In a previous post, we discussed the importance of escalation in certain situations, as well as some specific situations in which employees should be raising issues with their managers.
It can be difficult to encourage appropriate escalation habits both because employers tend to value independence among their staff and because employees also often want to be seen as independent in the eyes of their managers. For this reason, it’s key not only to understand when escalation is appropriate but also to train employees on how to escalate.
Many employees and managers fear that escalating issues too soon or too often will make them appear to be “crying wolf.” At the same time, waiting too long or not escalating at all can lead to significant consequences.
As ProjectManagement.com writes, “The real difficulty or challenge in escalating an issue is the right timing to raise it. We all have heard this story of a shepherd-boy who used to falsely cry ‘wolf-wolf’ for getting villagers’ help. Soon the villagers stopped believing him. When the wolf truly came, no one paid attention to his cries, nor anyone helped him.”
Following are some important points and tips to help your employees feel comfortable with making a decision to escalate an issue.
Escalation Isn’t a Sign of Failure
From a cultural standpoint, the perception of escalation as a sign of failure or inability is perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome. It’s important to constantly remind employees that just because an issue was escalated to a manager doesn’t mean the employee who escalated the issue is looked down on in any way.
Identify Situations When Escalation Is Appropriate or Even Required
Once you establish that escalation isn’t a dirty word, the next step is to identify situations when escalation is appropriate or even when escalation is required. We provided some examples in a previous post. These and any others that are appropriate for your organization should be made clear to staff. Using specific examples can help to drive the point home.
Be Clear About the Escalation Path
Employees should have a firm understanding of the appropriate path of escalation for issues that come up. The specific path will depend on the organization and the situation at hand. For example, some organizations may have strict expectations that the chain of command is adhered to very closely.
Other more horizontal or matrix organizations may be more comfortable with escalating issues outside of the formal chain of command or even skipping levels for expediency. It’s important to be clear what expectations are to avoid stepping on toes or unnecessarily delaying resolution.
Encourage Employees to be Specific
When employees escalate issues, they should be clear about what they are expecting from their managers. They shouldn’t be going to a boss and throwing their hands up and asking for help in a general sense. This gives the impression that the employee is shirking responsibility.
Instead, the employee should come prepared to describe the situation at hand, offer a suggested resolution, and have a specific ask or asks. This could be more resources, executive-level mandates, or even advice on how to move forward.
Escalation to managers shouldn’t be seen as a sign of inability or laziness. Unfortunately, the company culture of many organizations lends itself to that exact perception. Training employees on when it is appropriate to escalate and how to pursue that escalation can avoid situations when employees escalate too often and too early, as well as situations when they should have escalated earlier.