Author: Susan Kahn

Mastering the Crisis Paradox: 5 Steps for Leaders

Posted on by Susan Kahn

Switzer told the graduates, “Often it’s the adversity in your life that gives you the greatest ideas. Sometimes the worst things in your life become the best.”

In our line of work, we call this the “Crisis Paradox” — when a crisis strikes an organization, it is wildly destructive . . . and positively transformational. John F. Kennedy described it this way: “The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognize the opportunity.” We have seen the danger and the opportunity in many different crises, at organizations large and small, before and after the advent of social media. A crisis almost always results in some degree of positive change, significantly shaped by the leader’s effectiveness.

We work with leaders who have guided their organizations through significant times of crisis, and leaders who haven’t yet faced a true crisis. They all share one thing in common: they want to feel prepared to lead when crisis hits.

To prepare to lead through crisis, there are simple steps every leader should take:

  1. Know your risks.If you don’t have a formal risk assessment process, you should at least have a means of reviewing your vulnerabilities on an informal basis once a year. Consider strategic, operational and reputational risks. It’s not possible – or practical – to anticipate every potential scenario, but a thoughtful, cross-functional approach to risk assessment goes a long way in helping your organization identify proactive steps to mitigate and manage risk.
  2. Plan and train. This doesn’t have to be an unwieldy or costly process. It’s as simple as consistently demonstrating that you recognize the importance of crisis preparation. Show the organization that you’re willing, as the leader, to engage in strategic discussions and decision-making about crisis management. Practice crisis leadership. Convey your openness to feedback. Ask “What if?” of yourself and others. A plan on the shelf or on the hard drive is just a plan – but a core team, with clear roles and responsibilities, armed with basic crisis response checklists and templates, that comes together at least annually to discuss crisis scenarios, is a strategic business investment that pays dividends when the organization faces unprecedented, unexpected challenges.
  3. Lead from a place of purpose and values.Leading through a crisis is challenging. It can be a time of great sorrow and outrage. Crises take a toll on everyone involved — and it can be tempting, as the leader, to move fast and favor expediency over thoughtfulness. While speed is certainly important in crisis response, it should never supersede thoughtful reflection. Your crisis response should authentically reflect and align with the core ideology of your organization, reinforcing what your stakeholders most value about you. Ideally, your purpose and values are designed to guide your decision-making for all time, including the worst of times. Rely on them to show you the way.
  4. Follow the Truth-Action-Trust model to guide your crisis response. Be honest and forthcoming; take decisive, informed action, and build trust with stakeholders. This model is shaped by four key trust factors: empathy (putting yourself in the shoes of those affected by the situation and demonstrating that you understand their pain); transparency(communicating what you know when you know it), commitment(conveying that this is serious to you and you are focused on making it right), and expertise(demonstrating that you have the necessary knowledge and capabilities, are seeking appropriate counsel and working with the right experts).
  5. Be visible. As the leader of an organization in crisis, people inside and outside need to see you, hear from you, and believe that you are solving the problem. Be as transparent as possible. Invite input. Truly listen to different points of view. If you’re shaken and unsure of what to do, you’re not alone. Seek advice from your staff and/or consultants who, ideally, you’ve already identified as your core crisis team.

By definition, a crisis is a time of intense difficulty with the distinct possibility of a highly desirable outcome. It is a moment of truth that tests an organization’s readiness, resilience, and character. Through preparedness, planning and effective leadership, it can also provide an opportunity for renewal, growth and positive transformation. In Kathrine Switzer’s words, your worst crisis can become your best experience.

Are You Telling A Story?

Posted on by Susan Kahn

“I think it never stopped amazing him. It went like this: When producers would come into his office to pitch a segment, if they started telling him about an issue, or a law that needed to be changed, or a scam that was making the rounds, he would put up his hand to stop them and he’d say, ‘Tell me a story.’ Don was certain that these four words were what kept 60 Minutes at the top of the ratings for decades.”

Are you telling a story? Is your audience listening?

Though she never explicitly said so, my mother, a product of the Great Depression and World War II, viewed books as a luxury and reading as a privilege, and her actions spoke volumes. When I was growing up, our house was filled with thousands of books – and Mom treasured each one, revered for both their physical and literary value. Reading was one of Mom’s favorite pastimes, and she did her best to instill a passion for reading in my three siblings and me. Good-natured, but consistent, my mother’s response to any of our childhood complaints of boredom was, “Go read a book.” And with our own children a generation later, she was similarly unwavering: reading was a chance to become lost in a story, to spark our imaginations or have a virtual adventure that might open our eyes, our hearts, or our minds. Decades later, books remain a preferred gift for my siblings and me, a perfect way to acknowledge a special occasion or milestone event, a treasure to keep and to share.

Are you telling a story? Do you share it with purpose and passion? Will it evoke a response?

Nearly 50 years ago, economist Milton Friedman clearly and firmly argued that the sole purpose of business was to generate profit for shareholders. In stark contrast, earlier this year, Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock Investments, the largest money management firm in the world with more than $6 trillion assets under management, sent a letter to chief executive officers of the world’s largest, most successful public companies informing them that they and their organizations have a responsibility beyond increased profitability – an obligation to pursue a purpose that also addresses our collective social, economic and environmental needs.  Long a fierce proponent of sustainable growth, Fink asserts in his 2017 correspondence, “…the public expectations of your company have never been greater. Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose. To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society.” Though the impact of Fink’s message, delivered with humility and conviction, is not yet known, it is prompting an important discussion that has the potential to benefit companies as well as their employees, customers, shareholders and communities.

