SENSE OF URGENCY Book Review

Years ago, Steven Covey suggested that many (most?) executives spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough on what is important.
In Chapter 1 of this book, John Kotter suggests that, in fact, the problem is that many (most?) workers -- including executives -- do not have "a true sense of urgency [that is a] highly positive and highly focused force [and] the result of people, up and down the hierarchy, who provide the leadership needed to create and re-create this increasingly important asset.

The few people who do have smoke pouring into their offices are furious that somebody has started a fire. But instead of demonstrating a real sense of urgency to solve the problem, starting today, they complain!

 Successful leaders use a strategy that aims at the heart as well as the mind. They use four sets of tactics." Kotter devotes the balance of his book to explaining what the strategy and tactics are, why they are essential to the success of individuals as well as to the success of their organization, and how those who read his book can execute the strategy and tactics to achieve the given objectives, whatever they may be.

INCREASING TRUE URGENCY:

ONE STRATEGY AND FOUR TACTICS STRATEGY GIVE PEOPLE IMPORTANT FACTS
WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS Create exceptionally alert action,externally oriented, aimed at winning, make progress everyday, purge low value added activities and ALWAYS FOCUSING ON THE HEART AND NOT JUST THE MIND

THE TACTICS
1. BRING THE OUTSIDE IN Reconnect internal reality with external opportunities and hazards Bring in emotionally compelling data, people, video,sites and sounds ie. Bring engaging information so that the outside is acknowledged, understood, and acted on. 2. BEHAVE WITH URGENCY EVERYDAY Never act content, anxious or angry Demonstrates your own sense of urgency always in meetings, one on one interactions, memos and emails and do so visibly to as many people as possible
ie.Demonstrate urgency every day as a leader and expect everyone else to do the same.

THE TACTICS
3. FIND OPPORTUNITY IN CRISES Always be alert to see if crisis can be a friend, not just a dreadful enemy, in order to destroy complacency Proceed with caution and never be nave since crisis can be deadly ie. Find appropriate opportunities to change and improve from crises that threaten the organization.

4. DEAL WITH THE NO-NOS Wall off, neutralise or remove all the relentless urgency killers, people who are not skeptics but are determined to keep a group complacent or, to create destructive urgency

Kotter explains why more than 70% of change initiatives fail. "The number-one problem [organizations] have is all about creating a sense of urgency - and that's the first step in a series of actions needed to succeed in a changing world... Winners first make sure that a sufficient number of people feel a true sense of urgency to look for an organization's critical opportunities and hazards now. One of his key points is that workers must devote most of their time to what is most important...and do so by creating and recreating "a true sense of urgency" at all levels and in all areas.

As you can see, it all starts with a sense of urgency. In this book, Professor Kotter gives us his most in-depth look at how a leader can instill and take advantage of a sense of urgency to overcome complacency and bad habits.

He proposes that leaders engage a strategy of continual action based on sensing changes outside the organization that provide opportunities or present threats while eliminating activities that don't add much value. Such a strategy should be implemented in a way that appeals to your organization both rationally and emotionally.

 I am reminded of a hospital emergency room. Its success requires adequate resources as well as a highly skilled staff with crossfunctional capabilities. All of its members share "a true sense of urgency" when responding to all manner of health crises.
More often than not, they are treating strangers about whom they know little (if anything) and sometimes must deal with a life-ordeath situation. There is no time for complacency. Everyone must be fully engaged. For the ER team to be successful, its members must be both intellectually and emotionally committed to assist those entrusted to their care

 There is no place on the team for anyone who is unwilling and/or unable to accept these responsibilities. Kotter's point (and I wholeheartedly agree) is that no team can succeed unless and until each of its members feels as well as understands "a true sense of urgency" and that is as true of executives and those on the shop floor as it is of ERs. "Get that right and you are off to a great start. Get that right and you can produce results that you very much want, and the world very much needs."

 Chapter 6 as Kotter discusses two perspectives on the nature of crises.

"The first group, by far the larger, sees crises as horrid events, and for obvious reasons." Therefore, every effort is to avoid them or at least to prepare for them with comprehensive plans for crisis management and damage control.
"A very different perspective on the nature of crises is described with the metaphor of a `burning platform.' In this view, crises are not necessarily bad and may, under certain conditions, actually be required to succeed in an increasingly changing world." Which perspective is correct? "Neither," Kotter responds, and then he explains various downside risks of a damage control mind-set or when using a crisis to reduce complacency and create.

Finding opportunity in crisis - Four "Big Mistakes" (Pages 136-141)

Do not assume that crisis will create sense of urgency If people feel manipulated, can cause angry backlash Passively sitting and waiting for crisis to happen (which may never come) Never underestimate people and the burning platform, instead of creating a sense of urgency, you may end up out of business
Crises can be used to create true urgency if eight principles he recommends are followed. (Please see Pages 142-143.) In a world in which change is the only constant and seems to be occurring at an every-increasing velocity, Kotter notes that "finding opportunities in crises probably reduces your overall risk.

 In Chapter 9 (The future, begin today), he shares his thoughts about how to sustain a high sense of urgency in an organization. That is indeed a major challenge, especially when thinking in terms of doing so throughout an entire enterprise.
Obviously, leadership is needed at all levels and in all areas. "The ultimate solution to the problem of urgency dropping after successes is to create the right culture. This is especially true as we move from a world in which change is most episodic to a world in which change is continuous." Completing that transition is never easy but is far easier in what Kotter characterizes as "the right culture."

Although significantly different in most ways, all highperformance companies seem to have a culture in which a majority of those involved take pride in what they achieve but are convinced that there is always room for improvement, that they can always do better. They are never satisfied. They view mistakes, errors, detours, dry wells, blind alleys, etc. as valuable learning opportunities. Their change initiatives to sustain improvement tend to be customer-driven and with, you guessed it, "a true sense of urgency."

 Is this also true of our (KTMB) culture? If not, prepare yourself to attract and engage others in urgently needed change initiatives. If not now, when? If not you, who?

Meanwhile, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock....