The perma-crisis state

Some challenges in the roofing industry, like the lack of available workers, are evergreen. But when you are confronted with new pressures such as potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement visits or determining whether to automate tasks, making decisions can become paralyzing.

In her Harvard Business Review article “In uncertain times, ask these questions before you make a decision,” Cheryl Strauss Einhorn writes: “Today’s leaders aren’t navigating the occasional crisis—they’re operating in a state of perma-crisis.”

She explains a typical decision-making model will probably fail during constantly changing landscapes; she presents four questions to ask yourself when facing a new challenge:

1. Will my decision today make sense a year from now? Einhorn says: “Asking this question forces leaders to pause and consider the durability of their choices, injecting long-term thinking into short-term chaos.”
2. If this decision were used as an example of my leadership, what would it teach? “[This question] prompts leaders to widen the lens and consider how their choices reflect the culture they’re building and the example they’re setting,” Einhorn explains.
3. What if this isn’t the story—what if it’s the climate? Einhorn writes: “Rather than treating volatility as a temporary storm to wait out, [this question] asks you to consider: What if this is the new normal?” And if it is a new normal, your actions must have lasting consequences.
4. What is the cost of waiting? Leaders often are cautioned against rushing to a decision without weighing all options. However, waiting too long can be equally destabilizing as rushing. “By flipping the bias away from fear of acting and toward awareness of inaction, [you can make] a decision that balance[s] courage and caution,” Einhorn explains.

Next time you face a decision that feels like it’s part of the perma-crisis reality we seem to be living, consider these four questions to help guide your decisions.