Nothing is an emergency.
Managers: you are in charge of fostering or mitigating a crisis mentality within your teams.
Encouraging or participating in a culture that values firefighting and rewards heroic last-minute saves inadvertently encourages a constant state of emergency. This type of environment can stem from prioritizing short-term wins over long-term sustainability, or a lack of priority alignment across the org.
On the other hand, a culture that emphasizes proactive problem-solving, continuous improvement, and work-life balance is more likely to support a balanced approach to issue management. In these organizations, leaders model calm decision-making and strategic thinking, even under pressure. They celebrate team members who prevent crises through careful planning and those who efficiently resolve issues without drama.
To shift away from a crisis-driven culture:
- Lead by Example: Leadership should demonstrate the desired approach to problem-solving and time management. Last minute projects, change requests, or calendar time grabs give the wrong message and discourage team members from being methodical and measured in their workflows.
- Reward Proactivity: Recognize and reward team members who anticipate and prevent issues, not just those who resolve them. (Kudos are Free!)
- Encourage Transparency: Foster an environment where team members feel safe discussing workloads and challenges without fear of repercussion. Discussions between departments are also essential; empathy for other teams, and an understanding of their work and achievements, is great for company morale.
SHOW, don’t tell, these practices to your team. Be calm, collected, and consistent in the face of crisis energy. Model and coach this both in hypothetical scenarios and in the moment to your team. Praise when they make even baby steps towards putting out imaginary fires and staying cool under pressure.