The Walking Dead

It seems that everybody loves a good zombie apocalypse.

The Walking Dead has become the highest rated cable series ever. And for good reason. The thought of free gas, unlimited travel and zombie target shooting is appealing to many.

And regardless of how you feel about Rick and company’s impending doom, there is one thing that is pretty clear – they weren’t exactly prepared.

That being said, they haven’t exactly screwed everything up, either.

Let’s take a critical look at the team’s security strengths and weaknesses, zombie-style:

Strengths:

1. Leadership – Although at times challenged by Shane, Merle, his wife, zombies and the occasional deer, Rick quickly established himself as the Incident Response Lead, and a reasonably effective one. Nevermind that he had to kill his best friend to get there.
2. Escape and Evasion – You can’t argue with success. Even the elderly, ladies and children have made it through hordes of feasting undead. And zombie meatsuits? Brilliant.
3. Conservation – I’ve never seen a group of newbies shoot with such deadly accuracy. Ammo may be free in the post-zombie-apocalyptic world, but why take two shots if you can get the job done in one? High ratings here.

Weaknesses:

1. Tactics – How many times is Rick going to wander off by himself in the middle of the night in a heavily zombie-occupied zone searching for someone who likely died two episodes ago? Isn’t this guy a trained Sheriff?
2. Communication – Seriously, Rick, next time you’re in town grab a walkie-talkie or something. Or a flare. Anything. Must you all wander about wondering what everyone else is up to?
3. Planning – Oh and while you’re at, grab a pencil. And WRITE SOMETHING DOWN. Like where the exit is. Or where you found the beans last time. Or maybe come up with a plan. Like what you’re going to do for the next 40 years.

I have to admit I’m a huge fan of the show, and I have been since it debuted in 2010. I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little jealous – living out a zombie-apocalypse is sort of a fantasy of mine. I often wonder how I would fare. Baked beans and all.

The real lesson here is that we can’t exactly plan for everything. Preparation is important, but adaptation is critical. The ability to survive – in business or otherwise – depends on our ability to recognize our threats, weaknesses and the most effective ways to counteract them.

Bullets and beans don’t equal survival. You need people who know how to use them. And a plan.

One way or another, we’re all going to end up a Rick or a zombie.

The choice is yours.