27 September 2023

Fighting complacency: Subtle ways to keep the pressure on

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Brian de Haaff* offers advice to high-performing teams and their leaders in danger of allowing success to slip into complacency.


There is always more to do. When you are in start-up mode, there are clear and ongoing existential pressures.

Everything is go-go because slowing down has a real consequence.

So, how do you instil a sense of urgency when everything is going well and success is a certainty?

“Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.”

This quote is often attributed to Andrew Grove, the former president and chief executive of Intel Corporation.

It has become a sort of battle cry for entrepreneurs and business leaders — and I can see why.

To create something meaningful and do what others have not, you must have an energy that does not quit.

However, urgency is not always given if you are on top of your projects.

I know because I have worked for a number of market leaders who slowed down and still held onto their advantage for years.

The momentum that they had initially built managed to keep moving them forward.

Some people might think urgency in these cases is really anxiety in disguise and creating artificial pressure can lead to a toxic work environment.

However, I believe in ‘good anxiety’, or a type of productive insistence, which can keep ambitious people motivated and lead to more growth for everyone.

It is what keeps people striving, never settling for just ‘good enough’.

The best leaders I have known instinctively encourage urgent mindsets and action across the organisation.

Besides, it is worth thinking about what a laissez-faire mentality is actually saying to your team.

When there is no one driving that sense of importance, the message is effectively: ‘Our vision of the future is less ambitious and our goals are limited. Working with urgency is no longer needed’.

It is easy to see why great teams want to rest and can get comfortable doing it. The initial effort takes a lot of effort. It can be exhausting.

Think about how you can prioritise urgency 10 years from now as your success grows.

I feel fortunate that we recognised the need for it early on and we were able to cement this thinking into the Aha! culture.

We knew it was vital enough that we started to document what a framework for our team could look like.

This became our Responsive Method and the principles still serve and guide the team today.

It is how we are able to keep pace — delivering weekly product enhancements to our customers, responding to them in less than two hours, and responding to problems immediately when the need is fresh.

It is a virtuous cycle. The more you operationalise and reinforce, the more teammates will be able to encourage each other to not wait.

Here is what I have found to be helpful when setting that tone.

Model openly

Your focus and cadence matter more than you think. Lead through action.

Review work and respond to questions quickly. Know that your attitude is impactful too.

Consider how you can light a fire that sparks excitement, not dread, about the need to move fast.

Be decisive

Confident decisions are critical. This is where having a goal-first approach can help you give the team what it needs to keep going.

I mentally process or even jot down the pros and cons of a given decision so that I can accelerate the decision-making process.

If you find the same challenges keep popping up, document an approach or create templates so people can follow them on their own.

Remove drama

Drama is a distraction and often leads to sluggishness. When you find it, stop to think about why it might be popping up.

It is important for leaders to get continual feedback and understand the root issues — what challenges might be slowing people down.

Make it possible for anyone on the team to bring up an idea or issue when it arises.

Be the details

You have to stay really close to everything that is happening.

I know this is counterintuitive in some ways, but I have written before about how micromanaging in the early days is essential.

Your vision and values will guide the team when you cannot be involved in everything.

Trust that the details people bring to you are real and need your attention.

Promote rest

Urgency without rest is unsustainable. You want to encourage quick breaks so that people can replenish without losing connection to the mission or the team.

We have increased the amount of paid time we offer at Aha! and use our on-sites to create mid-year breaks that rejuvenate the team.

This one is its own paradox though — when urgency is a driving force, the harmony between action and rest can be hard to perfect.

Keep it light

Have some fun along the way — this is our one life.

Show you enjoy the thrill so others can find their own fulfilment and joy.

Remind people that they are supported by the rest of the team and other leaders. This is how you avoid turning productive urgency into pressure.

When you can harness your own excitement and intensity in a lasting way, it can unleash everyone to achieve more together.

Urgency will atrophy in the presence of comfort and absence of concern.

That is why focusing the team on the importance of achieving right now is some of the most important work leaders do.

If you have built a culture of action that continually pursues outstanding achievement, you will be resilient and truly lasting.

*Brian de Haaff is the Chief Executive of cloud-based software company Aha! He can be contacted on Twitter @bdehaaff.

This article first appeared on the Aha! company website.

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