One change follows the next. One crisis follows another and more are piling up around us at the same time. What to do? How to deal with it? We have been somewhat wrapped up in absorbent cotton for a long time and, as is the case for some of us, have been happy to bury our heads halfway or completely in the soft sand in the face of dark clouds on the horizon. Crisis-proof or even crisis-proof? Far from it for many. They often lack both practical experience in dealing with it and the right attitude. What’s more, they often lack the methodical tools to ensure good communication and leadership even under pressure and stress. So let’s take a closer look at the tips that can be used to tackle crisis situations much better. Not in a technical or financial sense, of course, but in terms of our attitude and personal perception.
That’s not normal!
Crises mean danger, fear and pressure. These have a quick and immediate effect on our psyche. Once these feelings get a hold of us, our minds can no longer function normally. Where we would otherwise think calmly and find good solutions for many daily tasks, panic can sometimes set in. We may react in a careless and rash manner and the next steps that result are often not the best ones. Some people do more harm than good in shock. This also applies to situations in which organizations, such as companies or even an entire state, go into crisis mode. Inexperienced and possibly not crisis-proof managers are then exposed to situations for which they are neither prepared nor for which they have any practical experience of their own. “Quickly, quickly get out of danger, get out of pressure” is often the spontaneous reaction – and it is not uncommon for collateral damage to be caused that sometimes easily exceeds the impending main damage.
That will be interesting!
So how do those whose main task is to deal with crisis situations manage this? How do they manage to stay calm even in exceptional situations so that they can do their job in a controlled manner, to help, protect and save? The professionals in this business are, for example, the THW, our numerous fire departments, the emergency doctor and also – as the Ukraine crisis makes very, very clear – the military and all the people who work in these organizations and make up their expertise. It doesn’t hurt to take a look over their shoulders to pick up a few tips from these areas for developing your own crisis resilience. Let’s start with a very important foundation: the attitude we take towards such exceptional situations. For all the groups mentioned above, crisis situations are not just a threat, something frightening, but above all a challenge. A task that is part of their own sense of purpose, their own destiny. For example, when a fire breaks out and a member of the fire department jumps into his uniform and equipment as quickly as possible, he also slips into a role. Out of everyday life, into the firefighting task, and our minds are immediately stimulated to take on this role. We then no longer feel at the mercy of a catastrophe, but instead resort to the clear thoughts and important tools that we need to deal with the issues at hand in a much more controlled and much less panicked way. In principle, our head can already do this, but in special cases it needs the right impulse, the “switch to change roles”, so that this works as quickly and effectively as possible. Problems become tasks and major difficulties become challenges that we face. It’s not about sugar-coating things or ignoring dangers. We simply use the fact that we ourselves have a major influence on how we perceive the things around us. We can decide whether we see circumstances as problems or challenges.
Practical instructions in three steps
A typical approach that we can adopt from our professional crisis helpers is a three-step procedure, which is often a good choice in crisis situations:
Firstly: facts on the table! The sooner reliable data is available, the better the starting position for meaningful measures. Secondly: diagnosis. The facts on the table are seen in context and conclusions are drawn from them. Thirdly: The most appropriate measures can now be initiated on the basis of the facts and their assessment.
Experience has shown that the more confidently all of this is communicated within the crisis team and the emergency response team, the more confidently the helpers will approach the situation. Positive communication is required; there is no room for whining and complaining. The principle of “leading from the front” is often recommended for leadership in acute situations. This leadership principle has two important advantages. On the one hand, information is immediately and quickly available to the leader, and on the other, the motivational element of leadership can be incorporated into the measures more quickly and effectively.
#niemehrjammern
Whether we see crises from now on as exciting tasks, interesting challenges and the best opportunities to contribute everything we have learned and everything we have in us – that is for us, you and I, to decide here and now. It’s our time, it’s our world, it’s our challenges. #nevermorewhining be part of it!