‘Know your ABCs’. It’s jargon used by individuals that work in the healthcare and emergency medicine industry. Airway, Breathing, and Circulation; A B C. These 3 aspects are crucial when it comes to the precious moments needed on the edge of life or death. A clear airway is needed if there is any hope of bringing oxygen into the body, regardless of any other means. Breathing, the crucial task of the lungs expanding and contracting causing change in pressure moving air in and out. Finally, circulation and its heart-thumbing melody of cycling blood from the oxygen rich lungs to the rest of the body; one could say it is the heart of this post today.
A beating heart can symbolize many things, energy, progression, movement, love, and life. That recognizable *thump-Thump* that virtually everyone can recognize. It is the embodiment of potential. Without a heart pumping, everything else will cease.
It’s a very poetic introduction, but important when reflecting on what it means to do a pulse check. As a leader one cannot simply expect that once a plan is in place, the prework is done, a project is started, and teams are solidifying and working; that things will just continue unfettered and unobstructed. There are bound to be obstacles along the way that can cause a smooth and flowing line of work to become erratic; some could even say tense.
This is why it falls on a leader to have a plan in place to regularly pulse check the thoughts and processes that are in motion, and if they are indeed in motion at all. A pilot cannot simply start flying and then release their hands from the controls or ignore the other flight staff. A surgeon cannot complete an operation without constantly checking for potential bleeds or communicating with surgical techs. A business owner cannot just open the doors and call it a day. Just like a car that needs regularly scheduled maintenance to keep it running smoothly, there so many moving parts that if left ignored may turn into catastrophic problems.
That is the idea behind a pulse check. Regular check ins and opportunities to reflect and rethink the current strategies. It is also a time for teams to openly discuss their thoughts on the projects and tasks at hand. There has to, of course, be a sense of psychological safety built into the meetings so that folks feel safe to even share their opinions. Without the feedback of those contributing to the projects the leader becomes biased and short-sighted in their own beliefs on how things are working and how the project will be completed.
The following are recommendations for how and when to pulse check a project.
Timing – Consider the lifeline of the project or the phases of the project. A mid-way check is the bare minimum. If the project is several years in length, than a quarterly or yearly check in suffices, but if the project is much shorter, say three months or less, bi-weekly will work. Don’t hesitate to poll the team on their thoughts.
Structure – Conduct business and meetings effectively. This will ensure that time is not wasted. Cover old business to ensure everyone is still on the same page. Open for new business to allow for ideas and thoughts to flow. End with deliverables or expectations and assignments to keep things flowing forward.
Surveys – One of the most important aspects is for the leader to get feedback from the team involved in the project. Their thoughts are important. Yes, business has to happen and work flows when no one stirs the pot, but in those moments is where resentments build and quality begins to slip. Keep communication flowing and minds open so that if new ideas come, or perspectives shift, a leader can adjust.
The pulse check, an action to confirm things are still alive. For a project or task to be completed it needs to be a flowing, growing, beating, pumping thing; ideas need to be shared, information nourishing the team and the processes.
If energy seems to be dying out and directions seem lost…
Check the Pulse. Â