Unobvious Opportunities
The fact that all three windows of overt opportunities are tightly closed does not mean that Mission cannot be accomplished. It means only that overt opportunities do not work. Also, it means that we should look for unobvious opportunities to accomplish the Mission.
Model shows us four unobvious opportunities:
-
Comply with Requirement to keep IMF activities secret despite of Kittridge’s suspicion that Ethan Hunt is the mole.
-
Comply Requirement to avoid losses in IMF team in a way different than Ethan Hunt’s revealing of the mole.
-
Comply with Requirement to avoid losses in IMF team despite of presence of mole inside the IMF.
-
Prevent Golitsyn from stealing a NOC list in a way different than carrying out the IMF team operation.
Windows of opportunities here is determined only by availability of means and methods needed for realization.
The sequence of these opportunities is determined by simplicity of their implementation.
Let’s see how to realize each opportunity, how their realization guarantees accomplishment of Mission, and why every next opportunity is usually more difficult to implement.
Opportunity I
The first unobvious Opportunity to accomplish the Mission could be formulated as follows:
Comply with Requirement to keep IMF activities secret despite of Kittridge’s suspicion that Ethan Hunt is the mole.
This Opportunity comprises two Events and Link “hinders” between them:
Fig. 10. Opportunity I: Break the Link “hinders”
In order to realize this Opportunity, we need to break the Link “hinders.” Exactly like we did in Chapter I. If we find a way to break this Link, we render compliance with Requirement ‘IMF activities remain secret’ independent on the Obstacle ‘Kittridge suspects that Ethan Hunt is the mole.’
In order to break this Link, we need to develop the chain of Events that comprise this Link. Then, we need to find the ways to prevent each of these Events.
What Events comprise the Link “hinders” in this Opportunity? Let’s first tell the story: how Kittridge’s suspicion affects keeping IMF activities secret.
Kittridge has sufficient reason to believe that Ethan Hunt is the mole: it looks like Ethan is the only survivor of operation failure. In order to protect further IMF activities from declassification and failures, Kittridge should prevent the flow of information to the mole. Hence, the mole should be blocked from information. However, if mole remains at large, he can find various opportunities to find out this information. Moreover, these opportunities are unknown to Kittridge, so he cannot counteract them. So, the only way to stop mole’s work is to take him into custody as soon as possible. This is the policy of any intelligence service, including CIA: suspect mole should be taken into custody as soon as possible, period. For this purpose, Kittridge sets up the meeting with Hunt in café, and prepares everything to capture him. Ethan Hunt faced with allegations of treason should surrender and follow the Kittridge’s orders. Hunt trusts Kittridge and comes to café.
On the other hand, Ethan Hunt knows that he is not a mole. He needs freedom to find and capture the real mole, and thus restore secrecy of IMF activities. If he is taken into custody, the interrogation begins. Such interrogation takes long. Even if Hunt manages to prove that he is not the mole, that he was set up by real mole, it might be too late to start searching for this mole.
This is why following the suspicion that Ethan Hunt is the mole hinders the secrecy of further activities of IMF.
Let’s select the Domains from this story. As you remember, Domains are the Events the experts are responsible for. Other Events in this story represent the Seams. Here is the list of Domains:
-
Kittridge suspects that Ethan Hunt is the mole
-
It is Kittridge’s job to reveal the potential moles, and he is doing this job as good as he can.
-
-
Take the suspect into custody
-
It is the job for Kittridge’s team. The procedure was designed in the intelligence services, and operation was planned by Kittridge.
-
-
Bring the suspect to the place where the operation will happen
-
This is the important step in the Kittridge’s team operation.
-
-
Interrogate the suspect
-
This is another procedure of “internal security.”
-
-
Capture the real mole
-
This is quite difficult, but IMF team members are training to perform this job.
-
-
Keep IMF activities secret
-
This is a complicated activity designed within any intelligence service. This is one of key rules of intelligence services: all their activities should be kept secret.
