The Trouble With Organizational Sense Of Urgency
“When there is a sense of urgency then everything feels urgent, therefor nothing is urgent.”
I often use the work of Jones and Okun's document titled White Supremacy Culture from Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups (2001). This document has been so helpful because they create a listing of characteristics that are common to white supremacy culture and that are often behind inequality, bias, and barriers to equity, liberation and healing work. Jones and Okun have since updated their original document and provided an even deeper analysis and context. You can find a link below to their website.
One of the characteristics of white supremacy that I see come up over and over and causes so many problems for organizations of every size, for profit, non-profit, and government and that's a sense of urgency. You may be thinking "Wait, there are may aspects to our lives and our workplaces that are urgent and need to be addressed." You are absolutely correct and when there is a sense of urgency everything feels urgent, therefor nothing is urgent.
Jones and Okun define a sense of urgency as:
"…a continued sense of urgency that makes it difficult to take time to be inclusive, encourage democratic and/or thoughtful decision-making, to think long-term, to consider consequences…[a sense of urgency] frequently results in sacrificing potential allies for quick or highly visible results, for example sacrificing interests of communities of color in order to win victories for white people (seen as default or norm community)"
As you read that quote what did you think?
Do you notice this at your workplace or with organizations you interact with?
How does a sense of urgency (everything is urgent) impact equity and liberation work?
How does it impact trauma informed practices?
How does it impact supports and services to the most vulnerable in our communities?
As someone who is invited into a number of different organizations and agencies that are working very hard and with great passion to address some of our most complex and serious social problems, I see a sense of urgency as a barrier to slowing down and having thoughtful and intentional conversations and discussions. Allowing little to no time to be mindful of who is in the room, are the right people in the room and having their voices been heard? A barrier to thinking through the best strategy(ies) going forward and making sure we are creating processes that reduce as much harm and retraumatization as possible. It negativily impacts taking our equity and liberation goals and policies and put them into practice in a thoughtful and intentional way. An overwhelming sense of urgency can create anxiety and making it difficult for our brains to be in a space that promotes empathy, creativity, collaboration and good decision making. A sense of urgency can create pressure and stress that is not only unhelpful, but absolutely harmful to our larger goals, our co-workers, and most importantly our most vulnerable community members we are here to serve and support.
What are a few brief examples of the harm and barriers caused by a sense of urgency?
A sense of urgency often makes it very difficult if not impossible to progress in a way were equity, trauma informed practice and liberation can thrive and lead our path forward.
We don't have the time to slow down and make sure that we have the right stakeholders in the process and that the process we are creating is attuned to the needs of those experiencing the most barriers and the least heard voices.
We may not have the time or have even thought to consider power dynamics and paternalism in decision making.
Our committee/team/program may get so focused on a shortened timeline or outcomes and getting the processed done quickly that solutions, recommendations, strategies and plans going forward to address complex social problems miss the mark, are watered down and rushed through. Important voices were not heard and sometimes relationships are broken and we are not much closer to sustainable, compassionate solutions.
So how do we address a harmful sense of urgency?
A few solutions to a sense of urgency from Jones and Ocun are:
Creating realistic work plans and timelines
Leaders are aware that things take longer than we think they will and plan accordingly
Be clear about how your group will make good and thoughtful decisions in a compressed timeline
A few other strategies:
Be open with your team and organization about the impact of a sense of urgency and the anxiety that comes with it. Talk openly about how it impacts each person and then the work. Most importantly how does it ultimately impact those that we are serving?
Use tools like power and relationship mapping to figure out ways you might be able to get timelines readjusted if you don't have the power to adjust them as a team.
Many government agencies must work within the timelines and needs of elected officials that may not be aware of or understand the realities of what you are trying to do. They have their own influences and pressures and so trying to strengthen relationships with them and their staff or policy advisors can be very helpful in balancing pressure from stakeholders outside the organization and your needs for serving those directly impacted.
Leaders and team members honestly asking themselves what areas of the project or process are feeling very urgent? Does that make sense? Where is the urgency coming from? Is it internal urgency? If it is internal pressures perhaps there's a way to address that. Again, think of who you know, who supports your work, who do you know, and use mapping as a tool.
If you are experiencing a challenge such as this and you aren’t sure where to start or solutions you have tried aren’t working, reach out and lets talk. You are aren’t alone in this challenge nor in finding solutions.
Resource Links:
Jones & Okuna Papers & Updated Information on white supremacy culture:
