Question: It”™s really busy ”” uncomfortably so ””because we were not prepared for a seasonal rush. I was so busy pushing hard to boost sales that I didn”™t have time to look at how we were going to handle all of the additional work. Now my employees are looking to me to solve their problems because they”™re overwhelmed and unprepared. I know I created this mess. How do I get out of it?
Thoughts of the day: Set aside time every day to work on macro solutions. Avoid the temptation to put your head down and try to bull through the busy period. Lay everything out on paper in a plan that you and your employees can follow. Evaluate your organization critically. Hire outside resources to help you build permanent solutions. Next time around, plan for operational growth at the same time you plan for sales growth.
You didn”™t get into this situation overnight, and you”™re not going to get out of it overnight. Set aside time each day to evaluate, plan and organize. Lock your office door, shut off the phones, do whatever it takes to cut out distractions, this planning time is critical.
When things get chaotic, it can be tempting to jump in and help anyone who”™s overwhelmed. Don”™t do it. You can”™t really see what”™s happening when you”™re in the middle of everything. Stand back, watch and look for gaps and problem areas. Consider forming a team of people to work with you who can add perspective and help formulate solutions.
Put a plan on paper. Set goals for where you want the company to be in three months, six months and one year. Pull together a list of all the things that need fixing. Identify how much of the problem comes from lack of human capital, what stems from not enough money to spend on solutions, what comes from lack of technical systems and so on.
Put different people to work on different areas of need, and ask them to brainstorm possible solutions. Set a plan in place and then stick with it. Have a daily checklist of to-dos that you use to find out who”™s on top of things and who needs help.
Make sure you”™re solving the real problems by examining the problems you and your employees are facing.
How did the organization get into the problem is the first place? Is it that there was no excess capacity? Or maybe you”™ve outgrown some of the people you used to rely on? Ignored too many simmering problems for too long? Take a good look in the mirror to figure out what you could have done sooner, and then get going on what to do now.
Avoid laying blame, as that only wastes time. Instead, focus everyone on the point on the horizon that you”™re heading toward, and ask them to follow your lead. If there are any nay-sayers, check if they are making a valid point, and if so, factor in what they have to say. Look for opportunity, and ask everyone to follow your lead.
Assuming you can afford to do so, hire outsiders to help you out temporarily. Hire planners to help you organize. Boost efficiency with technology. Implement a rapid-response search and hire process. Build a budget that focuses on both cost containment and payoff. Get in trainers to teach people how to do their jobs better.
Now that you”™re in a hole, consider reorganizing people temporarily. What can salespeople do to pitch in and help out the people in operations who are completely overwhelmed? How can additional marketing efforts lay a foundation for sales people to jump back into sales when this crisis is over?
When looking for a way to prevent the next busy-period crisis, ask yourself this. How often do salespeople meet with their counterparts throughout the company to talk about what”™s coming down the pike? How many people see themselves as part of a company team, helping each other plan and implement? Schedule time for regular communication and collaboration, steadily preparing people for the next big push.
Looking for a good book? Try “7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis” by Bill George.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., strategyleaders.com, a business-consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. She can be reached by phone at 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Send it via email to AskAndi@strategyleaders. Visit AskAndi.com for an entire library of Ask Andi articles.
