The Sixth S - Sense of Urgency

The Sixth S – Sense of Urgency

All five Steps to Success I’ve described are in a particular order. The sixth one - Sense of Urgency, however, applies to all steps and needs to be integrated with each one. Here are my perspectives on the Sense of Urgency:

Understanding the Cycles and Windows of Opportunity
Timing is everything when turning manifestations into realizations. You can relate to what I’m talking about if you’ve launched a product or service before the market’s readiness or been late, missing the big opportunity. That’s the importance of urgency. The more you do today and daily, the more road you cover. The more you leave it to tomorrow, the more you’ll delay or reduce the chances of your success.

Be -ON it -- VisiON, ReasON, DestinatiON
Inclusive communication is essential to build trust and instill a sense of urgency among team members. Sharing your Vision and Reason for it explains why you’re doing what you’re doing. Describing what the endpoint needs to look like (Destination) gives life to the vision and people:

1. Appreciate being included in the plan
2. Understand how they’ll be contributing towards the plan
3. Gain comprehension of what needs to be delivered when

Communication helps you to be on the same page and reduce conflict of priorities, which would otherwise slow things down.
 
Three Key Ingredients: Discipline, Rigor, and Accountability
Discipline, rigor, and accountability are essential for a good execution. With discipline, I’m referring to one following the process and guidelines with conscious effort rather than blind obedience. Discipline coupled with rigor helps one focus on getting the work done consistently in the manner already determined unless one finds a better way. Finally, you get a compelling combination when accountability is added. It’s about fully owning one's actions, behaviors, and performance.
Our clients recognize and appreciate how much discipline, rigor, and accountability we instill in their daily practice. They notice how things get done smoothly and faster, motivating them to do more with a sense of urgency.
 
Long Term Consistency Over Short-Term Intensity
ASAP is one of the most misused words. For one person, “ASAP” may be right now. For another person, it may mean two weeks or two months. It would be best if you were specific with your requests and timelines. Give the date and time (to the minute if needed) for completion. Teams can then relate to a particular time of day to accomplish given tasks.
Similarly, Urgent doesn’t mean much if all actions are labeled Urgent. There is a saying, “Nothing becomes urgent when everything is urgent.” We need to be selective about urgency to emphasize what is truly urgent.
There may be a sense of urgency overall, but one should not forget the tortoise vs. hare story. It reminds us all that it’s not short bursts of accomplishing tasks but continuously and consistently delivering tasks over time that lead to success.
 
RACI Again…
Although we covered it in the first step, let me remind you of the importance of the RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed). You may recall I suggest mapping the names of the RACI matrix against each task line item with explicit tagging of priority levels. This method increases the chances of open items to close on time. It also helps distribute work more equally among the team members.
 
AAA - Accomplishment, Acknowledgement and Award
Recognize Accomplishments, Acknowledge delivery, and Award proactive and courageous initiatives. Why? 1. They deserve it, 2. It rewards the correct behavior, 3. Why not?
 
In short, don’t miss the opportunity to cover as many critical tasks as quickly as possible. There may not be tomorrow.
 
Additional Reading
A Sense of Urgency by John Kotter