Fire Drills: Create Purpose not Panic

Fire Drills.  Not the completely valid testing of alarms and emergency evacuation protocols.

No, we're talking about those random emergencies that crop up at work; we are referring to an unexpected and seemingly urgent issue or request for data and responsiveness.

We've all seen in happen. It's a regular old Tuesday when all of the sudden, the office starts buzzing. The team chat blows up, people start cancelling meetings or showing up late because they've been "called into a fire drill." They pester you and 10 other people trying to find the fastest way to uncover some buried, but desperately needed information.

Then everyone is running around and chaos ensues.

And it's usually the boss who starts this panic by rushing and grabbing as many bodies as possible to help bail water, plug the leak, address the issue. 

Should a leader be able to seek wise counsel and inputs from their team in order to solve an urgent problem? Yes...

After careful deliberation about what the pain point is, feasible options, and consideration of the other issues and commitments already in play.

For example, let's say Leslie is called into an emergency meeting with their boss & is informed that an important customer is considering taking business elsewhere due to an unresolved and persistent service issue. Leslie's boss wants a 3 year customer account summary and a 30-day resolution. And they want it yesterday.

What should Leslie do next?

a) Immediately call their team into a meeting and rehash the situation?

b) Invite a few select & trusted team members to their office for a brainstorming session?

c) Clear their calendar and immediately set to creating the summary and plan?

The correct answer is, Pause. Immediately do none of the above. Pause and consider:

• What information already exists, who has it, what needs to be gathered, added or updated? 
• Who needs to be pulled into this based on responsibility, access, and authority?
• What are the current commitments in play & do they need to be adjusted to ensure focus and performance on this emergency initiative? 

Then jot that down to start an action plan.

In all likelihood, you'll only have partial answers to this list. And that's fine.

But instead of running off in a panic, you have a set of action steps to pursue. You won't grab more people than are needed to take action. With deliberation, you calmly summarize the situation and draw in sufficient people to help resolve the crisis. You collectively take assignments and work towards resolution. You'll create purpose not panic. 

 And, just in case fire drills at your office stem from lack of planning and have become the norm instead of a rarity, maybe take a look at this video on Planning & Preparation.