-
Then, we can take the remaining Events and find the ways to prevent them.
-
Ethan is the only survivor
-
Hunt is not the only survivor
-
-
Kittridge prevents the flow of information to the mole
-
Kittridge cannot prevent the flow of information to the mole
-
-
Mole suspect is blocked from information
-
Hunt is not blocked from information
-
-
Mole remains at large
-
Mole is captured
-
-
Mole finds various opportunities to find out necessary information
-
Mole cannot find out necessary information
-
-
Opportunities to find out important information are unknown to Kittridge
-
Kittridge knows all information channels available to the mole
-
-
Kittridge cannot counteract the mole
-
Kittridge can counteract the mole
-
-
Kittridge sets up the meeting with Hunt in café
-
Kittridge does not set up the meeting with Hunt
-
-
Hunt trusts Kittridge
-
Hunt does not trust Kittridge
-
-
Kittridge prepares everything to capture Ethan Hunt
-
Kittridge does not prepare everything necessary to capture Hunt
-
-
Ethan Hunt faces the allegations of treason
-
Hunt does not face allegations of treason
-
-
Ethan Hunt surrenders
-
Hunt does not surrender
-
-
Ethan Hunt follows the Kittridge’s orders
-
Hund does not follow the Kittridge’s orders
-
-
Ethan Hunt knows that he is not a mole
-
Hunt does not know who is a mole
-
-
Ethan Hunt needs freedom
-
Hunt is taken into custody
-
-
Ethan Hunt finds the real mole
-
Hunt cannot find the real mole
-
-
Ethan Hunt captures the real mole
-
Hunt cannot capture the real mole
-
-
Interrogation takes long
-
Interrogation does not happen
-
-
Hunt manages to prove that he is not the mole
-
Hunt does not need to prove that he is not the mole
-
-
Hunt was set up by real mole
-
Hunt cannot be set up
-
-
It is too late to start searching for real mole
-
Start searching for real mole immediately
-
If we combine the suggestions ## 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 21, we get the main concept of the rest of movie:
Ethan Hunt begins mistrusting Kittridge during their meeting is café. Hunt sees the faces of people he saw at the Embassy and understands that they are Kittridge’s team. He does not accept the allegations in treason and decides not to follow the Kittridge’s orders. So, Hunt does not surrender and manages to escape. Kittridge has not foreseen all possible ways Hunt could use to escape and could not prepare everything necessary to capture Hunt.
Hunt remains at large and starts searching for real mole immediately. Kittridge cannot prevent the flow of information to Hunt. So, Hunt is not blocked from information. He finds out the real situation and understands that he was set up.
Later, Hunt finds out that he is not the only survivor, and starts suspecting the other survivors, Claire and Jim Phelps. Finally, he finds out who was the mole, and captures him. So, interrogation does not happen, and Hunt does not need to prove that he is not the mole.
Other combined solutions are possible, as well.
Now, we need to find out how realization of Opportunity I provides for accomplishment of Mission.
As you could see in Fig. 10, if Link “hinders” between Obstacle “Kittridge suspects that Ethan Hunt is the mole” and Requirement “IMF activities remain secret” is broken, nothing else could hinder the compliance with affected Requirement. It means that the Corrective Action “Ethan Hunt reveals the mole” can be used to correct another Requirement, “IMF team suffers no losses.” This correction blocks harmful influence of Circumstance Beyond Control “Mole inside the IMF” on compliance of Activity “Carrying out the IMF team operation” with Requirement “IMF team suffers no losses.” As a result, the Activity “Carrying out the IMF team operation” accomplishes Achievement of Goal “Prevent Golitsyn from stealing a NOC list.” Mission is accomplished: Goal is achieved in the way that complies with all Requirements.
Fig. 11. Why Opportunity I accomplishes the Mission
So, if we manage to break the Link “hinders” between Obstacle and Requirement, we can guarantee accomplishment of Mission.
CHAPTER III | "Mission: Impossible": How to Successfully Accomplish It | Opportunity II
