In Flurry Mode too long?
All too often, public-sector behavioral healthcare Middle Managers often live in Flurry mode, rather than visit it.
Let me back up.
Yesterday I was listening to Melanie Benson Strick describe the difference between Flurry Mode and Strategic Mode for Leaders. Flurry Mode occurs when we have massive projects, requiring tight coordination, project planning, multiple resources, and running on overwhelm for a defined time period to accomplish a specific goal. In our personal lives, this might be planning a wedding, a family reunion, or the 42-European-cities in two weeks vacation of your dreams.
At work, Flurry Mode might be a new computer system implementation, a major procurement (purchasing or bidding), the legislative session, or a new program initiation. In any of these cases, it is “all hands on deck” to accomplish the myriad tasks necessary to reach the goal on time and on target.
When we move into Strategic Mode, we rely on established systems, procedures, and processes to manage and monitor ongoing tasks. We then can shift more of our thinking and planning energy to leadership issues and questions. The scope of the question might be agency-wide, or focused on a work unit. So instead of “How do we get this done?” we move into “Should we get this done? Is there a better direction? Are we using our resources to their best advantage to meet out mission? How can we add value for our customers, our stakeholders, our staff?”
Strategic mode requires some mental and emotional space to step back, take a deep breath, and ponder. Not days or weeks, but some concentrated moments. In my experience, it is a rare person who can enter that strategic space when in the middle of a Flurry.
Back to my “AHA.” Middle Managers in our organizations may never experience any mode other than Flurry. They often describe their days as moving from crisis to crisis, meeting to meeting, task to task. It is not unusual for them to come to a training day with a stack of documentation (or policies or . . .) to review and approve before the end of the meeting. When presented with a question or issue that could benefit from Strategic Mode, they dive right back into Flurry Mode, ready to juggle all the pieces. Eventually, many get too tired of juggling and Flurries, and check out (mentally or physically).
So this particular Aha Moment has stimulated some questions.
- What benefit does it bring the organization, the middle manager, the customer/consumer for Middle Mangers to spend a majority of time in Flurry Mode? Does being in Flurry Mode 90-95% of the time get us closer to the goals and vision?
- If we really need Middle Managers to be in Flurry Mode most of the time, do we need to give them different project management tools, skills, and support systems?
- If we want Middle Managers to spend more time in Strategic Mode, do our organizations have the systems, policies and procedures to allow that? For example, do we have performance indicator dashboard for what they manage that help them stay in cruise control (strategic mode) more of the time?
- If we see Middle Management as part of a career path to senior management, then how do we find a way to help Middle Mangers become exposed to and develop the capacity to enter into Strategic Mode more of the time?
What are your questions, thoughts, reactions?
2 Responses to “In Flurry Mode too long?”
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Lee Ann Slayton
President, Slayton Consulting, LLC
Le Ann,
Great article.I love how you used my “flurry” mode to relate to middle managers.
I also think that flurry mode is state of mind. An unwillingness to slow down long enough to think things through. Many times is stems from A.D.D. or A.D.H.D., constant stress and persistent desperation to get ahead.
Having been a former middle manager, I can see where when I was in learning mode I often lived in a flurry trying to figure it all out.
I’ll be interested to hear what others have to say.
Melanie
I love your concept of flurry mode as a mindset, Melanie. That gives us two different strategies to apply: systems and mindset/expectations. And you have me wondering how we can make “learning mode” less overwhelming too.