Stop the 24/7 Fire Drills: Define Urgency Levels and Protocols for Your Team
When everything feels urgent, nothing is.
One of the most overlooked performance tools for teams—especially in high-pressure environments like college athletics—is having a shared definition of urgency.
Too often, team members escalate everything… because no one’s ever said what actually warrants a late-night text or immediate call. The result? Burnout, confusion, and missed priorities.
Creating an Urgency Protocol helps your team:
Protect their focus and time
Reduce unnecessary stress and disruption
Respond faster to what truly matters
Let’s break down how to define urgency—and how to communicate it clearly.
Start With Two Tiers of Urgency
For college athletic departments (coaches, admin, trainers, academic staff), we recommend at least two clearly defined levels:
🔴 Urgency Level 1 – Immediate Response Required
These situations are time-sensitive and serious—they warrant a call or in-person response immediately, no matter the time of day.
Examples:
Injury
Major mental health event
Major health issue
Family emergency
Campus police are involved
Response protocol:
📞 Call immediately (do not rely on text or email)
📣 Clearly state: “This is a Level 1 Urgent Situation” when contacting staff
🟠 Urgency Level 2 – Business Hours Priority
These issues are important and sensitive, but don’t require an off-hours response. They should be top of mind during the next workday.
Examples:
Travel delays
Academic probation
Compliance issue
Financial issue
Lower-level health concerns (illness, chronic condition flare-up, etc.)
Response protocol:
📧 Send an email with “Level 2 – Urgent” in the subject line
💬 Follow up via team messaging platform during working hours
🗓️ Flag for same-day resolution
Why This Matters
Urgency protocols don’t just reduce late-night pings. They:
Protect team wellbeing—mental, emotional, and physical
Clarify expectations so no one over- or under-reacts
Streamline decision-making under pressure
Empower staff and athletes with a shared system of trust
Roll It Out With Clarity and Buy-In
Like communication protocols, urgency guidelines work best when:
Introduced in a team meeting
Walked through with real examples
Posted somewhere visible (team handbook, Slack channel, etc.)
Modeled by leaders (don’t say it’s Level 2 and then respond at midnight!)
Final Thought
Leadership isn’t just about putting out fires. It’s about preventing unnecessary ones.
If your team is constantly scrambling or unsure of what needs immediate attention, it’s time to define urgency—and protect your people’s focus, health, and performance.
👉 Reach out to learn how I can help your team maximize performance, improve well-being and resilience, and boost team culture.
