Survive Mode: Recognizing When Your Organization Is in Crisis

Explore the key warning signs of an organization in crisis and provides actionable steps to move out of survival.

Organizations that serve trauma-impacted populations or operate in high-stress environments often find themselves stuck in survival mode. This stage is characterized by constant crisis management, reactive decision-making, and staff burnout. Without intervention, an organization in survive mode risks losing its mission-driven focus, key team members, and overall effectiveness.

Signs Your Organization Is in Survive Mode

Employees are leaving at an alarming rate, often citing burnout, lack of support, or overwhelming workloads as primary reasons.
Staff frequently express feelings of exhaustion, frustration, and emotional fatigue, which affect their performance and morale.
Leadership is constantly putting out fires rather than implementing proactive, long-term strategies to address ongoing challenges.
Departments or teams operate in silos, failing to share critical information effectively, leading to inefficiencies and misunderstandings.
The organization struggles to stay aligned with its core values and long-term goals due to constant crisis management and short-term problem-solving.
Those being served feel neglected or experience inconsistent service delivery, leading to dissatisfaction and loss of trust.

How to Address Survive Mode

Recognizing and naming the problem is the first step to making meaningful changes, so it is crucial to acknowledge the reality of your organization’s struggles.
Investing in strategies that support staff, such as workload adjustments, mental health resources, and peer support, can help prioritize workforce well-being and prevent burnout.
Developing long-term strategies to address recurring challenges, rather than only responding to immediate crises, allows organizations to shift from reactive to proactive problem-solving.
Ensuring leadership fosters transparency, collaboration, and accountability across all levels is key to strengthening leadership and communication within the organization.
Revisiting the organization's purpose and priorities ensures that efforts remain aligned with core values and impact goals, preventing mission drift.

Moving Forward

If your organization is in survive mode, you’re not alone. Many mission-driven teams experience this stage, but with the right interventions, it’s possible to stabilize and move forward. By recognizing the warning signs and taking intentional steps toward sustainability, your organization can transition from survival to revival.

Stay tuned for more insights on how to move through the Five Ives framework, or explore our resources at www.fiveives.com/services.

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