Goal-Oriented Crisis Handling

Crisis Mode. About to Miss Payroll. Leadership didn’t flinch. They knew what to do. Getting Clear on the Problem: A small SaaS bootstrapped startup suddenly couldn’t make payroll. After averting immediate catastrophe, they checked financials and found cash reserves had plummeted by 80% in one quarter. The CEO set a 90-day goal: restore cash levels to cover 3 months runway. The Right People: She gathered folks from finance, sales, accounts receivable, and product teams, all influencing cash flow. Their metrics expertise was critical to diagnose gaps. Connecting the Dots: Together, they mapped out key cash flow process stages: customer acquisition, billing, collection cycles, and reserve management. Sales and AR analyzed trends at each point. Zeroing In: The data exposed an obvious contender - DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) had doubled! Customers were taking 65 days on average to pay bills. The CEO reflected on recent client complaints about a buggy new feature. The 5 Whys: They wondered why DSO spiked. They found that the increase coincided with a major feature release. Why? A feature was released that finance expected to accelerate payments, but it had the opposite effect. Why? Customer research suggested that it had a confusing UI preventing invoice access instead. Why? The Root Cause: Product didn't vet the billing feature with customers to align UX. Dev prioritized speed over certainty. The result? Customers delayed payments due to inaccessible invoices stacking up. Testing and Validating: They ran a quick beta test fixing UI. Testers completed tasks 60% faster. Further, a staged roll-out validated feature stability with no complaints. Implementing the Solution: With clear data on feature usage and impact, they could release an improved version, solving customer needs. Cash flow was restored in under 90 days. Lessons Learned: Facing any business crisis, forcing clarity on specific goals and metrics provides focus. Assemble experts in relevant domains to dig into performance trends. Map out process touchpoints between teams to catch where assumptions caused the failure. Ask "why" - looking beyond symptoms to root causes. Ground solutions in customer experience. There is a method to solving any problem. Don’t panic, you got this.

Crises, by their very nature, demand immediate action. Whether it’s a missed deadline, an unexpected market shift, or a personal emergency, quick action is critical. But what happens when this reactive mode becomes default? When every decision is made in response to an urgent crisis, the ability to think strategically is challenged. Over time, living in "crisis mode" undermines long-term growth, innovation, and peace of mind. When you operate from crisis to crisis, your decisions are short-term by nature. You’re not looking ahead to the next quarter, the next year, or the next strategic opportunity. Instead, you’re focused on fixing the immediate problem, which often leads to quick fixes rather than sustainable solutions. It’s clear that living in constant crisis mode isn’t sustainable, but how do you shift from reacting to being more proactive? Here are a few steps that I’ve seen work for leaders across various industries: Schedule time for strategic planning: Block off regular time on your calendar to focus on the big picture. Use this time to review your goals, assess risks, and think about where your business (or your life) is headed. Empower others to handle crises: Delegate crisis management to trusted team members when possible. This frees you up to focus on proactive decisions and long-term strategy. Identify and mitigate risks early: Proactive leaders spend time thinking about what could go wrong before it does. Anticipating potential challenges allows you to put systems in place that prevent crises from occurring in the first place. Focus on self-care: Both personally and professionally, constantly being in crisis mode leads to burnout. Make sure you’re taking time to recharge so that you can think clearly and make sound decisions when crises do arise. Crises will always happen, but living in crisis mode doesn’t have to be your reality. By shifting from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, you’ll not only be more effective as a leader and individual, but you’ll create a path for sustained growth and success. Are you ready to stop reacting to every crisis and start leading with intention? The choice is yours.

