Episode 14 - If Everything Is Urgent Your Operations Are Failing

If everything is ‘urgent,’ your operations are failing

Failing? You might be thinking…Sara…we are running around like frantic people and keeping everything afloat!

That’s the work.

This is “just how it is”. It’s always been this way, it will always be this way – and only the strongest, or most willing, or dare we say…craziest…survive.

Other people just can’t do it. We know because that’s what they tell us. “We are special.” And surviving in chaos is just one of the ways we are special.

Further…the chaos is how we feel alive, how we feel appreciated, how we show we are valuable, and how we show we are working.

And even further…we feel great pressure to keep up this pace.

Hello and welcome to the Provider Power Podcast…I am your host…Sara Sherman! This is THE place This is the place for IDD leaders to find solutions, support, and insight ready to power up your provider game. Let's get going.

If you are in a leadership role you may say…”I love that my workers are willing to bob and weave. I love that I have people who are willing to drop everything and run over to the fire with buckets of water.

Truth be told, I NEED my workers to be willing to run over to an endless array of problems with big buckets of water dousing all the problems. I mean…we just have that. This is the business.”

Know this: Bobbing and weaving, crisis after crisis, fire after fire, running around like chickens missing their heads is not reflective of effective operations.

When daily operations run in “urgent” mode…problems quickly show up

• Chaos
• Poor Accountability
• No Order
• No Predictability – other than a lack of predictability

Compliance risks pop up like a runaway game of Whack-a-Mole

Amygdalas are in overdrive and staff are hardwired in fight or flight mode – both staff AND individuals

And before you can blink twice – burnout is running through your team faster than crack racing across a windshield.

“Drop everything and run” means everything is dropped

What is it like to visit that environment – family – friends – guardians – co-providers

What is it like to LIVE in this environment

And the darned awful thing about fight or flight – is that it can quickly become addictive. That dopamine surge that hits the brain in crisis…the delicious satisfaction from putting out the fire, that slow burn of waiting, know the next crisis is going to rise any minute and feed the need for urgency all over again.

It’s a satisfying high equal to any junkie’s hit – and the crass that follows…while the junkie gets disdain…the crisis addicts get empathy…and often praise. Because this high was not only justified, it was required.

I’ve been there.

Jobs where I was running…literally running down the halls to meet the needs of the organization and to put out the fires – why?

No systems.

When you have systems, when operations are solid – MOST days, are routine. Routine regular days happen…well…regularly. Why? Because operations…systems…processes – all frame regularity. How work is supposed to happen. They define daily success and pave the path to reach that success. No need to drop and run, no need to grab the buckets…just follow the path.

Accountability is easy because the path is defined.

Chaos is gone

Order is clear

Almost everything is Predictable

Compliance risks evaporate

And burnout – is but a whisper

Emergencies – well – grab those buckets! And once those rare moments are extinguished – you put the buckets down. Back into the closet or under the sink.

Because now…emergencies are rare.

And should they begin to trend…that’s your cue to add those issues planfully into your systems. Once included in your systems or processes…the issue moves from emergency to routine.

If you don’t have systems, don’t have enough systems, or can’t stop the chaos sufficiently to establish systems, You may be wondering how do I start. How do even begin to shift to calm day to day operations if I can’t stop crisis-mode?

Choose a place to start.

• 1 home
• 1 team
• 1 process (med passes, meals, activities, showers)
• 1 spot that seems to be chaotic, confusing, or just plain not happening correctly.

Have someone observe the process – Upper management – someone with fresh eyes – maybe WITH the supervisor

Document what you see – observe several times – document the observation each time

Create the routine, system, process – whatever word you use in your agency. That will get you to a successful experience. How should the shift go? What should happen during activities, showers, med passes, shift change, etc.

Train to the routine. Don’t “review” the routine or procedure, ask if they’ve got it, and walk out the door expecting people to execute correctly.

Ensure that your people learned the routine or procedure. Run through it, practice it, put the steps on cards, mix up the cards and have people put the steps in order (this can be a game between teams – who can do it fastest), quiz people on the routine – throw in “what ifs” – what if someone doesn’t like the meal, what if someone declines their meds, what if someone throws all their clothes on the floor in the bathroom… and so on.)

Once mastered…move onto the next system.

Before you know it…work will happen effectively, without continual crisis, and won’t require enough water on standby to douse the Hindenburg

Burnout will subside, morale will improve, compliance will be more automatic, and you’ll create a wonderful environment that supports individuals with disabilities to love, laugh, thrive, dream…and relax.

Give it a go…and let me know…. Shoot me a note at sara@providerpowermoves.com or leave me a comment on whatever platform you are using right now – I’d love to hear how it’s going for you

Until next time… power on!