighting equipment--enough for 10 divisions and over 200 ships--was lost (Part 7). In hindsight, the BEF faced complete destruction and there was little choice but to evacuate. Dunkirk was a disaster in terms of equipment loss.
In today’s world, timing on a project is everything in terms of delivery and communication. A PM needs to be on the pulse of the project and know when to deliver key morale raising talks/speeches as the project twists and turns.
On the evening of June 4, Churchill went to address Parliament. Churchill knew he had a split in the war cabinet (Halifax and Chamberlain, Part 7), and dissent with senior members in Parliament. He was in very precarious position as he could be quickly ejected from power. But he …
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"If you think you've hit a false note, sing loud. When in doubt, sing loud." - Robert Merrill |