Sir Peter de la Billiere (who looks hauntingly like my Dad – I’ve unfortunately got the Ramsden genes, both in physical appearance and character) was Commanding Officer of Britain’s Special Air Service.

In “Looking for trouble“, an autobiography that should be read by anyone with responsibility for managing people, military or otherwise, he describes an SAS maxim to be applied

“….in any time of crisis – when a man is wounded, for instance and the natural impulse is to rush off and take immediate action – the best course is to sit down for a few minutes and think before reacting, as such a pause for reflective planning may save hours later“

I recalled this while reading “The German problem” a post on Paul Krugman’s blog in the New York Times

He writes

“At a time when expansionary policies are desperately needed, the leaders of Europe’s largest economy seem to have their heads in the sand“

By the comments to the post, I don’t appear to be alone in believing that – after a decade of managing productivity improvement, displaying fiscal responsibility, pushing for stronger regulation of hedge funds and warning the rest of the world against financial gluttony – Angela Merkel is doing just that

Pause

Assess

Act