Getting the car out of the ditch

Driving up the winding road toward Capitol Hill one can enjoy a beautiful view of Managaha and the ocean. At one corner there appears to be a grassy space where tourists can turn off the road and park so they can take some pictures, capturing their wonderful visit to the Islands.

Unfortunately, the area also has a big ditch that is easily visible when the grass is cut, but it can not be seen when the grass grows longer. Every few months, we would drive down the road and discover another rental car caught in the ditch like an insect in a Venus’s-fly-trap plant. Unable to escape, the cars were usually abandoned until a tow truck was brought to pull it out.

There are a lot of “cars” stuck in the ditch right now, except they are called businesses, public schools, government agencies, or the CNMI as a whole. Many have placed warning signs along the road to alert the “cars” about the big hole ahead. Some “cars” have heeded the warnings to avoid falling into the trap, but others, like lemmings mesmerized by the hope of better times ahead, continue to march toward the grassy side of the road because they don’t believe what they’ve heard.

Sometimes the warning signs have been so numerous and obvious that people have become comfortably numbed to the reality of the situation. One can rationalize: “The ground hasn’t dropped out from beneath us yet, so everything must be okay, right?”

Those who have great confidence in the government surmise: “Our leaders are not worried, so why should I be. Besides, if we get stuck, Uncle Sam’s tow truck will come to bail us out of the hole like they’ve always done before.”

Instead of doing what would seem like the obvious solution to the problem—fill the hole—the grass keeps getting mowed, just to grow back again. Besides, getting people out of the hole mess makes heroes out of the rescuers—and that makes people feel real good and provides job security.

Unfortunately, too many “cars” have been abandoned when they got stuck in the hole. Businesses have failed, and organizations have shut their doors. Investors seeing what is happening tend to be very cautious about the situation and just keep driving by to check other places without so many pitfalls.

If you find that your “car” is stuck in the ditch, here are three things you should do: First, discover how you got into the ditch (crisis). You should look before you leap into anything that may get you stuck even deeper. There is a tendency that some drivers (manager/directors) know all the answers. Make sure you know the problem before you spend too much time trying to get out. If you don’t, you may find that you’ve pulled yourself into a deeper ditch.

Second, once you understand your situation and how you got there, get out of the ditch as quickly as possible. Gather ideas from everyone in the organization. It amazes us how blind those at the top of an organization can be to simple solutions that are obvious to the frontline people. Communication is essential to gather ideas and let people know what is happening and how the company will succeed.

Anne Mulcahy, who was promoted to president and COO of Xerox Corporation when it was in deep trouble several years ago, said: “Crisis can be a powerful motivator. It enables you to do things you should have been doing all along. Whoever said that nothing focuses the mind like the sight of the gallows had it right.”

And last, make sure to do whatever it takes to keep the car from falling in the ditch again. Some solutions are simple. Others will take constant vigilance to avoid the same mistakes. More often, than not, the car got stuck because the person behind the wheel was not paying attention to the warning signs, and got too careless. Mulcahy gives further advice: “Poor leadership can do serious damage virtually overnight. Good leadership—leadership that is consistent, honest, and forceful—can move mountains.” Or at least keep the organization from falling into more trouble.

The next time you are driving up the beautiful winding road to Capitol Hill, see if the hole has been filled, or has the grass grown tall enough to keep it hidden from the next unsuspecting victim who will pull over to enjoy the scenery from the side of the road. Solutions are sometimes simple; it’s finding someone who is willing to grab a shovel that is often the difficult part.

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(Rik is a business instructor at NMC and Janel is the owner of Positively Outrageous Results. They have consulted with over 400 businesses in 40 different industries. For better business results go to BizResults.biz to read previous articles.)