Calm
- Recognize that everyone is different.
- Acknowledge that everyone will have different reactions.
- Give people time to process their feelings.
- Don’t make assumptions about people’s reactions.
- Be patient.
- Have empathy.
- Be compassionate.
Safe
You may also benefit from having a safe space to express your thoughts and feelings. This could be with a leadership coach, fashion book or other professional support.
Even if you have not experienced any emotions related to the pandemic, it is still important that your cognitive thinking is accurate and not distorted by worrying. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I assume the worst will always happen?
- Do I blow things out of proportion?
- Do I make mountains out of molehills?
- Am I a perfectionist?
Provide a safe space to discuss feelings
- Encourage people to express themselves.
- Be empathetic.
- Be human, and show your human side.
- Be aware of how your own feelings are impacting others.
- Ask your employees what they need, and be as open and honest as you can with them.
- Know that you will make mistakes, but don’t let them stop you from trying again
Caring
- Show kindness, empathy and care to your clients. Let them know that you’re thinking about them. Take the time to understand what they need and how you can help. For example, if a client is having a bad day, ask him or her whether there are small things you can do to help. Often, people just want the reassurance that someone cares.
- Webinars often provide an opportunity for people to learn from each other and from experts in the field.
- Virtual happy hours are also helpful for fostering connection among colleagues who may be feeling isolated in their home offices.
Helping your employees cope with uncertainty is a key part of staying engaged at work
- Acknowledge their feelings
- Help employees to find a balance
- Provide them with the resources they need to be successful
- Create a sense of community
- Encourage people to take breaks, and don’t hold it against them if productivity suffers at times as a result of mental health issues that are affecting employees.
- Help them to feel empowered, not ignored or isolated from decision making in your company by letting them know that their voice is heard and their opinions matter — even when you can’t do what they think needs to be done about an issue, you can at least let them know why that is and how the problem is being addressed in other ways (if it’s an appropriate topic for workplace conversation).
- Allow for flexibility in the workplace so people can get things done however works best for them rather than having rigid rules about when things need to happen – work hours may vary throughout any given day depending on personal responsibilities outside of work time.”
There are many ways to stay calm and panic free if you are going through a crisis. The key to getting over it is to think positively as well as try to maintain your composure while you deal with such an unpredictable situation. A social support group may also help, but at the end of the day no one can predict how people will react to a crisis, good or bad. The strategies and solutions discussed in this article will be helpful for all types of crisis, whether big or small, professional or personal. But if anything is clear in a crisis situation, it’s that preparation is key. Clear your mind, focus your thoughts, and plan ahead when you can. When the time comes and a crisis strikes, you’ll have a better chance of dealing with it calmly and effectively if you’re prepared to do so.
CRISIS IS NOT THE END OF THIS WORLD
Crises need not push you to the verge of panic. You can use them as opportunities to break out of your comfort zone and be an active participant in decision-making. The more you understand how the crisis happened, the better you can respond to it and take control of it. This will not only improve your ability to deal with future crises but also impress your bosses who are observing you work through this one. In recent years, companies that have responded in a proactive manner during crises have outperformed those who failed to communicate quickly and effectively with stakeholders. Ultimately, we are most concerned about the ’12 Day Rule’, which proves that organizations who did not respond adequately within 12 days of a crisis point, suffered greater financial losses than those who did. Strategy should be at the forefront of any communications team member’s mind but at times it is easy to forget and get things wrong. That can lead to embarrassment for your business and the loss of consumer trust in you as an organization.
- A crisis on your hands can be scary and overwhelming, especially for a small business owner. But if you have a plan in place or have thought about what to do in such a situation, the resulting damage caused by the crisis may not be as severe
- While it is important to prepare, there are things you can do to limit the damage, utilize your resources and people, and recover effectively:
- Accountability is key. Let them know on a regular basis what you are seeing and what kind of budget it would take to improve the situation. Or, if you need more time for research, let them know that as well.
