Navigating Important, Urgent and Emergent Matters
The Human Side of Strategy – Part 2
In my previous blog, I introduced the concept of human-centered opportunities to bridge the gap between Strategic Plan development and implementation. Let’s talk about one of those opportunities - navigating important, urgent and emergent matters.
When it comes to implementing a Strategic Plan, organizations often face the challenge of needing to balance the important, long-term priorities identified in their Plan, while maintaining day-to-day commitments and, at the same time, respond to urgent and emergent matters.
Typically, when this tension arises, the first thing we go to is process - What does our organizational chart say? Do we have a spreadsheet to track all of this? What matrix should we use? And there is a reason for this. When we encounter stress, we seek ways to control and manage it. We look for a structured approach that can provide a sense of order[1].
And while this order can often be helpful, it doesn’t address the human-side of what is contributing to this stress.
When it comes to balancing important, urgent and emergent issues, one of the biggest tensions is that members of the team have a different understanding of what each of these entail and how they should be addressed. And when one person at the table thinks that something is important and another thinks that it is urgent, then the decision on how to approach it becomes murky. This can then result in cognitive dissonance – when we reject new information and stick to our original ways of doing things[2]. This makes it hard for us to let go of what we think is important, urgent or emergent, and how we think it should be addressed.
Conversely, when we have a shared language about what is important, urgent or emergent for our organization, it becomes easier to make decisions collectively and respond to new information or uncertainty. This also includes identifying distinct human-centered approaches to help balance competing priorities.
Important Matters
These are tasks that contribute significantly to long-term goals, objectives, or values. They may not be urgent but have a high impact on the overall success or effectiveness of the team. These are typically areas of focus found in your Strategic Plan that have been identified as critical for the organization to meet its overarching goals, such as enhancing employee engagement. Some human-centric approaches to balance important matters with other priorities include:
Ensure your Strategic Plan has identified a team or individual accountable for each priority or goal, along with a timeline.
Hold quarterly strategic review meetings with senior management to discuss the status of ongoing projects and adjust timelines as necessary.
Encourage ongoing feedback and be willing to adapt the Strategic Plan as needed.
Urgent Matters
These are tasks that require immediate attention and action. They often have tight deadlines or direct consequences if not addressed promptly. These are unforeseen issues that have significant financial, safety, legal, infrastructure, legislative or other associated risks, such as a workplace incident. Some human-centric approaches to balance urgent matters with other priorities include:
Ensure clear lines of communication are open among teams, team members and decision makers to properly escalate an issue.
Ensure team members understand the difference between urgent and non-urgent tasks to support timely response.
Empower appropriate team members to make decisions within their scope of work to address urgent issues promptly.
Emergent Matters
These are tasks that need to be addressed promptly due to their potential to become urgent or important. These are typically issues that have been signaling impact for some time, for example, an increase in employee absenteeism, recruitment challenges and/or attrition for critical positions. Some human-centric approaches to balance emergent matters with other priorities include:
Create cross-functional teams to address the emerging issue.
Encourage a mindset of flexibility and resilience to pivot in response to the unexpected challenge.
Provide a supportive environment where team members feel safe to voice concerns and take initiative.
By recognizing and addressing the human side of navigating important, urgent, and emergent matters, organizations can foster a more cohesive and responsive approach. This balance not only helps in achieving long-term goals but also ensures a resilient and adaptable organizational culture.
[1] Psychology Today. (n.d.). Stress. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/stress
[2] The Decision Lab. (n.d.). Cognitive dissonance. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/cognitive-dissonance