So, what happened?
It seemed like things are going well, people are happy, areas are moving along nicely, feeling good about life and ministry…and then all of sudden, WHAM! So-and-so isn’t happy with such-and-such. And, the leader has a problem that needs to be solved.
As you probably know, problems occur in every organization. They clog the gears of forward momentum and sometimes bring it to a dead stop. Other underlying problems continually nibble away at effectiveness and morale. Over time the amount of time and energy expended on “issues” increases. This means less enthusiasm for the reason the organization exists.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
The better organizations handle problems quickly, before momentum wanes. In doing so, they also prevent most problems from ever occurring. And, so can you.
What do you do?
Mental Shift #1. Ratchet down your own anxiety.
Reducing your own anxiety occupies the top spot in dealing with problems. This is Mental Shift #1. And, number one stands at number one for a reason. Like a car lift lowering the car, reducing your own anxiety is crucial if you are to gain traction in solving problems. Additionally, there lies a vast expanse between number one and number two (and all that follow).
Number two is a distant number two.
So, you must acquire number one. This doesn’t mean you won’t feel anxious or fearful or embarrassed or intimidated or angry. You probably do possess one or more of these less than helpful emotions in the moment. The goal here is to harness and reduce them, if you want things to go well. Ratcheting down your emotional intensity is both the biggest challenge and the most important thing you do.
Leaders lead emotionally, as well as organizationally.
De-escalating yourself internally carries the majority of the ability to solve the problem.
Rich Halcombe
Mental Shift #2. Address the situation.
(Notice I didn’t call it a problem.) The reason I don’t call it a problem (in this article) has more to do with your own internal emotional state than it does with the situation itself.
[Notice I don’t even know what the problem is? How can I call it a situation, rather than a problem!?! You may be thinking, “This is a huge problem!”]
Why call it a situation? You call it a situation because people tend to react emotionally to a “solving a problem.” But, “addressing a situation” seems less frightening. And, the most important part of this situation, from your standpoint, is your own anxiety. (See number one). And the most important thing you can do in this situation is do reduce your own emotional anxiety. (See number one again). It really is most important. Everything else is secondary. Every time. This does not mean that you won’t feel slighted or afraid or threatened. It does mean it is crucial that you ratchet down your own intensity. If you address the problem/situation wired up emotionally, you will ratchet up the emotion in the problem and have little chance in bringing resolution to the situation.
When you ratchet up, the problem ratchets up.
So, you see Shift #1: “Ratchet down your own anxiety,” seriously impacts Shift #2: Address the situation.
You are the leader, so you are the one who addresses the situation. And, by the way, whoever leads in solving the problem is the leader. Leaders lead. This is just as true with problems as with anything else.
Leaders lead the problem-solving process just as they do a building campaign or a new initiative.
So, you have to put your foot into it. Step into it. You must engage, not at a high emotional level, but you have to do it. Walk into it. Hear yourself saying the words even when your knees are (literally) knocking. (I speak from experience.)
Interestingly enough, the fact you ratchet down your anxiety does NOT mean you don’t have anxiety.
And the fact you are anxious does not mean you get a pass on stepping into it until you get rid of your anxiety. Like a lot of things (running, lifting weights, driving a car, playing the banjo, learning to swim) it isn’t going to get better unless you do it. And, as a result, you will learn something every time.
Every time? You mean there will be other times?
Yes, there will be other times containing other problems. But, the more you engage it and the better your skills, the less you will have to do it.
Not engaging the situation means it will not get better. And, not engaging the situation means you will not get better at dealing with problems (aka “situations”).
When a problem arises, a little sooner is better than a lot later.
– Rich Halcombe
Mental Shift #3: Address the situation early.
Only one word changed from Shift #2 to Shift #3. The added word is “early”. Avoid the temptation to delay. We need to deal with the problem as soon as feasible after you hear about it. Within 24 hours after you know about it qualifies as early. The moment you hear about the problem, the clock starts ticking. That ticking clock says you need to deal with it. Whatever it is, you heard about it for a reason. That reason is usually that you need to solve it and solve it soon.
With this in mind, there are several good reasons for addressing it quickly:
1. Gives less time for you to get worry about it
2. Allows less time for others to know about it. And, you can believe others will be included if you wait.
3. Helps you stop the problem. If you don’t nip the problem in the bud, it will sprout into a bigger problem.
4. Shows other people in your church/organization that you deal with problems.
5. Reduces problems in the future, because people find out (myriad ways) that you deal with issues and deal with them quickly.
6. Creates a culture where problems are not allowed to fester.
7. You maintain health in the organization. Wait too long and morale and productivity go downhill.
So, what happens if you wait to address the problem? It only gets bigger in your head. That isn’t as problematic as the fact that your emotions start escalating when you don’t deal with it early. And, as we have seen, when you gear up emotionally, (whether it’s anger, hurt, embarrassment or the like), your odds of resolving the issue go down. (See Thing #1, yet again).
To sum up, don’t wait to address the situation. If you do wait, the problem typically gets bigger. Consequently, when the problem gets bigger, it will require more time and emotional energy from you. And, organizationally, the bigger the problem the bigger the number of people negatively affected.
Who We Are
LeaderINCREASE helps leaders get clear on where to go and understand how to get there, with less hassle. We understand that choosing to make a difference as a leader isn’t always the easiest.
We focus on providing leaders with resources they need to make a difference and become actionable leaders for their organization. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals as we have done for many others.
