SWOT - Patti Cotton

Navigating the Maze of Polycrisis in Executive Decision-Making — Image Credit: Depositphotos

In today’s interlinked global environment, senior executives face not just isolated crises but a tangle of them known as polycrisis. This term refers to an entanglement of several crises that are deeply interconnected, affecting multiple spheres simultaneously and often exacerbating one another.

What does this mean for you?

For Jane, it meant not only her role, but her well-being. Jane was a senior executive at a multi-national corporation who faced significant challenges during an unprecedented polycrisis involving economic instability, public health issues, and internal team conflicts.

Initially, the compounded stressors led to decision fatigue, which blurred her focus on critical business drivers. Habitually, she found herself making decisions reactively, without all the necessary facts, just to keep pace with the evolving situations.

As the crises continued, Jane noticed a concerning trend: her ability to concentrate and engage in strategic thinking was diminishing. She described this as a “foggy brain,” a state where even simple decisions became daunting tasks. This cognitive clouding was not just a temporary lapse but a persistent condition that began to affect her leadership efficacy and personal well-being.

This showed in many ways – her decisions were sloppy and had a negative impact on the company, her team was nervous and wondered if she was ill, her credibility was slipping with her colleagues, and her CEO finally told her to go home for a week and figure out what was wrong.

When she called me, she had been home for three days and was ready to quit.

It was clear that she needed cognitive resilience strategies.

Through tailored mindfulness practices, prioritization exercises, and cognitive restructuring sessions, she gradually reclaimed her mental clarity. Over several months, Jane learned to manage her cognitive load more effectively, allowing her to make confident, strategic decisions once again, despite the ongoing uncertainties of the polycrisis environment.

Why didn’t I just direct Jane to rebalance her workload and delegate more?

On the surface, this issue seems to be the sheer volume of crises demanding attention. Executives often describe a sense of being perpetually behind, struggling to keep up with the cascade of decisions that each crisis requires. This often results in a reactive stance, moving from one urgent issue to another, which can feel like an endless game of whack-a-mole.

But it’s more dangerous than that.

Beneath the surface, the true challenge is the neurological toll that sustained stress takes on the brain’s executive functions. Persistent high stress disrupts our neural pathways, leading to a reduced capacity for the kind of complex, strategic thinking that senior executives need. It biases the brain toward immediate, fight-flight-freeze-fawn responses rather than thoughtful, long-term planning.

Over time, this chronic trauma response will affect more than your decision-making and stamina – this dynamic will wreak havoc with your physical and mental health.

This means that long weekends and delegating more simply won’t work.

So, what can you do to retain a strong capacity for complex, strategic thinking?

I worked with Jane to reframe her approach to decision-making. Here are some ways you can do the same:

Embrace Systems Thinking
View the polycrisis through a holistic lens, recognizing the interdependencies and potential cascading effects of decisions.
Cultivate Cognitive Resilience
Counteract stress and maintain cognitive function by incorporating resilience-building practices into your routine.
Promote Psychological Safety
Encourage an organizational culture where team members feel safe to express concerns and ideas, fostering a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
Prioritize and Pivot
Learn to dynamically evaluate and adjust priorities as situations evolve.

I also gave Jane some practical tools to strengthen her cognitive capacity.

Again, here are some tips and tools for you to consider:

Mind Mapping and Visualization Tools
Employ digital mind-mapping software to chart out the complexities and connections between various crises. Tools like MindMeister or Coggle can help in visualizing these relationships.
Scenario Analysis
Conduct robust scenario analysis using strategic planning tools. Software like Scapple or simple SWOT analysis templates can assist in preparing for various future states.
Mindfulness Apps
Leverage mindfulness and meditation apps designed for busy professionals, such as Headspace or Calm, to build mental resilience and enhance focus.
Team Collaboration Platforms
Utilize team collaboration platforms like Asana or Trello to delegate effectively, ensuring tasks are managed without micromanagement.
Regular Team Huddles
Establish a rhythm of short, focused team meetings to stay aligned. Use these check-ins not only to track progress but to collectively recalibrate as new information emerges.
Continuous Learning
Invest in executive education programs focused on leading in complexity and ensure access to similar learning resources for your team to build a knowledgeable, agile organization.

Jane and I worked together for a year and, during that time, her decision-making regained its sharpness. She recouped a tremendous amount of mental and physical energy, reignited her passion for her work, and was able to coach and train her team to do the same. Over time, she regained credibility and influence, and eventually succeeded the CEO.

By redefining the approach to decision-making within a polycrisis context, executives can regain control of their cognitive capacities, lead with clarity, and guide their organizations through the stormy seas of concurrent crises. These strategies and tools are not just lifelines but also instruments for crafting a more resilient and responsive leadership framework.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

Previously, I shared a 5-step power tool to help you and other executives finish your year strong. If you didn’t have a chance to see it, click here.

In the article, I mentioned in step 3 that you would want to do a “quick analysis of priorities and projects.” When most executives see this, they immediately think of going through what we call a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).

In the world of business, SWOT analysis taught us a lot. But over time, those of us who lead and support leadership in their strategic planning process have recognized that this exercise may do more harm than good.

In fact, there are 3 main reasons why SWOT analysis can actually be counter-productive, and hold your enterprise back from reaching its full potential.

1. You lead with the analysis instead of leading with vision.

Beginning with looking back keeps us from effectively looking forward.

Leading with such an analysis roots the planning in today – reactive mode instead of proactive mode. Instead, if you start by reverse-engineering from your desired future by beginning with the end in mind, then you will step out of current perceptions and into the “what’s possible.”

Stepping into vision first will allow you to leave preconceptions and biases more easily behind, making the mental space for more creativity and innovation.

2. You focus on the weaknesses instead of the opportunities.

This, too, is rooted in past principles of leading by focusing on fixing what’s wrong. Language is powerful, and the very word “weakness” intimates that you must get better, improve, repair.

Instead of locking you and your strategic planning team into that kind of Titanic mindset, begin by reviewing your strengths. Remember first what you do well and the unique value you bring to the marketplace.

In addition, consider that what some call “weakness” may actually be reworded as a partnership opportunity. By reframing the term, we actually reframe the thinking of those involved in the process to more positive possibilities to explore.

3. You put the analysis results on the shelf.

Many enterprises don’t do anything with the information from the analysis they have performed. It sits on a shelf for a while, and then someone suggests doing one again, because the marketplace has changed. And these days, that could be a matter of months.

An unused analysis can be because there was no accountability determined with next steps, or leadership didn’t really have a sound strategic planning process that helped to move the team forward to take action. Or it may be for other reasons. But all limiting scenarios can be overcome with the right process, if you are committed.

The SWOT analysis was a first good beta for answering the question, “How are we doing?”

But there’s a better way to ask…well, better questions. I’ll be sharing that with you in my next article.

Meanwhile, whether you are about to undertake a strategic planning process, or you simply want to do a “spot check” with your team to see how well you are doing, remember to make the experience a motivating and enjoyable one – and then do something with it!

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.