9 Tips for Managing Chaos

In 2005 I organized 2,000+ volunteers over the course of 5 months on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. I was responsible for the lives of up to 200 strangers; feeding them, providing shelter, managing projects… Strangers who daily drove off in 12 of my vehicles to use power tools they weren’t experts with… The chaos can’t be controlled, only managed.

Here are 9 chaos management tips for anyone running their own business… or trying to juggle 2 bowling pins, a baby and a nail-gun.

1 ) Most people don’t do well in really stressful situations. I’ve noticed that when people can’t find something or need my help figuring something out… the solution is often in the same room with us. “We ran out of paper and I really have to print something immediately! How can we print without paper!?� Well, take half of the paper out of the main printer and make a note for Bob to pick up more paper when he goes out for lunch… 90% of solutions are very simple solutions… The people are asking for help, because they are stressed out and uncomfortable with the chaos. Even if it is a simple thing and they could probably figure it out… it is comforting to know people can come to you for the solutions.

2 ) The phrase goes, “How do you eat an Elephant… one bite at a time� Nah… I invite others to help me eat and we have a party. Engage others in their expertise… why do something you hate to do when somebody else enjoys doing it and probably does it better than you. You have to be willing and able to delegate. Swallow your pride and share the work load.

3 ) Organize a list of things you need to do the night before… waking up always sucks, but waking up and then trying to figure out what you’re doing is a pain in the ass you don’t want to start your day off with. As the day progresses, cross things off the to-do list and add new things as they pop up. When you sit down the next night to figure out what you have to do the next day… move things to a new list.

4 ) Always, always have a pen. Paper is helpful too. People call, you remember something… write it down. I was once on the phone with a very successful businessman, when he asked if I had a pen on me at all times? I said yes. (that was a lie at the time), but is the truth now. It isn’t just a tool you can use to keep yourself organized. When you’re with a group of people and somebody needs a pen and you’re the one that has one immediately handy, the image you present to the rest of the people is that you’re on top of things… Asking around for a pen to write something important down makes you look like you can’t organize yourself and doesn’t market you well.

5 ) God didn’t create the world in 1 day… He created it in several days and the programmer he hired probably wasn’t as flaky as yours. Relax. Understand that things take time… If you’re stressed out your thinking is all mucked up. Mucked up thinking leads to things spelled with a different letter.

6 ) Don’t try and control everything. Managing chaos is a lot like herding cats. Things are all over the place at all times. Have a broad vision for what you’re trying to do. Being too focused on each single event will wear you down rapidly and easily feed the chaos as you neglect other important things.

7 ) Sometimes it is in your best interest not to put out a major fire immediately. Think of managing chaos as a bit of a chess game. You need to think 4-5 moves down the line at all times. Is the fire burning an old half-dead forest or is it burning your house with your family inside? If it is an old forest, the fire may actually help re-growth in the long run. *Disclaimer - Every major problem should be thoroughly evaluated and sometimes immediate action is required.

8 ) Give credit where it is due. The people helping you manage the chaos are probably putting in long hours and tons of energy. If they feel like you don’t appreciate their support, then you probably won’t be enjoying it very long. Make a note to yourself to take time to individually ask your supporters how they’re doing and if there is anything you can do to help them. This also maintains your connection to all the players on your team and helps catch group personal problems before they explode.

9 ) No matter how old people get… they never lose their ability to act like a bunch of 10 year olds fighting on the playground. When you’re dealing with any sort of group of people, you’re bound to have personal conflicts arise. When you add the stress of chaos… multiply the amount of problems you should expect. The tension brings people’s emotions to the surface and soon you’ll find two people fighting over something that could have been mediated with a simple conversation. I’ve sat between two successful businessmen twice my age and net-worth to help them figure out, that what he said, wasn’t what he said and that what he did isn’t in fact what she said he did when he did it… the game of telephone can kill morale.

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