How to Maintain Serenity During a Crisis

One of my former counselors, Carolyn, spent time in an addiction trauma unit early in her career... She learned that when a situation is chaotic, it is important to slow down, slow way down. There is so much wisdom in that. I still remember Carolyn sharing that the unit tended to feed off frenzy. When one patient was having a problem or incident, it would often cause others anxiety, and within a few minutes, the entire unit would be in chaos. She told me that in moments like that, it is so critical to not feed off the energy around you and to slow down to at least half speed, or else life-altering mistakes can happen. She shared that one night, they were short-staffed, and a patient was having a severe episode while a new patient was going through intake. They wanted Carolyn to rush the intake process to assist, but something in her told her to slow down, and she redid the intake process twice. She found a knife hidden in the new patient's luggage — something she missed on the first spot check. Her advice is essential for all of us. In workplaces, we tend to think of all crises as urgent and important. If our boss is upset because a client or an executive is annoyed, the whole team can be in a frenzy. As a team leader or member, it is important to be responsive but also keep your cool and check everything twice. Mistakes are more likely to happen when the situation is volatile or stressful. Being able to stay calm in a crisis is such an important skill. #leadership #leaders #workplace

Staying Calm in Crisis - A Lesson from the Drive-Thru When the stuff hits the fan, your team will look to you for clues on how to behave. If you're calm, they will be calm. If you're freaking out, they will freak out. I once had a deposit of several thousands dollars stolen in broad daylight from my restaurant. I learned that day that no matter what I have to be calm. It turned out that one of my shift managers stole the deposit bag and dumped it in the trash can to retrieve later. Fortunately, someone saw him and because we were calm and asked the right questions, we found the bag. In crisis... 1. Slow your breath. Slow your actions. Slow everything down. 2. Ask questions. Gather facts. Make the best decision with the info you have. 2. Be deliberate in what you say and do. Practice...so when the stuff does hit, you're ready!

Be calm in the chaos . . . My first combat mission in the A-10 was a 7-hour flight from Kuwait to Afghanistan. We had to refuel in flight several times to make it there. I had refueled before during training but this was different. If I couldn’t connect my airplane with the boom of the tanker successfully, then we would have to divert. We would be late to our tasking, and it would also be extremely embarrassing. It was a clear blue-sky day so we could easily see the tanker as it pulled out in front of us as we traversed the Persian Gulf. My flight lead hooked up first making it look easy, and then it was my turn. I reduced my power slightly to drop below the tanker and then slowly pushed my power back up to position my aircraft 50 feet directly behind the boom of the tanker. I was doing my best to control my breathing and relax my death grip on the stick when I heard my flight lead calmly say, “wiggle your fingers and toes,” a technique many pilots use to help relax during air refueling. He was clearly aware of the stress I was feeling. Leaders play a pivotal role in demonstrating that they understand the intensity of a situation while also helping their team remain calm and composed under pressure. How can we help our team remain calm in the chaos? • Prioritize clear, concise, and correct communication, especially during a crisis when people are eager for information. Tell them what you know and be honest about the situation. • Instill confidence. Reassure the team that they are well prepared to endure hard times, even when the outcome remains uncertain. • Empathize with team member stress levels and act/adjust accordingly. To help our team develop and grow, we should teach them our techniques for overcoming stress and facing fear. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a deep breath or wiggling our fingers and toes. #Leadership #FlyingInTheFaceOfFear #LeadWithCourage