Creating Sense of Urgency

Yesterday a friend of mine has marked me a copy of email that was sent to his client urging him to take some action soon on some important issue. This triggered this blog.

By now I would have interacted with more than 100 business owners, mostly of small and medium sized business. Most of them wish a leaping business growth and they actively search for ways to do so. But they feel that something or the other hinders their growth. The usual reasons attributed to their stunted growth are recession, competition, price/availability of raw materials, hostile market conditions, unenthusiastic employees, unfriendly Government policies etc. Rarely do they agree that their business fundamentals are to be changed, their leading posture to be changed. They are just blind to 'the obvious' that need to be changed within themselves and with the business. One such is the lack of urgency on business matters.

The business owners often see lack of enthusiasm / commitment or lack of urgency among their employees, but are not aware of their own urgency habits. Once, this issue of 'sense of urgency' popped up in a discussion with a reputed business owner, who claimed that he always has this. When discussed about it at deeper levels, it was found that most of his time was spent on the 'crises of the moment' and not on the growing the business. A little discovery on one's own time management made him realize something profound ... Doing more things faster and attending to more urgent matters is not as good as doing the right things. The right thing is to work for the growth of the business..." this rarely happens" admitted the business owner. It points out that, Sense of urgency should be built around important and the right things.

It is observed that, most of the business owners are passive, they want work to come to them in the form of urgent matters. But the successful business owners somehow manage the urgent matters and find time to act on the matters of growing the business. This is the crucial difference. Acting upon is not passive , it requires, will - commitment- action.

Sense of urgency is an organisational ingredient, that is perceived by others very subtly. It may be expressed in verbal as well as non verbal ways. People perceive sense of urgency at a subliminal levels.

Once clear understanding of the business is gained, it should be implemented as early as possible. In order to make people implement the strategy quickly, the business owner must display some urgency or else the people associated with the business become complacent.

Other people assess the urgency of the business owner through various windows. please note that no employee would exceed the urgency of the business owner. "the speed of the train is going to the speed of the engine". Hence the business oner must learn ways to display the urgency appropriately.

Here are some ways you can try. These were collected from observations and other knowledge repositories.

• show priority and hurriedness at key business aspects
• Respond faster to emails and phone calls
• Do not allow the discussions to drift, get to the point quickly
• Take decisions. Do not delay decisions unnecessarily. Some business owners think that delaying decisions will improve the quality of decision or their position. As the old adage goes, “it is easier to steer a moving object.” If you’ve made the wrong decision, you can adjust. But if you wait too long, you miss the opportunity entirely.
• Follow... Do it now...... policy
• Do not work faster, but move the work faster

Creating sense of urgency simply is helping others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately. You can do anything that you feel is right for the moment.

Yesterday, I tried to get connected to a business owner to discuss an important matter. For more than two hours, his mobile phone was engaged and I got the connection after trying 20th time. While talking I passed a comment that" you seem to be very busy, sir. Not able to get your number for long time". He admitted that he had attended several calls in this two hours and in low voice he said that most of the calls were not much significant. He even admitted that our call is more important, and he was waiting to some how finish off the earlier calls............." Fair enough! he is at least aware of what is important and not so important for business.

This is my last blog of this year. wish You all a Happy New Year 2011.

contributed by Sasikanth Prabhu

Power of story / tale / fable ......

In the present day , high tech world, mostly we neglect this simple tool.... a story or a tale or a fable or anything that helps to connect with the people..... But many successful people are using and have understood the value of story.

This tool is simple to use but gives very powerful results in business. But it is used lesser than the complicated analysis charts, presentations, esoteric statistical measures and the like. Once upon a time I was using complex models/ concepts, number spinning /crunching slides profusely, considering them as the hall mark of professionalism. Often I felt inside me that I am doing so, to my own gratification than making some value to the audience. In such presentations, I found audience quickly switch to their own private / social worlds. But this practice is long abandoned by me and now I use more animated stuff than the techie ones. The results are amazing.

Now my presentations are going good for short speech or for hours without any disconnect with the audience. The secret is story telling.....

Recently, I was invited to present my services to a set of stakeholders of a cluster development project. I was alloted the slot just before the lunch break and I have only 30 mins to make the pitch. But the persons before me have used more time than the quota alloted to them and we are at least 25 minutes beyond the scheduled lunch. I could see the Organizers are a bit embarassed, audience often looking at their watches to check whether the time neared the lunch break, they feigned polite interest in the topic presented and when I was introduced, there was a look of "Oh yet another one" on their face. Quickly sensing this, I kept aside the structured presentation and I told about my services using 3 metaphors - RDX (Research and Development explosives), Pick pocketing / looting and the DNA. It took me hardly ten minutes to convey my matter, but these metaphors took a fair share of the luncheon conversations. Some of the participants still call and remember me with reference to the metaphors.

Of course i have not mastered it but began to use it productively.... looking forward to learn more.....

Mr. Puneet Bhatnagar of Pune, offers a workshop on "story telling " He considers himself to be a born story teller. for further details of him you may visit www.thecreativitymission.com

looking forward for a chance to attend his workshop.

Story is very valuable!

A Story ...

.... makes a serious, confusing and threatening topic into a interesting and approachable one

.... stimulates thought

.... makes the content and experience memorable

.... teaches durable lessons

.... inspires and motivates anyone: children, youth, men-women, educated - uneducated, old...all people

wish you all to be story tellers!

contributed by Sasikanth R Prabhu