What do you consider to be appropriate ways of responding to unexpected events?

The question was asked first on LinkedIn where other answers can be found. My answer was:

“Dear Sherri,

Excellent question!

One of the first things I learned as a software engineer was not only to back up everything before making a change, but also to have a plan B for when the unexpected occurred.

The back-up was relatively easy, especially if done on a regular basis.

Having a plan B for all unexpected contingencies was not and is not easy, if even possible. So there is an underlying issue that is exposed by your question:

Do you want to control and manage peoples' responses in such events?

When I was young, I was surely a control-oriented person. Over time I came to learn that my desire for control reflected my sense of insecurity more than anything else. In mid career, I became a manager of events and people and learned that control was not the objective, but managing the uncontrolled events was.

Over time I came to learn that my desire to manage events and peoples' responses to them reflected my fear of being held accountable for the actions of others more than anything else.

Now, I am no longer interested in managing the way people respond. For, I am more interested in how leaders respond to situations and events and to people who are free to be out of their control.

As I may have written you before, from my experience, leaders make decisions. Managers make judgments based on leaders' decisions. Supervisors make choices based on the judgments managers make. Each level and activity can be done professionally. When an unexpected event takes place, a supervisor reports it to the manager. The report is critically important because it provides factual data for the manager to take into account in his or her criteria for future choice of alternative actions.

When an unexpected event takes place, a manager analyzes it and makes recommendations to the leader concerning future courses of action. The analysis is critically important because it provides reasoning based on reported facts for the leader to take into account in his or her decisions.

When an unexpected event takes place, a leader contends with it and the consequences of it to the managers, supervisors and people he or she is leading. The facts and reasons the leader must contend with are critically important because they provide the necessary, but not sufficient, bases for taking a specific course of action. For it is the leader's insights into the facts and reasons that ultimately provide the basis for taking a specific course of action in response to the unexpected event on behalf of everyone the leader leads.

Given this analysis, you may respond as a supervisor would, as a manager would, or as a leader, regardless of the title you hold. Some will view your response as simply a matter of style. Others will see it as simply a matter of how you are playing office politics. Only a few will see your response as an indication of what level you are shooting for by your actions: supervisory, management, or leader.

Once you begin to respond consistently from one of these perspectives, you will not be seen as part of the problem of unexpected event, at least most of the time. You will be seen as part of the solution you have decided to contribute at. John”

What do you think?

Please include your comment here or contact me to discuss.

Thanks.

John Darrouzet