The Chernobyl Series Shows Us What Not To Do In Our Business
Chernobyl is an HBO series that tells the true story of the explosion followed by a fire at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant located in Ukraine.
It happened in 1986 and even decimated dozens of people at the time.
Despite the variations between what actually happened and what is presented, the program was the highest rated of all time, scoring 9.6 according to the IMDB website based on the opinion of 211,000 users.
And it is a good choice for those who like a great drama or even for those who want to know better this sad story that marked the world.
But the interesting thing is to transport you to the business world and understand how a lack of care can simply end a business.
To learn more about Chernobyl, read this text and enjoy the information!
About Chernobyl
The Chernobyl drama series takes place in Ukraine in 1986 and tells the true story of an explosion followed by a fire that took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, a tragedy that decimated dozens of people at the time.
This was even the biggest nuclear disaster in history.
In the program, while the world regrets what happened, some experts try to find out the causes of the crash.
Among them are scientist Valery Legasov (played by Jared Harris, who also starred in The Terror and The Crown), physics Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson, who did Everest and Theory of Everything) and the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers. Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård, by Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Cinderella).
To give you an idea of the scale of the disaster, the Soviet Union government was forced to evacuate 116,000 people in a hurry.
In addition, upon detecting radioactivity, an international alarm was triggered in at least 13 countries in central and eastern Europe.
For the decontamination, containment and mitigation work, about 600,000 people had to work in the regions near the accident site.
Finally, a 30-kilometer radius around the plant had to be isolated, a situation that remains in force today.
Well, but let’s talk about the HBO plot?
She has 5 episodes and starts with scientist Legasov finishing recording tapes telling the truth about the disaster two years later.
But what is interesting is that this tragedy was not a fatality, but a great neglect of Anatoli Dátlov, the plant’s deputy chief engineer and supervisor of the experiment.
Due to his responsibility in the disaster, he was sentenced to 10 years of forced labor, but served only four.
Chernobyl-inspired, know what not to do in your business
The Chernobyl series clearly shows us a sequence of errors that not only culminated in the tragedy, but affected several people after it happened.
Here’s how to bring this to business and understand what you should never do!
1 — Know the risks and avoid them as much as possible
In 1986, the №4 nuclear reactor exploded during safety tests, burning the radioactive material fuel for 10 days.
This released toxic clouds that hit and contaminated about three quarters of the European continent.
Do you think those in charge of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant could be at risk, however small, for this explosion to happen?
Never!
Obviously, whatever the risk of your business, the consequences will never be so catastrophic as to kill dozens of people.
Still, it is important that you are clear about these risks and know exactly how to prevent them from occurring.
Remember that people depend on your judgment and maturity.
2 — Whatever the problem, solve it quickly
Due to the Cold War, the Soviet Union did not immediately inform the press about the disaster.
So it took the authorities more than 24 hours to order the evacuation of the 48,000 inhabitants of Pripyat, a town located three kilometers from the plant.
The first statement in the media was given by the Swedish government, which was more than a thousand kilometers away. The country warned Western media about increased radiation 48 hours after the accident.
The Soviet government even contested the publication, which pointed to radiation levels 90 times higher than in the bombing of Hiroshima 41 years earlier.
Even on local TV, images of the plant in perfect condition were reproduced.
Only on May 14 did the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, go public about the tragedy.
This policy of isolation, however, delayed the resolution of the situation and harmed many more people.
After that fact the Soviet government installed Glasnost, its democratization, freedom and transparency policy focused on the relationship with the media and abroad.
Together with Perestroika, the policy of economic restructuring, Glasnost made room for the end of the Cold War and, consequently, the Soviet Union in 1991.
Why did I tell this whole story?
Just to say that you need to solve your business problems even if it affects you.
You may need to resign or sell a portion of the business.
Of course, any of these situations will affect employees or partners.
But once you have decided to have a business it is essential that you are ready and mature to handle adversity, no matter how turbulent it may be.
And that should mess with your emotional and other people’s.
However, it is important that you face and solve.
Depending on the context, this may be the only way to give your business another chance.
Chernobyl has a lot to show about the importance of avoiding risks in our business (or eliminating them altogether) and acting mature in the face of problems, tackling adversity and resolving situations quickly.
