Sense of Urgency Book Review by TMY

7/28/2019 Sense of Urgency Book Review by TMY

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SENSE OF URGENCY

Book Review


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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 "atrue sense of urgency [that is a] highly positiveand highly focused force [and] the result of

people, up and down the hierarchy, who providethe leadership needed to create and re-createthis increasingly important asset.


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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!


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Successful leaders use a strategy that aims atthe heart as well as the mind.

They use four sets of tactics." Kotter devotesthe balance of his book to explaining what the

strategy and tactics are, why they are essentialto the success of individuals as well as to thesuccess of their organization, and how thosewho read his book can execute the strategy andtactics to achieve the given objectives,whatever they may be.


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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


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THE TACTICS1. 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 anddo so visibly to as many people as possibleie.Demonstrate urgency every day as a leader and expect everyone else to

do the same.


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THE TACTICS

3. FIND OPPORTUNITY IN CRISES

Always be alert to see if crisis can be a friend, not just adreadful 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 improvefrom 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


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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.


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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 badhabits.

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.


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I am reminded of a hospital emergency room. Its success requires

adequate resources as well as a highly skilled staff with cross-

functional 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-or-

death 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


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There is no place on the team for anyone who isunwilling and/or unable to accept theseresponsibilities. Kotter's point (and I wholeheartedlyagree) is that no team can succeed unless and untileach of its members feels as well as understands "a

true sense of urgency" and that is as true of executivesand 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 muchwant, and the world very much needs."


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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.


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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 beoccurring at an every-increasing velocity, Kotter notes that

"finding opportunities in crises probably reduces your overall

risk.

Finding opportunity in crisis

- Four "Big Mistakes" (Pages 136-141)


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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 entireenterprise.

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."


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Although significantly different in most ways, all high-

performance 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."


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Is this also true of our (KTMB) culture? If not,

prepare yourself to attract and engage othersin urgently needed change initiatives. If not

now, when? If not you, who?

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

tock....

Sense of Urgency Book Review by TMY

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