I used to do some consulting with this one organization that did amazing work but it in an unamazing and inefficient way. They were constantly understaffed and overwhelmed and they were sure to let you know it. Every time you called or emailed- several times before getting a response- they would always say the same thing: “I’m so sorry for the late reply. Things are SO crazy around here.” Every single time. The entire three years I worked with them. A true culture of chaos.
During one maddening- now sadly humorous- exchange, I reached out to my point of contact only to receive an out of office that she no longer worked there. I then reached out to the person the email directed me to only to be met with a similar response. I went down a rabbit hole of four different people before being directed back to my original point of contact. Maddening in the moment, a funny anecdote in the aftermath, but mostly an unsustainable way to operate for everyone involved. As a contractor, it was frustrating. As the clients this organization was designed to serve, it was unforgivable.
IS YOUR CULTURE CHAOTIC?
This culture of chaos is as prevalent with individuals as it is with organizations. The clients I work with are often overworked and under supported. Over and over again, they tell me, “It’s fine for now. It will get better when….” But when never comes. There is always another perceived catastrophe. There is always something else.
For most individuals and organizations, there will be a period or two where things really are extra busy and extra chaotic. There are lots of reasons why this happens, and even for the most organized and forward-thinking, it can be a challenging time. But the difference between these temporary situations and those that persist is the sheer duration and frequency. Is the period of chaos the norm or the exception? Is your organization constantly in a state of chaos or only occasionally when there is little that could have been done to mitigate it?
There are several problems with operating within a culture of chaos, primarily the fact that, people do not operate well under these conditions. When there is too much to do and not enough time or resources to do it, people lose focus, make mistakes and perform at a much lower level than they are capable of. In order to thrive, staff need to work within an environment that provides adequate structure, leadership, communication, and results. If the building is always on fire, everyone’s energy is taken up by always trying to slow the burn.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A CULTURE OF CHAOS
Within a culture of chaos, frustration and burn out will inevitably occur. Even your strongest of people can only withstand the chaos for so long. When you continue to ask them to take on extra work- almost never with extra pay- and to be patient with no end in sight, you will begin losing them. After too many broken promises that the situation is merely temporary and that you are doing all you can to make it better, people will eventually give up on you. They will check out and take their talents elsewhere. Or they will stay and their frustration will stay with them.
Additionally, a culture of chaos allows no time or space for thoughtfulness, intentionality and reflection. When you constantly operate in a chaotic state, you are focused on getting through the too-much work you must do to simply keep your head above water. It gets to a point where it doesn’t matter much how well that work is getting done, as long as it is getting done.
You are in a constant state of doing without really allowing the time for proper thought into what you are doing. You jump from task to task and just keep going, going, going. You don’t take time to think through what you are doing before you do it or reflect on it after it is done. You just thank your lucky stars it’s done, and quickly move onto the next item on your very long to do list.
This lack of forethought and reflection allows for poor systems and performance to persist because there simply isn’t any time or attention allowed for how things are getting done- just sheer gratitude that they are in fact getting done.
Another challenge when working within a culture of chaos is the amount of wasted time. When circumstances are stressful, challenging and chaotic, disorganization thrives. This disorganization causes documents to go missing, emails to go unanswered and deadlines to go by. Often it takes more time to clean up these messes than it would if you simply had done it the first time around. Instead, this culture of chaos has created more work for you, a sad irony as you try to do something, anything to lessen the load.
A side effect of this is that certain work never ends up getting done. When you give priority to perceived items of urgency and you deem far too many items to be of urgency, other important but perceived less urgent items never get addressed. The employee manual never gets updated. The outdated PTO policy never gets revamped. The new position that the office so desperately needs never gets created. The initiative that would really serve your clients never gets off the ground. The work that could really move you forward is never even given the chance.
Importantly, when you work within a culture of chaos, those outside of your organization simply cannot help but notice. This can be extremely damaging to your reputation and to the future of your organization’s success. People talk, and they talk a whole lot more when they are unhappy. If a client or a vendor, volunteer, potential staff member or board member has a bad experience with your organization, you can almost guarantee they are going to let someone else know about it. If this happens too frequently- as it will when you are operating within a constant culture of chaos- word will begin to spread that your organization is not appealing to partner with or work for or contribute money to. People want to work with organizations that are performing effectively. Those operating within a culture of chaos simply cannot do that.
And most importantly, when you operate within a culture of chaos, you are doing a disservice to the very people you have committed yourself to serving- your clients. As frustrating as it is for staff to operate within such a culture, expecting your clients to do so is downright criminal. Your very existence is based on these clients, and your willingness to treat them with such lack of care and respect is inexcusable. No matter what you’re up against. No matter what reason you provide. You exist to serve your clients, and it is your obligation to do it efficiently and effectively.
CHANGING YOUR CULTURE OF CHAOS
If you are currently connected to an organization that operates within a culture of chaos, it is important that you evaluate that organization’s willingness to change for the better. If there is no such willingness, it may be time to start looking elsewhere. Nothing changes if nothing changes, and if your organization is unwilling to change, it will be up to you to make something happen. Ask yourself what you need to thrive and if you know you cannot get it where you are, go somewhere where you can.
If you are interviewing for an organization or considering donating money to them or thinking of joining their board, pay close attention to their communication during your courting stage. Find out about their staff and programmatic turnover. Ask about their number of longstanding partnerships. Organizations that operate within a culture of chaos cannot generally fake it for long and in most cases will show their stripes quickly. Don’t ignore those stripes. Any concerns that arise during a time when someone is putting their proverbial best foot forward are telling.
Despite assertions that they work best when their backs are against the wall, cultures of chaos are never ideal and do not provide opportunity to do your best work. As best you can, avoid getting involved with these types of organizations. If you are already caught in the middle of one, either work to make it better or start updating your resume. You deserve to work in an environment that supports you and allows for your best work. Don’t ever settle for anything less.
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We are here to help you become the leader you strive to be. Reach out to us at: CoachKat@katherinespinney.com or 703-688-2394.
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