What it was:

A crisis management case study (based on a real DFID example), talked through in respect of the actions and behaviours required of senior leaders, followed by some reflections on crisis experience from a leader, and a group exercise on our own responses to crises and change.

This was part of the Deputy Director Leadership Programme held in London on 16 and 17 September 2019.

 

What I learned:

As a group we identified some early things the senior leaders would have to consider:

What we are going to do:

• The overall principles we would adopt
• This is primarily about partnership and the stakeholders to be managed
• What are the key risks – what action do we take against each?
• What levers do we have on this problem?
• The need for internal communications and keeping an eye on staff impact

Reflection during a crisis:

• Are we the right people to be leading this?  Do we need to change leadership style or change leaders?
• Capture the lessons – as a case study to inform the response to the next crisis
• Is there an opportunity for a positive outcome from this crisis?
• Setting the context for the multi-disciplinary team
• Crisis management expertise – Is there a template we could follow?

Reflections on crisis management from a senior leader:

• It’s really difficult to get into crisis mode, but easy to identify a crisis in retrospect! Someone in the team needs to be able to see when you are in crisis – maybe you!  
• It’s better to over-react early than under-react, or you will always be playing catch-up.  
• Try to get to the right policy answer as quickly as possible – otherwise you will be dragged  to the right answer eventually.
• Keep the ability to see beyond the invested position – be able to be disinterested and impartial.
• What are our levers?  Need to understand what realistically can be done
• A simple tool – think what I need to do for my Organisation / Team / Self
• It’s important for the senior leaders to understand their own strengths / weaknesses and what value they can bring.
• Never waste a good crisis – look for opportunities for your organisation (and where applicable the wider UK) to take a leadership position – find a way for the energy of the crisis to be channelled into something valuable and enduring.

Outcomes of the group exercise on Complexity and Change

When a shock happens…

What do I think my teams will be thinking and feeling?

• Uncertainty, afraid of the future, worry they will not be supported
• Think about their hierarchy of needs.

What are your own personal thoughts and feelings?

• Regret / paralysis – feeling responsible when I am not 
• Worry about being under scrutiny
• Worry about my decision-making and judgement under pressure

What you would want people to say about your leadership style

• Decisive, sets clear context and priorities 
• Leads under pressure
• Keeps team welfare in mind

What action could you take now to better prepare yourself and your team?

• Have someone you can trust that you can talk to 
• Understand your stress behaviours
• Take care of well-being and promote this behaviour in your team

What I will aim to do differently as a result:

• Try to recognise when a crisis is happening – don’t be the boiled frog.
• Be more open with my bosses when things are not going well (on any front) – be less afraid to ‘cry wolf’
• Familiarise myself with the crisis management structures and learning in Government
• Have a ‘buddy’ (or more than one) to baseline with in the event of a crisis
• Adopt the PERMA framework to undertake some team well-being and hence resilience building.