Die Hard is one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. The iconic action film starring Bruce Willis is not just a festive classic that includes holiday outfits and Christmas carols, but it is also a masterclass in adaptive planning. Beyond the explosive action scenes and catchphrases oft-repeated in our culture to this day, Die Hard serves as a beautiful case study in improvisation, collaborative problem solving, and learning from mistakes (and also running across glass). This article explores five adaptive planning strategies inspired by the indomitable John McClane battling the nefarious Hans Gruber (and many other bad guys) during a Christmas party gone horribly wrong.
Have a simple purpose
John McClane’s purpose is crystal clear – he exists to save his wife (who is her own person, Holly Gennaro) and kill the bad guys. Simon Sinek (speaking of iconic) argues that all great ventures start with why – a straightforward and well-defined purpose is equally crucial. Innovation thrives when teams align objectives and the work to achieve them with a shared purpose that highlights why a company is in business, as opposed to what it makes and sells. I’ve worked for organizations purposed with pursuing research and learning excellence, redefining wealth, and creating peace of mind. Whenever teams needed to get clear on a piece of work or a tough decision, we could use our purpose statement to inform the conversation. Clarity of purpose fuels career development, too. Using a purpose (or “intention”) statement, the Waysfinder model blends clarity of purpose with fixed and flexible boundaries that keep us on track as we move towards our intention.
John McClane’s purpose is to be “a fly in the ointment … a monkey in the wrench” in order to foil the terrorists (robbers) and buy time until he, or the police, can do the next best thing possible (usually the next best thing is disposing of bad guys).
Adopt an improvisational mindset
Every leader should take improv lessons.
John McClane probably did.
Improv teaches us how to listen and respond to what’s unfolding on stage (or within Nakatomi Tower). Both John McClane and Hans Gruber exhibit an improvisational mindset throughout the movie. John McClane takes out a couple of terrorists (robbers). Hans fortifies his position. John McClane uses the elevator shafts to bypass fortifications (he also takes out Heinrich, who had the detonators). Hans adapts and checks the explosives and, when McClane surprises him, Hans thinks on his feet and pretends to be a guest at the party (he “shoulda been on f*cking TV with that accent”). Then John McClane runs across glass, saves the hostages, and gift wraps his gun to his back to outduel his adversary.
Work and life is changing and evolving faster than ever. Whether we’re comprehending climate change, dealing with kids’ behaviour challenges at school, or getting surprised by data and insights during a meeting, thinking like an improvisor prepares us for the unexpected. When we’re really good at carrying out scripted work everything is fine as long as everything goes according to plan. But this rarely happens in life, which is why scripts get re-written and why films have editors. When you live in the moment you must be an incredible listener so that you can react really well to your audience and/or colleagues.
Use predictive analytics
A great complement to improvisation is predictive analytics. Predictive analytics are everywhere. It is a that learns from existing data, and it uses data to forecast or predict individual or collective behaviour. This means that predictions are very specific.
Predictive analytics are also used by Hans Gruber, the epitome of a modern action movie villain, because he knows what his opponents are going to do before they do (especially the Agent Johnsons). Hans probably has a handle on game theory, too. His meticulous planning involves understanding the FBI playbook, anticipating police responses, and adapting to unforeseen challenges posed by John McClane (to the best of his ability, anyway – McClane’s captains will tell you that “there isn’t a playbook for that a**hole” probably…).
Organizations that leverage data to anticipate market trends, member behaviour, and potential challenges will be positioned to adapt a plan as well as respond to emerging needs or opportunities in real time. By staying ahead of the curve, organizations can adapt their strategies proactively, much like how Gruber designed the final step of his heist around the FBI’s counterterrorism operational manual.
Crowdsource solutions
Even as a resilient, tough-as-nails action hero, John McClane is humble, vulnerable, and asks for help. The ability to seek help and collaborate is a key aspect of adaptive planning. Cross-functional teams, diverse in skills and perspectives, can collectively navigate challenges. The wisdom of varied experiences allows for innovative problem-solving. Consider the agile methodology in software development, where teams collaborate closely, adapting to changing requirements and iterating solutions as feedback or results change product spec.
McClane’s collaboration with Al Powell exemplifies the power of collective intelligence in adapting to unforeseen circumstances. The characters connect and collaborate through adversity. Fast Company’s Klaus Heesch highlights IDEO’s “fear and wish” methodology as an example of fostering collaborative problem solving:
It’s not necessarily just for giving or receiving feedback. It can used to initiate blue-sky thinking, get a group to establish and agree on guiding principles, or a set of problems to solve. Or all of the above.
John McClane wishes to see his kids swinging on a jungle gym with Al Jr. someday. McClane also expresses his fear to Sergeant Powell that he might not make it through the experience. Both actions not only bring the collaborators closer together by fostering trust through vulnerability, but the dialogue inspires McClane to investigate a hunch that enables him to save the hostages.
Test, learn, iterate
If it’s not a Christmas movie (it is) then maybe Die Hard is a learning movie. John McClane engages in a series of trial-and-error experiences, testing different tactics to outsmart the terrorists, such as crawling through vents, provoking them by dressing their comrades in festive attire, throwing tables out of windows, blowing up elevator shafts, and jumping across and off various parts of Nakatomi Tower. Each failure generates a valuable lesson or insight that informs his next move. This approach mirrors the concept of “test and learn” in agile methodologies.
HBR’s Jeff Gothelf argues that “Agile espouses collaboration, customer centricity, team-based culture, and continuous improvement.” McClane’s unpredictable tactics, such as chucking a table through the window to ask Al Powell loudly and clearly for help, demonstrate the importance of adaptive planning. Pulling the fire alarm, which was the original plan, wasn’t working, so as the spec changed, McClane changed the plan because he learned from the test results.
By having a clear purpose, embracing an improvisational mindset, using predictive analytics, crowdsourcing solutions, and adopting a test-and-learn approach, individuals and organizations can navigate the unpredictable and vanquish inefficiency (and/or enemies), much like when John McClane saved his wife (who is her own person), dozens of hostages, and Christmas at Nakatomi Plaza in 1988.