World War Z is the popular novel and now movie about zombies attacking around the world. Despite being written by Max Brooks, the son of Mel Brooks, the story presents a dark vision of the future with mankind struggling to overcome the seemingly overpowering zombies.

So, what has a movie about zombies got to do with bankers? No, this is not an opportunity for cheap jokes about zombie banks. Rather, having read a recent profile of the writer in the New York Times and having just seen the movie, three observations relevant to banks came to my mind.

Gap between initial plan and execution.

My teenage sons, who have read the book, tell me that the movie diverges in many ways from the novel. The author himself confirms this and has expressed his disappointment in the interpretation, refusing to let Brad Pitt’s picture appear on the paperback version of the book. In effect, for better or worse, the author lost control of the screenplay.

Within banks, too often management loses control of the plans it has agreed to. Strategic and business plans, developed in a rigorous manner and with significant effort, never become day-to-day realities as the practical difficulties of execution erode the structure of the theoretical plans. In Brooks’s case, he gave up creative control when he sold his story. Bank management retains the power and responsibility to get things done as planned (obviously with some adjustment for internal issues and market realities). However, middle management and other staff often face proposed changes with the attitude that “this too shall pass.” Many have lived through prior initiatives that ultimately went nowhere. For example, how many banks are now yet again reviving or changing their small business efforts even though they have previously committed themselves to this segment?

Too much reliance on technology.

Of course, as with too many summer movies, World War Z relies extensively on the latest CGI and other technology in order to portray the terror and otherworldliness of zombies. But, for no apparent reason (other than greed and to keep with the current trend in cinema) the movie was filmed in 3D.

Recently, I wrote an article about issues related to banking the middle market, these days a particularly attractive segment. Immediately, a vendor who offered a system to aid the relationship manager approached us. Frequently, banks will buy a system rather than deal with the more fundamental issues, for example, job definition, support structure, compensation, metrics, organizational reporting lines, and many more. In films 3D has become an already shopworn technology meant to differentiate a film Instead it is often an expensive (for the film maker and the audience) distraction that adds little. (Rather than focusing on character development or plot, filmmakers decide to blow up New York City yet again). So too with technology that is introduced before bank management makes the decisions necessary to best leverage its use. Applying technology works only after management determines the structure and strategy it will support.

The tenth man.

The film shows zombies overwhelming country after country… except one. Initially, Israel manages to avoid the zombie invasion by shutting down its borders early on and carefully screening anyone trying to enter. The Brad Pitt character goes to Israel to determine what information it possessed that resulted in Israel anticipating the threat. He learns that the government had instituted a “tenth man” policy. Basically, if a group agrees totally on a critical issue (for example, in this case zombies do not exist so a zombie invasion is impossible), they select one person to be the outsider, the tenth man who deliberately takes the opposite position.

Banks need a tenth man or woman, someone whom management encourages, even insists, pushes against commonly held views. Typically, all organizations, hardly just banks, want everyone to “sing from the same hymnbook.” Those who push against the accepted wisdom are often ostracized rather than prized for the alternative perspectives they bring. During the last economic run-up, how many banks encouraged an insider to challenge the common wisdom about real estate? Too many banks followed a lemming-like path rather than challenge basic beliefs.

Current areas for a tenth man’s focus today may include: expected changes in future interest rates, regulatory issues, nonbank competitive inroads, or the impact of generational demographic changes. Management needs to determine the key external and internal events that go against its expectations and that could blow up the bank.

You know the cliché (but also largely accurate view) that generals always fight the last war. Similarly, bankers prepare for the last crisis, often after it is over and before the next crisis is decipherable. Insisting that someone at the management table thinks outside the box and presents a case for an unanticipated and asynchronous event should be a standard operating procedure. Banks need a “tenth man”; senior management should insist on instituting and nurturing this role.