Managers often think they have found the solution when they see lots of energetic activity, where people run from meeting to meeting, preparing presentations, and an endless list of activities. This false sense of urgency is not driven by a determination to win but by pressures that create anxiety and anger. It can drain people of energy.

The false solution

A real solution does not involve running from meeting to meeting or creating a huge list of trivial activities. True urgency focuses on critical issues driven by a deep determination to win. There are four tactics we can use to counter complacency and instil a culture with a true sense of urgency. <ol><li>Make external problems and opportunities visible</li><li>Behave with urgency every day</li><li>Find opportunities in crisis</li><li>Deal with the No-Nos</li></ol>

The real solution is a true sense of urgency


When organisations don't attend to external threats, they will eventually become complacent and blind towards them. As a first step, leaders should be proactive in collecting information.<ul><li>Lower-level personnel are often the closest to the customer and will know what is happening on the outside, so listen closely when you interact with them.</li><li>Collect data. Evaluate the competition. Talk to the customers.</li><li>Bring outsiders in. Invite consultants, vendors, and customers to share their knowledge of your organisation. </li></ul>

Make external threats and opportunities visible

Acting with urgency has to do with clarity and purpose. Be specific with everything you do.  Create an action that is alert, externally oriented, and aimed at winning. Make some progress every day, and continually purge low value-added activities. Cancel projects that have become distractions.

Behave with urgency every day

Great leaders know that a crisis has the opportunity to create an atmosphere of a true sense of urgency. With good leadership, a crisis can be used to wake people up out of their passive routines. Make the crisis visible, specific, and big enough to require creative action. Carefully watch how your organisation reacts, what plans are being developed and how quickly they are implemented.

Find opportunities in crisis

Collecting information is insufficient to spark a sense of urgency. Therefore, it is vital to share the information. <ul><li>Tell a compelling story. Dry facts may appeal to the mind but are not enough to appeal to the hearts of the people in your organisation. A good way to spread outside information is with the power of video and storytelling.</li><li>The visuals your employees see can produce a certain message. Ensure you create a message of outside awareness and urgency. Show your position within the market, what your competition is doing, and the progress of your ongoing projects.</li></ul>

Share your information

You may be aware that your organisation needs change. You may even know what the change should be: a new strategy or reorganisation or a new IT system. However, change comes too slowly, or the implementation has come late and with much frustration. The problem is complacency. We underestimate its power and prevalence. It is even in places where people would deny it. They continue with the past norm and think they know what to do. But in a fast-changing world, complacency can cause disaster.

Producing large-scale change

The NoNo is someone who is armed with reasons why the current situation is fine, why the problems others see don't exist, and why you need more data before moving into action. A NoNo is not the same as a sceptic. A sceptic is essential to show out poor ideas but can become a huge supporter if convinced that they are wrong. Mistakes when dealing with NoNos: <ul><li>Don't attempt to co-opt them, as it is impossible to convert a NoNo.</li><li>Don't ignore a NoNo. They may organize and active resistance against your initiative.</li></ul> How to deal with NoNos:<ul><li>Distract them</li><li>Eliminate them</li><li>Call them out on their behaviour.</li></ul>

Deal with the No-Nos

John Kotter shows in his book what is missing in nearly all organisations today: a sense or urgency - that attitude that leads people to use opportunities and avoid pitfalls - they purge low-priority activities and move faster and smarter in a rapidly evolving economy.

In his international bestseller "Leading Change," Kotter provided an action plan for implementing successful transformations. Now, he shines the spotlight on the crucial first step in his framework: creating a sense of urgency by getting people to actually see and feel the need for change.

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Problem Solving

books

Books

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Leadership & Management

Most organizational change initiatives fail spectacularly (at worst) or deliver lukewarm results (at best). In his international bestseller Leading Change, John Kotter revealed why change is so hard, and provided an actionable, eight-step process for implementing successful transformations. The book became the change bible for managers worldwide. Now, in A Sense of Urgency, Kotter shines the spotlight on the crucial first step in his framework: creating a sense of urgency by getting people to actually see and feel the need for change. Why focus on urgency? Without it, any change effort is doomed. Kotter reveals the insidious nature of complacency in all its forms and guises. In this exciting new book, Kotter explains: · How to go beyond "the business case" for change to overcome the fear and anger that can suppress urgency · Ways to ensure that your actions and behaviors -- not just your words -- communicate the need for change · How to keep fanning the flames of urgency even after your transformation effort has scored some early successes Written in Kotter's signature no-nonsense style, this concise and authoritative guide helps you set the stage for leading a successful transformation in your company.