Sometimes it's necessary to take steps to ensure that your organization avoids a crisis, creating an efficient organization in the process.
Although we may feel a sense of satisfaction when reacting to crises and appearing like a hero, it is not ultimately beneficial to an organization. Rather than needing leaders to come in and save the day from a difficult situation, it is best to prevent these crises from happening in the first place. This requires hard work and dedication but is much more beneficial to everyone than having to be the hero in a crisis.
In recent years, fires have become increasingly common around the world. This morning I heard a radio message cautioning people to abide by local and federal regulations regarding backyard fires, burn barrels, and any other open flame used outdoors.
The National Fire Protection Association lays out what homeowners can do to reduce the risk of damage due to wildfires in an official publication widely available. The vast majority is clearing away debris and looking at your home with a critical eye to find the different ways an errant ember could catch fire in/on/around your home.
Organizations need to invest their time and energy in uncovering the root of their issues and working together to find sustainable, comprehensive solutions. This process may not be as exciting as the adrenaline-filled 'fire-fighting' solutions, but the benefits it provides are invaluable and long-lasting.
The gains from taking a proactive approach to organizational maintenance are tremendous. Think about the amount of productivity that could be lost due to an emergency situation, plus the time spent away from other tasks by the necessary administrators and the time it takes to get back on track. The number of work hours lost in these scenarios is immense, and the potential loss of social capital if the crisis is not efficiently resolved or if the same issue keeps recurring is even greater.
Decision-makers often believe that they do not have time to focus on proactive measures and, instead, must remedy the current crisis; unfortunately, this often leads to new problems arising.
The solution is to solve the underlying problem, not to focus on the symptom.
This is where consulting comes in. Finding a reputable consultant can be invaluable in helping organizational leaders create strategies and systems to prevent crises from happening in the first place. A good consultant will assess the organization's current processes and create a plan for how to combat the issues that can lead to crises. They will also provide recommendations for how to improve the current procedures and how to ensure future compliance. Consulting can provide invaluable insight into how to prevent potential problems from happening and how to quickly and effectively respond to them if they do.
By investing in proactive solutions and consulting, organizations can create a more efficient and effective work environment that is able to avoid unnecessary issues while still being prepared to respond quickly to any crises that do occur.
Here are some things you can do to help prevent some common fires in your organization
1. Ensure employee expectations are clear and documented. - A common complaint among workers in the US is that the expectations of the supervisors are not clear and they are often evaluated on tasks they did not realize they were responsible for. Establishing clear expectations puts all parties at ease, knowing what is expected of them and what others are expecting to be evaluated on.
2. Create a cycle of open and honest two-way evaluation with a focus on stopping or preventing job scope creep. - A quick way for employees to feel unvalued or underutilized is for them to be asked to perform duties that are not their job for long periods of time. A regular and agreed-upon evaluation cycle that emphasizes both parties speaking their truth can help make sure that doesn't happen.
3. Maintain a clear understanding of all stakeholder's value structures and motivations. - Often projects will fail, or buy-in will be abysmal when the initiative's inherent values fail to line up with staff or any stakeholders. Using tools such as ValueMatch as an intervention resource for management will help increase the adoption of any project. It also gives a much clearer context for dealing with behavior management issues.
4. Eliminate performative projects - We have heard report after report from doctors and health care professionals that mental health is a primary concern not only for productivity but for ensuring our workplaces are safe places for all individuals. While some training and certifications for management are helpful, it is far more important that these techniques, methods, and programs be effectively implemented for all stakeholders.
5. Developing Relational Awareness - As the younger generations take up more space in the workforce we are seeing that relational authenticity is key to engagement. So many young employees are loyal to individuals, not organizations. If they find a leader or group of colleagues that they believe in and they feel believe in them they will follow that relationship wherever it leads.
6. Move Towards Maximizing Impact - We are currently watching a tear in culture as one side doubles down on maximizing profit while the other side is moving to maximize impact. The illusion of perpetual growth has faded and we are moving to a focus on sustainability and a net positive impact on our communities, ecology, and staff.
7. Recognize the Force of Passive Leadership - People become like their leaders. It’s not intentional on either side it simply happens. Leaders need to recognize that their approach to work and their value structure are going to have an incredible amount of influence on their organization. To use a cliched quote “Be the change you want to see…”
The solution is to solve the problem, not to focus on the symptom.
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