I have fought fires, evacuated government buildings, and fixed data leaks. Here are the 4 key elements of crisis response: 1. Focus + Action 2. Team Building + Coalition Building 3. Don’t be Selfish 4. Feel Fear Retroactively 1. Focus + Action It's crucial to act and manage your focus. Crises can be overwhelming, but it is essential to focus on what needs to be done and on what you can do. Don’t dwell on the stakes, focus on the goal and the available support you have. 2. Team Building + Coalition Building Assemble a core team, develop a plan, identify what you need to learn, and build relationships outside the team for support. Networking and collaboration are key, so don't hesitate to ask for help. 3. Don’t be Selfish Crises are times for collaboration, not competition. In the private sector, people sometimes see a crisis as a chance to prove themselves for a promotion. They aren’t wrong, but focusing on yourself rather than on the outcome can jeopardize the whole crisis response. 4. Feel Fear Retroactively Don't let fear paralyze you. Focus on the task and the resources. Act decisively. Reflect on your experiences later. The next time you're faced with a crisis, consider these steps. If they help you, I'd love to hear about it. Leaders- What am I missing?

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 As someone with over a decade of experience navigating complex business and technology environments, I’ve faced my share of chaotic situations, especially during emergencies where conflicting directives are inevitable. In these moments, clear thinking and decisive action are crucial. Here’s how I handle conflicting directives during an emergency: 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: Not all tasks or directives hold equal weight. Assess the potential outcomes of each directive and prioritize those that mitigate the most critical risks or deliver the most significant impact on safety or business continuity. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲: Clear communication is key. I immediately engage all stakeholders, ensuring that everyone understands the potential trade-offs and limitations. This brings clarity to the situation and may even help resolve the conflicting directives. 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: If possible, bring the decision-makers into a discussion. Often, the conflict arises due to miscommunication or differing priorities. Having a conversation can align everyone towards a common goal. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: In the absence of alignment, I use my experience to make the best decision. I trust my judgment, take responsibility for the outcome, and move forward. Hesitation can lead to bigger problems during an emergency. In the end, navigating chaos is about staying calm, prioritizing, and making informed decisions quickly. Leadership isn’t just about following orders; it's about managing conflicts and leading through uncertainty. #LeadershipInCrisis #EmergencyManagement #DecisionMaking #CrisisLeadership #RiskManagement #ConflictingDirectives #BusinessContinuity #Communication #ProblemSolving #CriticalThinking #StakeholderManagement #TakeOwnership #NavigatingChaos #CrisisStrategy #ExperienceMatters 4o

"What the F*$#@!!!!!!!!!" "Ok, he's angry. I better brace," I thought to myself. I was leading a team that supported a group of principal engineers. They encountered a tool problem that would cause them to miss a critical milestone. Their work has halted. I could feel my heart racing, my blood pressure rising, my heart sinking, and the familiar feeling of shame tingled up my throat. "Fix this, now!" He screamed with frustration. In the following days, I experienced a pilgrimage of directors and executives marching into my cubicle, thinking that screaming at me and showing me how powerful they were would fix things faster. I hit the end of the dial on stress. I felt helpless. Two months later, my team was awarded for solving and handling the problem. You probably think I stressed my team to get it done ASAP. Or that I lost sleep and weekends over it. No, I didn't. I used the advice I received from two of my mentors: 1. When you're stressed, panicked, and losing control, ask yourself one question: "What's the best thing I can do right now?" - and take action. This method snaps you out of paralysis into action. When you take action, the road to solution starts to unfold. It can be even a tiny step like asking, "What is the root cause of the problem?" I used this method when I was literally under fire. It also works well in corporate wars. 2. People need to know that you own it. My department manager at the time, Yanne Kuperman, walked calmly into my cubicle and told me: "I know you're doing your best to solve this. They need to know and feel it, too. Send them a daily progress report to demonstrate your sense of ownership." So I did. Like magic, no one approached me again about the issue. No more screams or pilgrimage. They felt I owned the solution. Once we solved the issue, I reduced the progress report to once a week and then stopped. I used this method every time we had a crisis. That helped us focus on what's important without the need to regulate other's emotions. How are you dealing with stress? Share your tips and stories so others can learn! Want to see my content without relying on the algorithm? Click Nir Megnazi + Follow + 🔔.