Achilles heel - idiom, indicating weakness, vulnerability of any company or person.This may be a personality trait, a feature that makes life, or imperfections in the organization of business - all that, anyway, it is a hidden defect that can occur suddenly and confused all the cards.
talk about how there was an expression of what its original meaning.
myth of Achilles
phrase "Achilles' heel" originates in the myth poslegomerovskoy era, the Roman poet Huygens transmitted.It deals with the fate of a great hero called Achilles, who was invulnerable to enemy arrows and swords.The secret of his magic protection lies in the fact that when he was a child, his mother, Thetis, the sea goddess, dipped it in the water of the river Styx.She wanted to make her son immortal, and equal to the gods.However, protection was not complete.While bathing in the eternal river of Achilles, his mother held him by the heel, which has remained dry.It's the weak spot was hidden hero.
During the siege of Troy, Achilles fought for ten.It is not surprising, because the weapons could not cause him any harm.The Trojans were on the verge of defeat.But there they stood for Apollo, angered audacity of a mere mortal.He sent an arrow shot by Paris, just in the heel of Achilles, the hero was defeated.
Since Achilles heel is invisible and seemingly minor feature that can present a threat to any business.
way, Achilles tendon, named after the hero of Greek myth, capable of withstanding a load of 400 kg or more, and is one of the most vulnerable places of the human body.
Achilles heel of the modern enterprise
consider in more detail the concept of latent vulnerabilities on the example of modern enterprises.
Any company is a complex system, which means that somewhere rooted flaws inaccessible superficial glance.
Achilles heel of the company - is a weak point from which can begin the destruction of the entire enterprise.
When an ordinary employee is not paying enough attention to his official duties, he does not know what his carelessness can destroy the whole carefully constructed structure if his actions affect the most painful point.
To avoid such risks, the majority of major Western and Russian companies pay much attention to the creation of a corporate culture that promotes discipline and motivation.
Any owner of a successful large company need to understand where this point.If he is unable to strengthen the place, then at least it should be given particular attention.
Every industry has its weakest link.For example, it is assumed that the main threat to aviation safety is the human factor, that is unreliable and unpredictable people, on which the management of complex machines.
Sometimes this defect may be insignificant event that the chain can lead to total collapse.The outcome is almost impossible to predict, the only way to control such accidents is the introduction of preventive measures.For example, the establishment of corporate ethics, rules of conduct in different situations and so on.
Achilles heel - a myth, familiar to many from his childhood, warns of the dangers posed by excessive complacency and overconfidence.Any accident, uncertainty in the agreements could be a weak point and turn the threat of life of the enterprise.
Murphy's Law states: "If the trouble can happen, it will happen."So, you can not give this trouble any chance, you have to be extremely vigilant.
