Escalation Culture

“Are escalations good or bad?”

?Today’s projects/programs are getting more and more complex due to increased variables and complex interdependencies in which these projects/programs are executed. It is inevitable that one or the other topic needs management attention since the team may not be able to revolve all of them. Whether seeking support from management reflects anything on program manager’s or team competency? Whether escalations are perceived negatively on team’s ability to resolve it?

?As a program manager with 20+ years of experience, gone through the above situation multiple times much more common than one perceives. Working with complex stakeholders, senior management, and diverse teams to overcome tough situations, I can confidently say “Escalations are good thing!!!”. ?However, team fails to address primarily two key questions in handling an escalating situation.

?“WHAT to” & “WHEN to” escalate?

?For the context of this article, I wish to stay with these two questions above. Which also address other questions to an extent such as, “To whom to escalate?”, “Why this escalation?”, “How to escalate?”

?Let’s start with “WHAT to escalate? “

?Two extreme scenarios “it’s all or nothing…in number of topics to escalate”.? the challenge is to find the right balance. This also depends on the team’s overall experience linking to its risk-taking ability. I figured out a simple way to answer this question by placing the topics into one of the quadrants of Cynefin framework.

?Topics which fall in the category where Cause and Effect relationship are not perceivable or not repeatable are those which needs greater focus. Usually, these are new situations where individual program managers or the team have gotten into. In such situations, team need additional resources and support, which are not part of the current planning, without which program will “deviate from its planned course of execution” or “program might shutdown” or worst thing that can happen is “customer escalation” which will have other impacts on the program, leading to organization taking a hit on its brand reputation affecting future businesses.

?Next big question is “WHEN to escalate?” Let’s deep dive…

?This is more challenging question and many fail to answer this because there are no black and white rules behind it.? Again, this depends on the risk-taking abilities. It is difficult to decide how soon or later the topic in hand must be escalated. This closely linked to cultural aspects as well.

?Being Indians, we usually think escalation means incompetency, which translates to the stigma of a program/project manager/Team must do everything possible to resolve the problem by themselves. This stigma pushes one to turn all the possible stones, before even attempting to seek support. Usually by this time it will be too late. This is one end of the spectrum. Other end is that the program managers start approaching the management way too early with a panic button, resulting in prioritizing wrong topics and allocating additional resources and support on wrong topics resulting in early consumption of organizational buffer.

?Both the extremes are not a good sign w.r.t safe and smooth operations. Teams need right balance between what’s too early vs what’s too late in taking it up with escalations. One way is by selecting high impact risks from the risk register which fall on the critical path and don’t have mitigation plan. It is a good idea to bring this topic to the management attention as soon as it is identified. At this juncture, program manager must only highlight the impact and the management start supporting in the form of alternate possibilities to overcome the risks.

?On the contrary if this risk is not addressed early enough it will turn out be a showstopper. Here team must highlight the impact and probability of occurrence along with the quantitative evaluation of the risk. Call out for support at this point will be highly appreciated if management sees a foreseeable impact of the risk transitioning to a problem. Management must support the program with all the possible levers, expertise, resource, and support to mitigate the risk.

?Finally, when the risk is not mitigated and turns into a problem then it will fall into damage control and at this juncture topic will be getting escalated from all possible directions.

?Both What and When are the challenges for the Program manager & Team. Team will be responsible for surfacing out these risks without any inhibitions and program/project managers are responsible to establishing a fear free escalation culture. Usually, team who foresee these risks much ahead of time might not bring it out if the eco-system that is not conducive, favorable, and appreciative.

?Positive escalation culture across all levels of the program will benefit in early identification of the risks and seeking support in a timely manner without any second thoughts from the next levels to mitigate or to resolve.

Brainstorming and review support: ?Anil Thimme Gowda and Pranay Dewan