Every business has a day-to-day, and even month-to-month, routine. The ongoing tasks are juggled efficiently because you and your team adequately plan for them. But what happens when another ball is thrown into the mix?
Unexpected events can throw an office into disarray. Too often we are expected to drop whatever we’re doing to respond to the crisis. While it is necessary to handle the immediate situation, the everyday activities don’t stop – and neither do your clients or partners. Having a game plan on how to navigate the uptick in demand will help you make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Four Ways to Help Keep the Balls in the Air
- Delegate. Sometimes an urgent situation may impact the company as a whole. More often than not, however, certain individuals will be tasked with handling the response. If you’ve done a good job keeping the team informed of overall goals and tasks, then asking someone that is outside of the fire zone to help is a great temporary solution. Who knows – they may learn something new that they really enjoy doing!
- Alert your customers. If your deadline on a project can’t be met due to the immediate needs of the crisis, let others waiting on your input know there may be a delay. Most people understand that things outside of your control happen. Telling your partners sooner rather than later allows them to adjust their timelines or work with you to ensure that the deadline is still met.
- Work with the adrenaline. Extra hours are almost a guarantee when an unexpected situation arises. This may mean longer days or working outside of traditional office hours. Embrace the excitement of the challenge. After the fact, you and your team can discuss ways to recharge!
- Organize your messages. The emails simply aren’t going to stop! Set up folders or tags for incoming emails so that you can quickly sort them by project once things settle down. You may also consider turning on an out-of-office reply if you won’t be able to respond within the business day to messages.
Celebrate Your Success
When the excitement has slowed, don’t forget to celebrate with your team. Congratulate others for their accomplishments, show appreciation for their hard work and document the details! Not only is this a playbook for the next similar situation, it also can be shared as a great example for others.
A little excitement is good for us. If every day was exactly the same, where would the fun be in that? As you start to get tired, remember, this too shall pass, and you’ll be back to juggling one less ball before you know it.
This post is courtesy of MMC Account Manager Melissa Holder.