LEADERSHIP UNPLUGGED--AVOIDING FIREFIGHTING AND INCREASING AGENCY EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH EFFECTIVE CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Presented by:

Peggy Morrow

Peggy Morrow & Associates

281-2890-8190

Firefighter = someone who does not know how to anticipate, does not see the big picture of their job of leadership, and lives from moment to moment, crisis to crisis. They continually have small and large problems erupting around them and race around madly trying to solve them.

Organizations that are working to help people in crisis situations often tend toward crisis management themselves. They can develop a culture of crisis.

Crises can pop up from just about anywhere, involve just about anyone, and come in many different shapes.The consequences are always very similar—stressful and a big waste of time. A crisis will take you away from your best-laid plans and priorities for the day.

But by anticipating crises and taking steps to prevent themwhen you can, you can reduce by half the time now spent reacting to them and spend that saved time on more important things.

The way you handle crises affects your staff, volunteers and board. Brain studies have shown that the brain is peppered with neurons that mimic or mirror what another being does. When we consciously or unconsciously detect someone else’s emotions through their actions, our mirror neutrons reproduce those emotions. They create an instant sense of shared experience.

What this shows is that leader’s emotions and actions prompt their followers to mirror those feelings and deeds. You can inadvertently create a climate and a culture of crises simply by what you do.

As Executive Directors, you must ensure that staff is not replicating the crisis of the clients they serve. Staff will often mirror the problems of the people they serve. (“Vicarious tramatization”) Developing awareness of, quickly addressing the possibility of this happening, and dealing with it through coaching individuals or other actions is an important part of your leadership.

Crisis management = dealing with a crisis after it occurs.

The word crisis comes from the Greek word krisis meaning “decision.” You are pressed in a moment todecide a course of action. In order to effectively avoid managing by crises, there are only three choices.

"Where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to chance, chaos soon reigns."

Victor Hugo

THREE CRITICAL STEPS TO CRISES MANAGEMENT

1. Anticipate

  • Disasters and other unavoidable crises

What could we do to prepare in case it happens?

  • Contingency planning

“What can go wrong?

“What else can go wrong?”

2. Prevent

  • Draw on past experience.

“How did it happen?”

“What was the cause?”

“How was it resolved?”

“What could I have done to prevent it?

3. Limit in time or scope

  • Give yourself time to catch a minor problem before it becomes a major problem
  • Remember Murphy’s law

1. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

2. Everything takes longer than you think.

3. If anything can go wrong, it will.

So be sure to give yourself time to catch a minor problem before it becomes a major problem. Set interim deadlines on large projects, follow up dates,

OTHER CAUSES OF CRISES INCLUDE:

1. Lack of sound planning.

2. Failure to monitor progress in time to take corrective action.

3. Failure to anticipate problems.

4. Doing things we like while putting off unpleasant tasks.

5. Constant switching of priorities.

6. Information blockages.

7. Inaccurate data.

8. Mechanical breakdowns.

9. Human error.

10. Thinking you work better under the pressure of a deadline.

11. People! Volunteers, staff and board members

12. Lack of communication.

Effective and frequent communication is one of the ways to prevent crises from happening in the first place. Write the three communication techniques and avenues you feel are most successful in communicating with your team.

Staff?

1. ______

2.______

3.______

Volunteers?

1. ______

2.______

3.______

Board members?

1. ______

2.______

3.______

EXERCISE:

List three of your typical recurring crises situations:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Using the list of crises you made above, list what you could do to anticipate, limit or prevent them.

______

______

______

______

But allow time in your day for crisesand fires! You can never totally do away with them!

CRISIS LOG

Date / Description of Crisis / Time used

Which of these could be:

  • Prevented
  • Anticipated
  • Limited in time or scope

How?

1