Earthquakes and Expectations

A brief departure from my regular blog topics on nomadic leadership - but on second though, perhaps not! While wandering the landscape of leadership, you will be sure to encounter crisis...

Any leader has to live with shifting expectations of followers, clients and stakeholders. Right now I wonder how the various leaders of the aid efforts in Haiti feel? In the initial days of the crisis, all eyes are on the crisis itself. Concern runs deep. Focus is on the people who are most affected. But then "someone" has to mobilize and deploy the resources needed to address the situation. Here is where leadership has to take the reins and the responsibility. In these kinds of situations, the decisions over how to help in a crisis are often themselves made in a context of crisis. Not all the information is at hand. Resources are not always fully in place. Yet action is needed. There is no perfect process, but the leader has to step up to the plate.

And here is where it gets interesting. Every time we watch the international response to massive disasters like this, it only takes a few days for criticism to pour in over the leadership of the effort to deploy aid. It's either not fast enough, or it's too slow, or not the right kind of help at the right time.

Funny how we all can lead so effectively from the chair in front of the TV.

Leading in a crisis is fraught with the competing expectations of multiple stakeholders in the process. What can you, in that situation, do to provide strong leadership?

Slow down

Panic generates speed. The human fight or flight response is a naturally occuring defense mechanism. It becomes our default response when we are faced with danger. It also is seen in group response to issues. Look at the world reaction to the financial crisis of Sept 2008.(This is also associated with another sociological phenomena: the 'mob mentality'). Good leaders calm their own panic by deliberately slowing down their thinking, resisting the panic-reaction. Your brain is a stage and if there are too many actors on it, internal chaos ensues. Remove some of the actors. Clear your mental space of the clutter that comes with crisis so that you can order your thoughts when others' thoughts are in disarray.

Friends of mine in another business recently shared with me that leaders have been conditioned for forward motion and for advance; to always keep the wind in our sails. The idea of slowing down and coasting is perceived as sure defeat in a competitive, forward motion world. Yet there is a time when 'coasting' is actually a good thing. In fact, all of life is based on a principle of 'oscillation' - periods of growth combined with rest. Take a walk, get away with your team, physically move away from your current environment so you can center your thoughts.

Gain clarity

Gain clarity on 2 fronts:

1. The Facts. This is not just a matter of getting the facts, but then of accepting them. It does you and your employees/followers no good to deny what is going on. The people you lead are not naive. They can see the same landscape as you. You may know more of the details, you may be able to see farther, but you are not the only one 'in the know'.

2. The Future. This may be one of the best times for you to gain clarity on your personal and corporate purpose. Why?

◦ Purpose is both an anchor and a beacon. It holds us down in a storm and it directs us to the future. So, a crisis is a gut-check time. Is your personal purpose and your corporate purpose in sufficient alignment for you to lead with integrity? Are you anchored so as not to panic yet able to see the future with hope and confidence? You will lead with more confidence and competence when this alignment is in place.

◦ Retaining the energy, focus and effort of employees/followers in uncertain times depends more than you think on their connection with the long term vision and purpose of the organization. People decide on how much of themselves they will give to their work depending on the level to which they feel they are connected to something they believe in. A Harris Interactive poll quoted by Steven Covey in his book "The 8th Habit" indicated only 37% of workers have a clear understanding of the purpose of their organization. What do you think that does to productivity and effectiveness? A disconnect like this when crisis hits only further diminishes the very energy you need from your people to make it through a tough time! They are more likely to stay with you if they know you have both an anchor and a beacon. In uncertain times clarity on purpose creates certainty, (which translates to loyalty)and hope (which leads to forward energy).

Communicate

“Communicate deeply but quickly. In times of crisis people's fears matter to an organization even more than they should during “normal” times. If everybody in an organization believes they are on a sinking boat, they will disengage - thus increasing the vulnerability and accelerating the downward spiral of the organization.”(Holger Nauheimer, 2008, The Change Management Newsletter: http://www.change-management-toolbook.com). Nauheimer also declares that truly transformational leaders will walk the talk in front of their people, demonstrating what it means to wrestle with reality, make tough decisions and communicate them wisely. Your actions will inspire them to make wise decisions too. Have regular, short meetings with different groups within your organization. Tell them what you are doing to address issues. Get feedback on how your actions to address uncertainty are working. Encourage honesty and transparency so that you can hear their opinions and ideas. This process though 'labour-intensive', will increase confidence and loyalty within your teams. You might want to consider using an external facilitator to help with communications. During times of crises or uncertainty, people tend be guided by their assumptions. It is difficult internally to challenge those perspectives. An external, strictly impartial facilitator can help to map out different assumptions and guide teams to productive outcomes.

Conclusion:

Concerning the advance of human discovery throughout history, Daniel Boorstin in his book The Discoverers concluded that “the greatest barrier to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge”. A leader's current ignorance of the strategies needed to navigate uncertainty or crisis is not the final factor determining success or failure. Believing you already know what there is to know is the greatest danger because it blocks you from the learning needed to create new solutions for new conditions.

Earthquakes will stir up a pot of competing expectations. People will always criticize your decisions. Lead anyway. The people IN THE CRISIS matter more than the people "calling the play from the couch".

Ready for Risk?

Welcome to 2010. Last year was a year of risk for me. It's a regular part of any nomadic leader's journey. You cannot keep seeking and changing without coming face to face with challenges to your (or your organizations') status quo. At that point you face RISK.

Speaking of RISK: My question for anyone for whom risk is part of the equation on their current journey, is not so much are you willing to take the risk, but are you ready? Many are willing...you hear them boldly talk about their plans & dreams. That's great. But are they READY? Readiness means you have gone beyond the talk and are now giving energy to seriously count the cost. Here's something that can help you move to the READINESS stage:

TO RISK OR NOT TO RISK?
4 Simple Questions to Help Assess Any Risk
From the book: TAKE THE RISK by Ben Carson, MD

These questions help you consider the various possibilities in a reasonable, logical manner before making an uncertain or risky decision.

1. What is the worst thing that could happen if I went ahead with this decision?



2. What is the best thing that could happen if I went ahead?



3. What’s the worst thing that could happen if I don’t go ahead with this decision?



4. What’s the best thing that could happen if I don’t go ahead?


In answering the questions, think of these additional key-words for acquiring the knowledge and wisdom necessary to make your decision:

Who? – Who would be most affected by any decision made? Revisit the 4 questions not only from your point of view, but from theirs too.

What? – What do you need to know in order to more clearly make this decision? Get informational support and people support/advice. Ultimately, however, this decision is yours to make and not dependent on others' viewpoints.

Where? – Where are you going (does this fit your goals and values)? Where are you now (your skills, abilities, knowledge, thinking, attitudes)? Where will you start (your preparation)?

When? - Often the timing of these questions affects the conclusion. Times change. So do circumstances. Does this fit into life now? What about in two years?

How? - What’s the plan for each of the scenarios? Is the ‘how’ a workable, realistic strategy?

Why? - Why is one of the most important questions to ask – what are your motives, your personal values around this risk?

If you are contemplating something new this year, I leave you with a quote that I heard many years ago (author unknown) that has served me well whenever I have a dream of changing something running through my head...

If not you, then who? If not now, then when?