Your normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. A slight fluctuation from that baseline is normal and no immediate cause for alarm. However, a fever is a higher-than-normal body temperature that is usually a result of an infection or inflammation. The elevated temperature, although uncomfortable or downright miserable, is not the real cause for concern. It is the deeper issue that is causing the temperature that needs to be addressed. If the underlying issue, infection, or illness is cared for, the temperature will return to normal.
My wife is a nurse practitioner and I have many friends in the medical field, so to those friends: Please don’t read too deeply into my likely flawed interpretation of body temperature. Rather, let’s look at what it can teach us about events and organizational health. Your body can only function at full capacity when all systems are working in harmony. In the same way, healthy organizations can only execute a great event if there is alignment within the team—the organization and all departments working together toward a common goal.
Events are the thermometer that allows us to measure the health of an organization. Significant elevations in temperature or significant event dysfunction are a symptom of a deeper illness or infection in your organization or culture. The fever or event dysfunction will not ultimately kill you or your organization; it’s the deeper unseen issues that will, if left unaddressed. Many organizations focus on the fever, providing temporary solutions to the dysfunction of the event rather than looking at the deeper, fatal causes of that fever. You can take Tylenol or throw money at the problem, but the result is temporary and the root issue remains.
Healthy organizations can plan and execute great events. Healthy organizations recognize fluctuations in temperature and do something about the deeper issues. Healthy organizations don’t ignore their high temperature or try to fix it with a simple cold pack. Does your organization show signs of a fever? Has an event alerted you to the fact that your temperature is rising? Have you addressed the deeper issues that have caused the fever or are you just treating the symptoms.
Examples of the deeper issues that cause an event fever:
- It is very hard to have an event that has a clear tie of the mission of the organization if the organization does not have a clear or articulated mission.
- Poor communication between individuals, managers, senior leadership, and between departments is amplified in the planning and execution of large events.
- Silos in your organization prevent you from making any real progress or impact with your event.