How to Build Structure in Chaotic Environments
Finding Order in Chaos
Happy Friday everyone!
Hope you’re all doing well.
3-4 months ago, I wrote about my 2-year long startup stint. In that piece, amongst other things, I went into how one shouldn’t expect structure in a startup environment. Instead, the approach should be to build structure from scratch because a startup, by definition, lacks structure.
However, when I reflect on it now, chaotic work environments certainly aren’t unique to startups. You could, for instance, be working for a Fortune 500 that has one particular division which lacks defined processes.
There could be several other scenarios as well and, having been through such situations in different contexts, I would like to go over my approach to…well… ‘finding order in chaos’.
Here goes….
Understand the Chaos
When you’re in such a structure-less environment, it feels as if you’re in a whirlwind. Overlapping roles, a constant sense of urgency and shifting priorities can feel overwhelming.
The starting point should always be to understand why things are the way they are. If it’s a startup, the explanation may be that things just had to be done at break-neck speed and so there never was any structure to stand on. In other contexts, the story could be different e.g. a poorly integrated merger with another company or a particular product that failed.
Assessing the Current State
Once you have a sense of the ‘why’ of the chaos, the next step is to examine the current state. In other words, the next step should be to map out how things are going for stakeholders in and, perhaps even, outside the organisation.
One could start with conducting informal interviews across the board to get a sense of bottlenecks and pain-points. Building dashboards or analysing metrics through existing tools can be another way to get a picture of where things stand as well.
In my experience, an approach that incorporates metrics/tools, on top of open communication works best. That helps with putting a context to the metrics. If, for instance, I see the recurring revenue number going steady and crashing in a particular month, I could get to the bottom of it through an interview with the Sales team.
Setting Clear Goals
If you have no idea of what a post-chaos environment should look like, you won’t be able to realise how far you have come. Thus, it’s crucial to have clear, achievable goals. Whether it be through OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or some other methodology, the importance of having a ‘north-star’ cannot be overstated.
Furthermore, having the leadership on board is very important for setting goals. Defining short and long term goals is a mandate that, usually, the leadership carries so having them aligned is crucial. This not only provides direction but also helps in defining priorities.
When clear goals are articulated, the organisation/team can stay focused on what ultimately matters. This, in turn, takes away the focus from low priority projects.
Implementing Processes
It’s all good defining goals and mapping current state but in order to escape a state of chaos, processes have to be implemented. Adopting project management tools, like Asana for instance, can be a great way to track progress towards goals as well as deadlines.
In my experience, setting up a meeting cadence around project management tools is the best way to get everyone on the same page. Having a team-wide Kanban board to guide the meeting keeps things transparent and helps with flagging bottlenecks.
This may seem basic and minor to many readers but, believe me, many teams don’t follow such approaches and, if no one steps up to take charge, things simply fall into a state of disarray.
Building a Strong Adaptive Culture
Establishing a positive culture is important for success in any context I would say. Open communication and transparency ensures that everyone feels heard and valued. That, however, applies whether you’re working for a well run organisation with everything defined and set or a company that was established this morning.
When you’re in a fast-changing structure-less environment, however, it is especially important that the culture incorporates adaptability. Given that things would change much faster than a streamlined organisation, it should almost be taken as a rule that what works in one growth phase of the journey might not work in the next.
From what I have learned, regular feedback loops are a great way to get a sense of what works and what doesn’t. They allow processes to be refined on the go and pivoted when necessary. Flexibility and responsiveness to change are, both, crucial when the goal is to establish structure amidst the chaos.
All in all, building structure in a chaotic environment isn’t an one-off project. It’s an on-going process. Patience, persistence and a willingness to embrace change are all important qualities in such situations. It is a cliche but the key here is to not fret over everything that is broken and, instead, to focus on what could be achieved on the road to fixing everything.
Loving this advice. I worked in several chaotic environments in my career and wish I had taken more time to implement structure instead of getting swept up in the flow of things.
In the time in spent in the corporate world, I would say 80% of the organizations I worked at were in a some state of chaos. Differing degrees, of course—some with just minor chaos, others with major, hair-on-fire chaos. The "assessing" state was always missing—perhaps because it took time? Or everyone assumed they had the right assessment? Whatever the cause, that time for assessment, as you point out Naush, is so critical.