The Sense of Urgency Trap
Slowing down to speed up.
Throughout my career, I’ve heard countless leaders talk about a “sense of urgency”. This entirely subjective measure of performance appears on reviews and in feedback where someone apparently isn’t doing something with enough excitement or energy.
How does one properly demonstrate a sense of urgency?
Too often, the expectation does not align with the intent.
From what I can tell, the key to excellence is to do the right thing, the right way, at the right time. Whether or not one runs about like the house is on fire seems to be irrelevant. Yet, for some reason, if a person is taking a measured or mindful approach to a problem and isn’t acting as if the world is ending, we decide they must not appreciate the level of importance or risk the problem carries.
In my observation, some of the worst decisions come when someone, for fear of being branded with a lack of urgency, frantically rallies the troops for a command performance to show just how important this issue is and to prove they can solve it lickety-split with their hair on fire.
Later, while others quietly step in to do damage control behind the hurried and mostly unnecessary actions, the perpetrator is receiving praise for being on the ball and putting out the fire, (which is still burning but now somewhere that is apparently less urgent).
When leaders show this kind of reaction to issues it spreads uncertainty and anxiety to the team so that they are also more prone to rush to hasty conclusions and make rash decisions. Rather than building confidence, the team becomes more on edge and fearful of making mistakes. They lose trust in the leader.
List of desired traits for an emergency services provider:
Mature attitude.
Ability to weigh up situations and take appropriate action.
Confidence yet calm at the same time.
Able to diffuse and control a problematical situation.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
(source Monster.com/UK)
No doubt it is not acceptable to take a careless attitude towards a problem or move at a snail's pace but where I have seen this behavioral trait misapplied, that is not the case. All that was lacking was the appropriate level of visible panic or reaction that others must somehow believe equals level of commitment or competence.
It is entirely possible to work with an appropriate level of priority and focus while not turning purple or otherwise acting as though the world is ending. There is a right way to think about a sense of urgency, and it doesn’t involve these often ineffective behaviors and actions.
The focus should be on understanding, assessment, and action, not emotion. An individual who clearly and calmly communicates that they recognize what is at stake, starts taking the right steps to diagnose the problem and follows with appropriate and timely action, once the right action is understood, is more likely to achieve the right outcome.
Some may do this with less emotion and demonstrative words or gestures than others. And that shouldn’t be a problem. Teams appreciate a leader who remains calm under fire, thinks clearly and acts decisively. In response, they are more likely to take on these qualities themselves and carry out the necessary actions without the baggage of panic or fear or reprisal.
On the other side of the coin, leaders might want to be less quick to judge the team member who accepts the difficult news calmly and thoughtfully and seeks information and understanding before taking action. They may even move slowly at first, wanting to be certain of the action they are taking. This doesn’t mean they don’t get the urgency of the situation, they simply want to get it right. Often their patience will end up saving time that might have been wasted by a hurried mistake.
The moral of the story is to apply a sense of urgency wisely. Sometimes, the best option is to slow down to speed up. Not everyone demonstrates urgency in the same way. Learn to appreciate the thoughtful, quiet and level-headed people in your organization that create space for the best possible response without all the unnecessary thrashing about.
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