Are you telling a story? Is it timely and relevant?

Valeria Luiselli is a young, critically acclaimed Mexican novelist and essayist who grew up in South Africa and now lives in the United States. Her latest book is Tell Me How It Ends, An Essay in Forty Questions. Elegantly written, this work is a personal and poignant narrative about the physical and bureaucratic challenges faced by tens of thousands of undocumented children from Central America as they make the treacherous journey from their home countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala across the Mexico border in search of freedom, safety and U.S. citizenship. As a volunteer interpreter for an immigration court in New York City, Luiselli is tasked with asking the children 40 questions on the immigration intake questionnaire in Spanish and translating their responses, attempting to tell the story of their young lives that may determine their fate. In the course of Luiselli’s work, her five-year-old daughter hears some of the children’s stories and begs, with the natural innocence and persistence of a child, “Tell me how it ends, Mamma.” Though Luiselli is unable to provide the clarity or certainty of a happy ending that her daughter demands, her story and the stories of the children she helps highlight the reality and urgency of our American responsibility to the spirit of Emma Lazarus’ most famous words. In the end, Luiselli offers a glimmer of hope – a small, but committed group of students at Hofstra University who determine to help the most fortunate of the young Central American refugees … those who are permitted to stay.

Are you telling a story? Is it authentic to who you are and what you believe?

As I read Valeria Luiselli’s essay … and listen to daily news, I am deeply troubled. Appalled and sickened by the rising wave of bigotry and our leaders’ response. Weighed down by stories of injustice, dishonesty, corruption and ignorance. Frightened by the threats we face – from foreign powers, climate change and one another.

But, I am also hopeful … as I read and hear stories of activism and resistance – the sanctuary cities, the increasing number of women and millennials who are running for office, the Hofstra students helping young refugees and the BlackRock letter that demands greater corporate contribution to society.

As a young adult, I learned that while my mom loved to read, she rarely read a book from beginning to end – especially if the plot included significant moments of tension (which, of course, most good stories do). Instead, when she reached the point in the story approaching its climax, she would flip to the end of the book to read how the story resolved before continuing with the chapters in chronological order.

I believe we are approaching that point in America’s story – after significant moments of tension, many of us yearn for the comfort of knowing how our current story will resolve. In the midst of our nation’s unfolding story, we are drawn to the power of authentic stories, told by purpose-driven organizations and individuals who show us the resilience of the human spirit. And that might be even better than knowing how it’s going to end.

Middle Ground: The Vital Role Managers Play In Communicating Context and Shaping Culture

Posted on by Susan Kahn

In the old days (less than a decade ago), internal communication was organized around the “message cascade.” Information was power. Leaders at the top made decisions, and those decisions were communicated down the hierarchy, sometimes even reaching frontline employees who were expected to do something with the information.

Now, with social media, intranets, company blogs, flatter organizations and social activism, the message cascade is evolving into a two-way dialogue between leaders and employees. This is a positive change that is elevating employees to their rightful position as “priority stakeholder” in many organizations. But this shift in information flow is also presenting challenges for leaders at all levels who aren’t clear or mindful about their role as communicators.

There will (hopefully) always be leaders and managers who are natural communicators. The ones who instinctively know what their employees need to hear and when, and how to share information in ways that advance the company’s values and priorities.

But for many managers, especially in organizations where expectations for effective communication are lacking, the idea of communicating with and to their teams creates a minefield of questions: Should I? How do I? Can I? Why would I when they’re already hearing directly from the top of the organization?

By proactively answering these questions for managers at all levels, organizations can super-charge strategic alignment, retention and results. In today’s flatter organizations, the role of managers is less about carrying the message down the chain and more about providing the meaning and context that make the message matter.

Alan Alda talks about the power of empathy and storytelling in his book, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face? He reminds us that communication doesn’t take place because you tell somebody something. Communication takes place when you observe people closely and track their ability to follow you.

Who better than the leader of a team (regardless of level within an organization) to engage directly with their own employees? To assess their understanding and support of company initiatives? To understand their unique perspectives and provide the right context to drive their engagement?

Of course, the leader at the top of the organization remains vital to an effective internal communication strategy. As the face of the organization and its most powerful voice, this leader sets the tone for the communication culture.

However, the space between the top leader and frontline employees – populated by middle management and supervisors – is untapped competitive advantage in most workplaces. There’s often very little (if any) rigor around the manager’s role as communicator – despite repeated surveys that place communication at the top of the list of things to improve.

We love how Joseph Grenny captured the role of leaders in Harvard Business Review last fall: “The first responsibility of leaders — whether front line supervisors, middle managers, or executives — is to compensate for the inevitable alienation that complex organizations create, and provide employees with a visceral connection to the human purpose they serve.”

When communication is talked about – not as a function but as an organizational priority – and defined, with clear expectations for everyone, it becomes a shared responsibility. Savvy organizations are recognizing this opportunity to improve employee collaboration, engagement, productivity and retention, and providing the training and tools to help managers be better communicators.