Chaos Management. Worth The Risk?
We’ve all worked at a place like this. One where “planning” and “scheduling” are just words and not part of the business culture. One where your boss shifts your priorities depending on how he or she feels that day. One where it feels like the entire company lurches from crisis to crisis without a break in between.
Speak to some managers and executives and they’ll claim that their business is “agile” and that their lack of strict structure allows them to better respond to customer needs and market changes. Meg Wheatley, author of “Leadership and the New Science: Learning about Organization from an Orderly Universe” once said that chaotic companies “were more adaptive, creative, and resilient than hierarchical companies”.
Chaos isn’t a management style, it’s management refusing to lead…and it’s exhausting.
Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting.
The Cost Of Chaos Management
Chaos management is expensive. Any business that seeks to grow, to be successful, requires a few things:
A business plan
A set of specific and measurable goals and objectives
Plans to meet said goals and objectives
Clear delegation of roles and responsibilities of the staff to meet said goals and objectives
Accountability at all levels within the company
Clear and consistent communication from both the top down and from the bottom up
Without these business basics, a company will descend into chaos. The lack of a coherent vision will cause staff to wonder what they’re working towards. Without communication employees will feel as if the company doesn’t value them. Without leadership they’ll question what their role is within the company. Without accountability they’ll
Chaos Management can cost your business through:
Increased turnover from staff burnout
Low morale from instability and pervasive fear
Increased chaos and disorder from a lack of leadership
Difficulty in finding employees to support your business’ needs
Delays in production from poor supply chain management
Higher costs from poor supply chain management
Damage to your company’s reputation
Is Chaos Management Worth The Risk?
A company that runs by Chaos Management is sure to get one thing… attention. And while both P.T. Barnum and Oscar Wilde believed that there’s no such thing as bad attention, they were both unequivocally wrong. While we may enjoy watching a train wreck in progress, working for one is no fun at all. These are the leaders who toss aside established processes and charge off tilting at windmills on a whim. They don’t know what they want, but they’re sure what you give them isn’t it. They create a high stress environment that burns people out and drives good talent away.
While Chaos Management may get your company attention and keep your name in circulation the cost, both in human and financial terms, is far more than the benefit.
If you want your company to be successful, remember the following saying:
“There is no coincidence that stability brings success, and success brings stability.”
