Could a false sense of urgency be plaguing your company? It can be tricky to diagnose and correct, because on the surface, it can appear as simple urgency. But, in the scenario of a false sense of urgency, there's a frantic feeling, driven by anxiety, anger, frustration and a lack of focus. It’s typically reactive (and not proactive) in direction.
A false sense of urgency tends to flourish in environments where there are continuous, unproductive meetings. You’ve probably been in one or two of those meetings — the ones with extravagantly detailed PowerPoint presentations that ultimately contain no conclusions or purpose.
John P. Kotter, former Harvard professor and author of A Sense Of Urgency, points out that a true sense of urgency isn’t an attitude that you must simply have a team meeting today, but rather that the meeting must accomplish something important.
Is the false sense of urgency hindering you or your company’s ability to be successful? If so, what’s your willingness to address the issue now?