Managing Under Fire

Have you ever worked with a “wanna be” firefighter? No, I’m not talking about the heroic men and women who ride in red trucks with sirens blaring and spend their days saving lives. I’m talking about the person in the cubicle next to you who lets things go up in smoke, then erupts in a stream of activity trying to settle the crisis.

We all know a few. Some are co-workers, others managers and sometimes even we are the guilty party. “Wanna be” firefighters in the office rarely accomplish as much as those around them who work at a steady pace. Why? Unskilled fire fighting detracts from real productivity and leaves the culprit either too exhausted or too exhilarated to accomplish much in the aftermath.

If your office is going up in flames because you’ve been letting things go, you may want to invest in learning a few “crisis management” skills.

1. Schedule it
Okay, I know that a calendar has no magical powers to keep things running smoothly, but if you never sit down and plan the next step you definitely won’t be focused. Get a calendar and list the things you need to do before you get started in the morning. You’ll find that you spend less time letting unimportant things sap your time and energy.

2. Get some Glue
Simply put, stick to it! Choose the 5 most important things you need to do in the day, and determine to not leave until they are complete. Determination and self-discipline are hard to develop, but the most valuable characteristics successful people display.
What Happens in a REAL Crisis?

Unfortunately, not all crises are so easily resolved. What happens when things get so out of hand that you have no control? You might not have been involved in creating the crisis, but you’re left to handle a hot situation. Don’t sweat. That’s when the real heroes step forward.

First, get focused!
Forget about the unimportant things that others can do, and step into the blaze to rescue what really counts.

Second, communicate!
Very rarely can we fix a bad situation by ourselves. Let others know what they can do to help - even if it’s guarding the door and answering the phone so you can work undisturbed.

Third, celebrate!
When you’ve smothered the blaze, take a minute to wipe the sweat from your head and share a few smiles with those who helped in your efforts.

Finally, learn!
After most fires, the fire marshal heads into the ashes to find out what caused the blaze. You can do the same. Now, here’s where a lot of people start pointing fingers and playing the blame game and things get ugly. You have a choice to make. You can either name names and hand out blame or get to the real source of the problem.

Your number one goal should be to find out why things got out of hand, and prevent more fires from breaking out in the future. A crisis will define real heroes, and weed out the “wanna be's.”

Who is Allyn Cutts, and why should you care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. You can learn more about Allyn Cutts at http://www.AllynCutts.com and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.