I met Brian because his brakes locked up. Brian drives an 18-wheeler, but the day I met him, he didn't have a trailer hooked up to his cab. He was driving on the expressway in Chicago. Traffic had stopped. He hit the brakes, rolled up an embankment, took out a pair of light poles, hit a wall, and rolled the cab on to its side.
When I arrived, one other person was trying to help Brian from the cab. Brian was barely conscious, blood streaming from his hand and leg. I was quite worried about moving him at all, but he was conscious and only screamed when he put weight on his leg. I realize now we shouldn’t have moved him, but it worked out ok.
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In less than a minute, other motorists stopped. There were 3 or 4 of us, all sharing in the responsibility of trying to ensure Brian’s comfort and safety. Nobody became a boss and still, here we were, all pulling in the same direction. We were able to slow the blood loss from the wound in his hand. A nurse stopped and with the collection of first aid gear from several of our vehicles , she checked his leg and stabilized him until the paramedics arrived.
In this moment of crisis, we didn't really have time to think about roles and responsibilities. We just did. Everyone pitched in with maximum effort and there was no complaining.
This experience made me reflect a little on the way that day-to-day business differs from that roadside at a moment of crisis. In most business situations, we have time to think about roles and wonder whether pitching in is encroaching on someone else’s turf. We have the luxury of wondering whether we should or shouldn’t help. We even have the luxury of complaining.
I think about what would have happened if the four of us had stopped to think and then tried to decide who would take on which role. Then we'd throw out a point and a counter-point, all the while Brian would be on the embankment bleeding. Certainly this is a dramatization but I hope you see my point.
In Brian’s case, the answer was easy, but it isn’t always that simple in business. We make business take too long. We try to outsmart business.
The reality is that in business you don't have all the time in the world either. Opportunities pass while you're in committee. Competitors are building and launching new products while you're bickering about process. It's simple, make a decision and move on (madmo)!
As a leader, I strive to create a culture where help is welcomed across lines and where people recognize that time is important. I also try to respect roles and responsibilities. We have to realize though that it's not always going to be "all for one and one for all" like in the movies. Still, we want to know when there's a crisis that someone will be there to help out.
Next time you're in a conference room and there's a crisis, look around. Is everyone in? Is everyone contributing? Is anyone sitting on the sidelines, their face in their phone or worse yet, complaining about the process or the project?
If yes, please, ask these three questions:
- Are you helping yourself?
- Are you helping the team?
- Are you helping the company?
If the answer to any of the above is no, there are a couple of choices:
- Reboot the mood, ask them to take a 5 minute break, find a way to contribute or to please leave the meeting.
- Excuse them from the team and company. Consciously help them find a place that makes them want to contribute.
A final note about Brian. As he was being tended to by the medics, there was a question he kept asking "Was anyone else hurt? I hope nobody else was hurt". Amazing! This man with so many injuries could only think of others. That's someone I want next to me during a crisis. Be well Brian wherever you are.
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