I recently wrote a blog with the same title http://www.media1.us/harrison-withers/creating-a-sense-of-urgency/, that I got a bit of positive feedback on. I decided I could shorten it and give it more impact as a SlideShare. It's about a "best practice" in change management that seems like a good idea at first blush, but as you really think about what the words mean, it turns out it's not that helpful at all.

1. Why Creating a Sense of Urgency
is a Terrible Idea
by
Harrison Cates Withers III

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3. I was recently told that a best practice of
change management was to
“create a sense of urgency”
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4. management experts
(including Drucker) have
been saying it instinctively
for years without actually
thinking about what it
means.
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5. what
does it
really mean?
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6. and is it relevant in
today’s business climate
of openness and
transparency?
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7. Let’s break it down:
Create a Sense of Urgency
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8. Create
what is it you are trying to create
when it comes to change?
If you want people to help create a
solution, you should engage them
before it’s urgent.
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9. Sense
sense alludes to a
feeling.
you may “sense” you are
getting a cold, or maybe
you just need a drink
of water.
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10. Urgency
the fact that something is
urgent does not mean
it’s important.
Source: First Things First, Stephen Covey
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11. human beings tend to be quite literal.
create a sense of urgency
is translated as:
a fictional account that will
make me feel uneasy
and that I need to take care of immediately,
but that probably isn’t important.
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12. what you really need is:
communicate an
expectation
and explain the
importance
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13. words matter
if your people understand it’s really important,
they’ll make it urgent.
(be transparent)
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14. Why Creating a Sense of Urgency
is a Terrible Idea
For companies understanding that user adoption is the key to
the success of their enterprise technology
investments, Media1 is a transformational firm that goes
beyond training and communication strategies delivered by
consultants and trainers.
Media1 delivers a unique process and technology that
engages users, aligning them with strategy, enabling
measurable progress against critical business goals,
leveraging customer-specific Human Capital Analytics, and
delivering more than a return on the technology investment.
Media1 delivers a Return on People and empowers the
customer to build a more engaged workforce.
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