Monday morning, the alarm goes off and you leave the house, greeting your neighbor as you pass by. Who doesn't know this scene from the Hollywood blockbuster with the cute little groundhog? When this scene repeats 5 times, it's Friday and the workweek is already over. On the weekend, there's a sports competition with your son or daughter that must be attended, and then it starts all over again. The person strives for the weekend throughout the week, for the well-deserved annual vacation throughout the year, and for retirement throughout their entire professional life, in order to finally do what they have always wanted to do. How do I keep such colleagues and employees attentive and ready for action? Or do they tend to drift into a certain lethargy and lack of drive? In any case, this type of lifestyle is toxic to our flexibility, innovation power, and the typical ability to think outside the box. Imagine this: Friday afternoon, 3:35 PM, you are sitting at your desk reading the quarterly figures, trying not to be distracted by the cup of coffee on your desk. The production numbers you have contractually committed to are running on the third floor, and the weekend is forecasted to have 27°C and sunshine. Suddenly, the production manager bursts into your office with a bright red face, barely able to breathe, trying to explain that the production line has failed due to a power outage. This is your moment. Now, it quickly becomes clear whether you belong to the type of leader who proves themselves in such an exceptional situation, demonstrating leadership, decision-making power, and solution-oriented action. Or, whether you panic, shout at the production manager, asking, "What should we do now?" and then run to the production area to confirm that the machines are indeed stopped, dragging the remaining staff in your office along with you. Or, you are the type who calmly offers the production manager a coffee, calls the relevant affected functions, and listens to what caused the issue. After analyzing the cause, the first question to be clarified is whether the problem can be fixed directly or if we need an alternative to bridge the valuable time, and what are the contractual obligations to the customer in case of a longer shutdown. I am sure that from that moment on, the 27°C and sunshine are no longer relevant to some in the company. Crisis mode now prevails, and solutions are expected. However, this is only possible if there is a strategy in place to avoid making wrong decisions, which is often lacking, leading to decisions made purely out of activism that point in a completely wrong direction.
Lost in Crisis
Similar situations occur in our rescue missions when the pager rings at night, and we are called to respond immediately while still half asleep. Here too, it is important to pause for a moment before setting off, to assess the situation, to finish one step before starting the next. Where do I need to go, is the dog or equipment in the car? These examples may sound silly, but they reflect exactly the mistakes that are repeatedly made due to purely activist or too quick and unprepared actions. In the end, it is up to you how well-prepared you and your team are because you don't have to worry about automated and standardized processes. This preparation also determines whether you lose valuable time because you rely on incorrect information, time that you will lack afterwards. The question is not whether crises have increased, but whether you are adequately prepared and can handle them. Then you even have the chance to emerge stronger from the crisis. I am happy to provide you with further insights and impulses from disaster management for your company. Yours Felix WILDE with Buddy.
