From The Cockpit:
Lessons in Leading Through Crisis by Eileen
McDargh, CSP, CPAE
The pace of change impacting
practice managers has never been greater. From
consolidations, mergers, and acquisitions to
re-engineering profit centers, managers are faced
with what often appears to be "crisis" situations.
And with crisis comes the fact that staff (and
physicians) often experience anxiety, the
off-shoot of fear.
The following vignette offers practical lessons
for handling the fear and resultant anxiety which
come with unexpected and unwanted change. While
this true-life situation occurred in the clouds,
the concepts are very much grounded in reality.
Its lessons can be carried into the office,
hospital, or lab.
Sunny skies, light winds, and gentle surf
started yet another lovely Spring day in Southern
California. Full of optimism, I boarded a flight
bound for New Orleans by way of Denver and a major
speaking engagement.
I never made it.
Snow intervened in Denver, delaying our 747
while nozzles spewed chemicals onto the wings. The
co-pilot explained the procedure and how she'd
walk back into the cabin to visually inspect the
coating. Once airborne, she told us we'd hear the
landing gear go down a second time as they checked
the mechanics. Finally off to New Orleans on
Flight #1180.
Not.
A freak series of severe thunderstorms blew in
from Texas, causing considerable jolting and
bucking. The captain, a voice calm and deliberate,
explained each deviation as he attempted to
discover a better routing. We couldn't even get
close. "I'm an old captain, not a bold captain",
he explained when he announced we'd be diverting
to Birmingham, Alabama. The passengers applauded
his honesty with our safety while we all silently
and not-so-silently moaned our fate. Cockpit
voices told us we'd be informed as soon as the
captain landed, walked through the jet, and called
base operations. Birmingham was not this carrier's
hub.
One hundred-fifty people, many with small
children, listened patiently when he returned and
explained the exiting procedure from the aircraft,
where we'd lodge, and when we'd meet and "have
another go at it" in the morning. Not one whimper
or angry outburst arose. And true to his word, we
all assembled after little sleep, no food, and for
many, no change of clothes. We had now bonded in
the experience and called out to one another,
laughing and sometimes gasping as the still rocky
air finally parted enough to bring us into New
Orleans.
I lost income on that flight but I gained a
strong metaphor for leadership principles in times
of crisis and change. What the captain and crew
engendered that is missing in so many of our
downsized, fear-racked businesses was TRUST.
Let's use this word as an acronym for
understanding exactly what happened on this trip
and what all leaders must do in today's whitewater
world.
T: Tell the truth and reveal feelings.
Information abounded on Flight #1180. People
deserve and need plenty of information about
what's happening, why it's happening, and what are
the next steps-- even if those next steps are to
stop, take stock, and develop the next plan of
attack. And the information has to be immediate.
Waiting while the rumor mill churns out various
versions of "the truth" creates anxiety, second-
guessing, and sometimes panic. None of these are
conducive for productivity. Notice that the
captain also admitted that he was "old not bold".
Leaders are not invincible. Employees can identify
with this statement and also become reassured that
the leader is not going to do anything foolhardy
to jeopardize the organization and its people.
R: Respond consistently. Once the
captain and crew established a reporting method,
they continued with the updates. Voices never
changed. A pattern of zigzagging to avoid storms
was followed. Is it not true that business often
needs to consistently be inconsistent in seeking
improvements, finding new markets, responding to
the marketplace?
U: Understand your role. Be competent.
Be visible. With voice as well as physical
presence, the captain and crew were "out and
about". In times of change and crisis, seeing and
hearing the leader is important. By walking
through the cabin and putting a hand on different
people's shoulders, he reassured passengers. The
captain also invited people to stay with him and
talk about the flight if anyone was concerned. In
times of change and crisis, it is vital that
leaders be seen and available for questions and
feedback. Too often, the leader meets only with
senior people or disappears behind closed doors.
S: See people as trustworthy. The
captain stated what he would do and that he
expected us to follow his instructions. He
basically said, "I trust you to do what is right
for yourselves and each other." If a leader wants
to be trusted, that presumption must also be
present.
T:Take action. Tickle funny bones. On
Flight #1180, passengers were kept appraised of
each action step and the results of that step,
both positive and negative. Whether in the board
room, the marketing department, or the cockpit, an
action followed by course correction is a wise
mode for handling any change or crisis. Lastly,
the captain and the crew managed to find humor in
the situation. Laughter, as Victor Borge used to
say, is the shortest distance between people.
Laughing over what cannot be controlled creates
that element of bonding which is fundamental in
maintaining trust.
A self-litmus trust test would benefit us all.
What would people say about our behaviors during
change or crisis? Would there be mutiny and
fleeing the ship? Or would people stick with us to
the next destination in the organization's
journey? Let's trust they would.
Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, is an
international speaker, author and seminar leader.
Her book ‘Work for A Living and Still Be
Free to Live’ is also the title of one of her
most popular and upbeat programs on Work/Life
Balance. For more information on Eileen and her
presentations, please call 949-496-8640 or visit
her web site at
http://www.eileenmcdargh.com.
© 2000 by Eileen McDargh. All rights reserved.
Used by permission. |
