Hyper-Reactivity - An Affliction Plaguing Today's Managers
By: Nick McCormick
Most people are reactive. We don't like to plan. We'd rather wait until there is a crisis (or a perceived crisis) and then respond accordingly. Then we tend to over-react.
We don't maintain our cars. Rather, we fix them when they break - typically paying far more than if we simply maintained them better.
We don't do anything about terrorism until someone flies a plane into a high rise. Then we go overboard addressing one area of vulnerability at the expense of many others.
We don't try to get serious about living a healthy life until we have a heart attack.
Additional examples abound. Intuitively, we know that we are not doing the right thing. We've been told since childhood that "slow and steady wins the race." This knowledge, however, is not enough to spur us to action.
Managers are people too (I know some would take exception to that!), so we are no less reactive. Rather than caring for employees, we wait until they quit before offering them a salary increase. Similarly, we wait until customers leave before paying attention to them.
When there are no crises, we create some. Every interruption becomes a high priority. We attend meetings all day, and fill in the rest of the time reading email, and answering phone calls. We bounce from one activity to the next, leaving anyone and everyone to dictate and control the use of our time.
Why? Why do we allow this to continue? Because it's easier to just flow with the current. It's easier to bounce from fire to fire, than it is to plan. It's far easier to have events like cell phone calls, email chimes, and meeting invites dictate our schedules, instead of taking control and doing the important things that we really need to do. As an added bonus, when the important things go undone, there is a built in excuse. "I didn't have time. I was busy fighting fires."
Unfortunately, when we get wrapped up in this hyper-reactivive loop, we are not managing effectively. When we don't make time to coach our reports, work on strategy, break down barriers, learn, etc. the impact to the work group/organization can be devastating.
Only by breaking this maniacal hyper-reactive cycle can significant improvements be made. It can only be accomplished through will power. Managers simply need to plan their activities and set aside time for high priority activities. We need to give the cell phones a rest, turn off the chime on our in-boxes, cut down the number of meetings, and get some real work done! It can be done. Those that are successful at doing so, and the organizations they represent will reap the rewards.
About the Author:
Nick McCormick is a Principal with Be Good Ventures, LLC -- a management consulting firm. He is author of the book, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager. Get a FREE download of 5"x7" training cards based on the book at http://BeGoodVentures.com/
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Most people are reactive. We don't like to plan. We'd rather wait until there is a crisis (or a perceived crisis) and then respond accordingly. Then we tend to over-react.
