Urgency in, complacency out
Then there were three. Presidential wannabes that is: Vice President Jojo Binay, Senator Grace Poe and Secretary Mar Roxas. The question that comes to mind when you think of the 2016 presidential contest is what pressing national problems will these contenders put in their respective campaign platforms and how urgently will they act on them? Knowing the various problems that confront the country, the kind of leader the Philippines should put in the highest office is somebody that has a sense of urgency, one who acts with an understanding that competence is critical to success in governance.
In business, a sense of urgency refers to the capability of leaders to formulate decisions and steer actions in the organization to face vital windows of opportunity in the industry. A new company, for example, often has a limited time to generate clients and to drive revenue to allow the entrepreneur to get back part of his initial investment.
Sense of urgency is synonymous with the expression, “All hands and the cook,” a state of crisis, which, because of its inevitability, turns a difficult and demanding situation into everyone’s number-one concern. This early American cowboy axiom depicted the shaky conditions in which the flocks were wild and all persons on hand were required to contain the state of affairs. Under ordinary circumstances, cowboys looked after their droves and cooks gave them food to eat; however, a tragedy necessitates that everyone helps, provisionally disregarding disparity of titles and tasks. Other synonyms include “sands are running out,” “when push comes to shove,” and “when the chips are down.”
• A sense of urgency is living in the moment. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t think about the future. The important thing, however, is that you don’t get fixated over your future, but instead stay in the here and now in order to address the burning issues of the day.
• Urgency also demands a down-to-business and disciplined approach to your themes and schemes. This means you are relentlessly thinking a few steps ahead to determine what needs to get done, concentrating on priority projects that impact the lives of the majority. And to get your activities finished you need optimism and mental toughness. Optimism will make you stay motivated when things get hard, and mental toughness will assist you in wading through tough terrain.
• A “sense of urgency” will predictably improve people’s levels of efficiency. It pushes them to think and work faster than usual. Compelled thinking will kindle creativity and inspire you to think outside the box, and lead you to higher levels of innovation as you look for superior and speedier ways to do things in order to beat your deadlines.
A Sense of Urgency authored by John P. Kotter — emeritus at Harvard Business School — highlights the difficulty and importance of crisis mode. Bringing into play powerful narratives, the book shares a characteristic look at the kind of urgency that is desirable in every company or government and clarifies the significant distinction between authentic urgency, and the worried shakeup that sometimes passes for urgency. The stories involve adversaries from different age groups. Their collapses are cautions, and their achievements are educational and stirring. Here are key takeaways from Kotter — the world’s foremost authority on leadership and change:
• True urgency is driven not by fear or anxiety but by a deep determination to win. Kotter declares, “It is often believed that people cannot maintain a high sense of urgency over a prolonged period of time, without burnout.” Yet, true urgency doesn’t turn out hazardous intensities of stress — to a certain extent — since it inspires people to persistently seek ways to free themselves of responsibilities that affix little value to their organizations but block their schedules and delay desired action. A bogus feel of urgency is all-encompassing and sinister because people confuse activity for productivity.
• Complacency is being content with the status quo. In a fast-changing world this can be catastrophic. People can be smug in the face of danger when they feel nothing is required in their own behaviors; it is someone else’s problem. False urgency is built on fear and anger. It may drive one to active behavior that is chiefly self-protective or simply for show.
• Intellectual commitment is not enough. Aiming for the heart increases true urgency. You have to have “a compulsive determination to move, and win, now.” It is a go-getting willpower to shove past the impediments. Heart comes first. Kotter proclaims, “The challenge is to fold a rational case directed toward the mind into an experience that is very much aimed at the heart.” Leaders who are successful in creating urgency utilize four behaviors. They create emotionally compelling experiences, model urgency in their behavior on an ongoing basis, look for the possibilities in the crises, and confront the naysayers effectively.
• Urgency grows when those on the inside observe what is happening on the outside. Kotter lists seven methods to close the gap: Listen to employees who interface with customers; videotape and show things outside that insiders need to see; give out troubling information; decorate with signals for “excitement, caution, speed, and change”; send out scouts; bring outsiders in — experts, consultants, customers — to present and report; and bring in external data appropriately.
• When one is on a “burning platform,” the crisis causes one to move, seeking opportunities. Control systems are important but don’t let damage control eradicate an opportunity to drum up needed action. A crisis can be used to build urgency, and to position an organization for the future. Anxiety and rage can destroy hope. The heart needs hope in order to act with excitement, confidence, hopefulness and resolve. If natural events do not create a crisis, you must. But be wise. A “constructive” crisis creates a situation that cannot be resolved by incremental change. However, it must be associated with real business problems, not be a ploy.
• Naysayers are highly skilled urgency killers. They can be forceful obstructions to progress. They are not true skeptics who serve a good purpose by restricting immature passion and can be swayed by evidence. They will shame you and spoil the process. They persist in questioning the information and demand more proof. They disrupt useful conversation and cause delay and frustration. You can’t ignore them. You can’t co-opt them. You must distract them, push them out of the organization, or expose their behaviors in a socially acceptable way so that social pressure will shut them down.
• To keep you moving, in many situations it’s going to be essential to have an external problem. If you are just going to beat up on people and say you have to do better, it doesn’t work. Kotter avers, “There has to be something real that you can see outside that leads you to say, ‘I haven’t made myself into the organization. I should be. I need to do more. I need to try harder. I’m willing to try harder.’”
• The ultimate solution to the problem of urgency dropping after successes is to create the right culture. With a culture of urgency, people deeply value the capacity to grab new opportunities, avoid new hazards, and continually find ways to win. Kotter underscores, “Behaviors that are the norm include being constantly alert, focusing externally, moving fast, stopping low-value-added activities that absorb time and effort, relentlessly pushing for change when it is needed, and providing the leadership to produce smart change no matter where you are in the hierarchy.”
There is more to life than increasing its speed. Agreed, but leaders of government and private enterprises need a true sense of urgency to move services to people fast. It can win people’s support and votes and consumers’ buy-in and loyalty. Kotter reminds, “A higher dose of it does not imply ever-present panic, anxiety or fear. It means a state in which complacency is absent.”
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