It’s been a year full of surprises. The global financial crisis is the first one that comes to mind; your bill at the end of a quick trip through the grocery store is another. With a few exceptions – like finding a wadded up 20-dollar bill in your pants pocket or getting an unexpected tax rebate – we’ve become accustomed to surprises that are mostly bad in nature. Not only does this sap our energy, but it also eats away at one of our best characteristics as a nation: optimism. I say it’s time to fight back by once again turning seemingly insurmountable odds to our favor. As I see it, the easiest way to do this is to take charge by getting out of reactive mode and moving to proactive mode.
These days, it’s easy to see the negative results of living in reactive mode in our personal lives. Those who neglected to plan ahead may be scrambling to pay mortgages or whittle down credit card debt. In our business lives, however, working in reactive mode yields results that we sometimes don’t see because “crazy busy” has become our norm. While our logical selves tell us we should be prepared for unexpected turns in the market or unforeseen problems with our products, our emotional selves urge us farther out on the ledge so that we can get another adrenaline fix to fuel us through the day. Sound familiar? I know how powerful adrenaline addiction can be. If sheer exhaustion isn’t enough reason to get out of reactive mode, would risking the loss of your most valuable customers or employees be convincing enough? I thought so. Everyone understands that there will be occasional bumps in the road. But if your business is in perpetual reactive mode, you’re essentially taking your customers and employees for a ride on an endless road riddled with kidney-busting potholes. Eventually, they’ll get weary and slip off the back of your cart – often when you least expect it.
Your adrenaline habit might not be the only thing keeping you, your team, or your business in reactive mode. Rushing decisions before you’ve thought through the “what-ifs” is one possible culprit. Another may be cultural factors that make truth-telling unpopular in your organization. Whatever your particular demons are, there are steps you can take.
Come Clean
Take some time out from the madness and think about a handful of the bad surprises that have cropped up recently. Maybe a specialty consulting firm you partner with pulled resources you were counting on just before a big engagement. Or your top salesperson gave notice out of the blue. Or a recent product release inadvertently made a key piece of your product inoperable, and your phones are ringing off the hook. Start listing possible contributing factors for each situation. Think about warning signs you might have overlooked. Consider ways you could have gotten ahead of the situation. Could it have been prevented? Could you have reacted more nimbly? The more honest and objective you are, the more healing your remedy will be.
Boil it Down
If you’re continually surprised by unexpected events and forced to scramble to regain ground, it’s likely some of these common root causes are at play:
- Rushing – not taking time for scenario planning because of an overcrowded priority list
- Assuming – not testing the data, trends, or other factors on which decisions are based
- Wishing – not being realistic enough about the possible negative results of decisions; wishing for “upside only”
- Neglecting – not knowing key stakeholders’ mindsets; not asking essential questions that could uncover potential concerns early on
Notice anything? All of these root causes can be boiled down to culture. As with anything, the positive aspects of your culture such as entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and innovation can inadvertently breed negative aspects like those listed above. Don’t worry. By making a few strategic tweaks, you can steer your cart safely onto proactive-mode road.
Inject Excitement
After miles and miles on the bumpy road, your team members will be excited to see signs of positive, proactive change. Get them involved by asking them to refine or validate the list of contributing factors and root causes you developed. Ask them to be part of the recovery plan. Describe what will be different, for example, realistic goals, thoughtful planning, and honest relationships.
Make Planning Part of “Real Work”
When times are hard, we tend to think sheer force will push us through. We set aside activities that we think will distract us from our “real work.” All too often, the activities we set aside – such as planning – are the ones we should be doing more of. We all know how important planning is for large-scale efforts. Of course you follow requirements-gathering and design processes in your methodologies. But do you follow these steps in other areas? As a team leader, do you plan for what might happen if one of your top employees suddenly decides to leave? Do you regularly ask questions (and really listen to answers) that might reveal signs that he/she is seeking more responsibility? Do you know how strong and reliable your strategic relationships are? Are you aware of/prepared for big changes in their business models that may impact you? If you think injecting formal planning phases into all your activities is overkill, call it what it really is: asking good questions, starting with “what if,” and quickly followed by “why?”
Reward What You Want
Even after you’ve made a commitment and taken steps to move to proactive mode, you may see evidence that you’re slipping. Check your reward systems. Is fire-fighting deemed heroic in your organization? Who is more likely to get special recognition: the team member who works diligently behind the scenes to keep abreast of market conditions or the one who works all weekend to fix a mistake? If it’s usually the latter, your team members are getting the signal that reactive mode is what’s really valued in your organization, regardless of the stated philosophy.
Stay Limber
By moving to proactive mode, you’re ushering in a new norm in your organization. The energy previously drained by chaotic catch-up activities can now be channeled more positively. Consider investing time and energy in “staying limber.” Hone your skills in assessing the landscape and responding thoughtfully and effectively. Make continual course corrections based on customer and market insight a part of standard business operations instead of reactive fire drills that wear everyone out.
As with any behavior change, switching from reactive to proactive mode requires commitment and persistence. The great news is that by simply stating it’s a goal in your company, you’ll inject the enthusiasm you need to put up with the occasional pothole.
For help steering your company’s cart on to less bumpy, more proactive roads, contact Tracy Faleide at Tracy@bellwetherworks.com.
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