The trouble with heroism

Executives around the world complain about spending all their time ‘putting out fires’. Even those at the sharp end often feel their effort is wasted on ad hoc work.

No doubt you know the Eisenhower Matrix that plots urgency against importance. And we know it’s the ‘important but not urgent’ segment that suffers.

So, what drives the urgency? First, poor planning. When Dwight D Eisenhower was still a wartime general, he said, ‘Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.’

On large complex projects, front-end loading requires proper framing. Map the known risks but include a buffer for risks that are simply unknowable. Done right, planning lets you pivot faster when the plan no longer applies.

Second, the culture. Team behaviours exist on a spectrum from ‘professional practice’ to ‘heroic effort’. The hallmarks of professional practice are organised, efficient collaboration using a mindful approach to handle issues in a timely manner.

If you’re firefighting you’re tending towards heroism. Your project may get done, but you’ll be operating outside the boundaries of acceptable performance and workload. Completion will come down to luck and your team will end up exhausted.

So, what drives the urgency? First, poor planning. When Dwight D Eisenhower was still a wartime general, he said, ‘Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.’

Although culture is largely driven by the parent organization, projects are temporary organizations and include other players. It’s up to the project owner to create a safe environment where value-adding work gets done from day one.

Planning ‘before’ and mindfulness ‘during’ increases the predictability of the desired outcome. And remember, real firefighters only spend about 10% of their time putting out fires.