Stop Drinking From a Firehose

A revolving door of on-again, off-again regulations, mandates, tariffs, processes, and requirements sits alongside uncertainty about the broader business, geopolitical, and human implications of US actions.

From shop floor to the C-suite, heads are spinning.

Executives are telling me how difficult it is to manage the onslaught. No matter what business they’re in, everyone is drinking from a firehose. And we all know how effective that is.

I’m advising my clients to take four actions to navigate a productive path forward.

1) Release the obligation to respond.

Being responsive doesn’t require responding to everything or everyone individually. Further, rapid response often adds to the onslaught (or at least your inbox) and thus, may serve to heighten anxiety. To move forward, people do not need more. They need fewer, targeted or specific responses that make it easier for them to address concerns or take decisions.

2) Acknowledge the issue or challenge.

Then set it aside, just for the moment. Guide folks to return their attention to the task at hand: adding value to customers and staff. Making progress on something that advances your objectives is satisfying and helps to reduce the tension. Even amid a sea of things you don’t control, there is always something you can. Start there.

3) Decide if you’re facing a disruption or simply, a distraction.

I’ve talked about wrangling the distractions. But what if it’s really a disruption? The difference matters, as I wrote in this article, featured in Chief Executive’s CEO Briefing. Once decided, set aside the distractions and begin dealing with the disruptions. For some – like those in international development, scientific research and application, or export – the new environment may represent an existential threat to their business model.

4) Breathe.

Literally. In times of stress, uncertainty, or fear, people often forget to breathe. And if leaders fail to take a breath, no one else will either.

Whether your business is local, national, or global, what’s happening matters to you and your people, not just for today, but also for the long term.

Rather than trying to drink from a fire hose, turn off the spigot.

Or declare a “snow day”.

Your team – and results – will benefit.

The executives I advise routinely make their strategies work better. I can help you too.

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?2025 Tara J Rethore.?All rights reserved.?Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.