In 2010, my family and I flew Japan Airlines to India, carrying Mom’s ashes in a small box. We were instructed to board first, as the ground and air crew lined the jetway and bowed to her. Through the flight, they ceremoniously left food for Mom and sent us off with a card signed by the pilots and crew thanking us for the honour. It still moves me to tears.
I am again in awe of Japan Airlines and the Japanese people for what followed a fiery plane crash, lessons in crisis and humanity from which all executives and organizations can learn, apply and grow.
On Jan. 2, two planes collided and burst into flames at Tokyo’s busiest airport. One was a small coast guard plane with six people on board, five of whom died at the scene. The other, a Japan Airlines jet carrying 379 people.
It is an event so rare that few would even contemplate it happening to them, yet we watched video of passengers and crew of Flight 516 exit an inferno like they’d planned for this evacuation their entire lives.
And in a way they had.
The Japanese are known for being reserved, disciplined and respectful. Humanity is ingrained in them.
In a situation in which most people panic, create chaos and think only of themselves – as we’ve seen in other plane evacuations – this crew and passengers honoured their cultural values.
And that’s why they are alive today.
Every odd was against them. The intercom system to address passengers became inoperable and most emergency exits inaccessible. One engine was still spinning. Smoke and flames filled the cabin, creating low visibility.
Even with their lives on the line, people on board did what came naturally. Flight attendants calmly communicated directions. Passengers respected protocol, including remaining seated to facilitate an orderly exit. There was no mad dash to grab belongings, which would have bottlenecked the aisles, and nobody put themselves ahead of others.
Rather than the common fight-flight-freeze reaction, they initiated a purposeful, disciplined response that carried them through a high-stakes situation.
It is a miraculous outcome, one for the books. Japan Airlines will be celebrated for its handling of a monumental crisis and emerge with deeper trust for their brand and market gains.
Build a crisis-ready culture
While Japan appears to have a natural crisis-ready culture, cultivating a mindset of certainty to overcome the most uncertain circumstances can be done. It’s about starting now, before a disruption. Afterall, the difference between a crisis and disaster is preparedness.
- Reframe your perception: How we communicate to ourselves about an event has an impact on our outcome. Start seeing everyday experiences objectively, which will temper your subjective response. By reframing the story, you’ll recognize an event as an opportunity to respond with calm, care and control, an incredible form of power.
- Define your values: Determine your values and build crisis responses that uphold and strengthen them. I managed a tragic traffic accident in which a child died. My client immediately agreed that our sole priority was the child’s family and community, not their bottom line. We proved that through our actions.
- Focus on controllables: When something happens, distinguish between controllable and noncontrollable factors. Tend only to the controllables. This helps you focus, act quickly and even exceed expectations. While an event may be out of your control, you can control your reaction. Case in point: Japan Airlines.
Humanity wins
In 2010, I wrote a letter to Japan Airlines expressing gratitude for the honour they gave Mom on her final journey. The executive team took the time to respond, a letter I saved in my memory box and a story I still share.
Now, I send utmost respect to Japan Airlines’ crew and passengers for leading so naturally with humanity and saving 379 people. And to the coast guard crew and their families, I offer my deepest condolences.
Renu Bakshi ([email protected]) is an awarded former journalist and anchor who now works locally and abroad as a crisis manager and media trainer, and also conducts immersive workshops to help organizations bolster their crisis readiness and grow in the process.
