"SMART TALK"...Conversations That Matter.
(The following is an excerpt from the fourth chapter of my latest book, The Power of Ouch: Moving from Hurt to Hope in Our Lives. Look for my new book later this year). Photo: Me back in the day.
"Ain’t No Stopping Us Now" is a 1979 disco song performed by McFadden & Whitehead, and I love that song!
Whenever I’m in a creative groove, I pull out that vinyl, place it on my stereo, and get rolling into a creative burst of energy.
So now that it's firmly stuck in your head for the day, you may be asking, “What does that song title have to do with the Power of Ouch?”
Well, this ouch is about the decisions we make or don’t make during a crisis. Crisis decision-making is vastly different from strategic decision-making and even crisis communication, but leaders and others confuse the two.
I was once told by a leader during a crisis, that I should panic. Wait, what? Yes, you should panic because it shows your team that you care about the problem.
I thought about that conversation for a long time after that and it led me to want to try to help leaders in both professional and personal settings to understand first and foremost that all behavior is communication.
If I’m communicating panic, my behavior will demonstrate that every decision made will be based upon that panic.
One of my favorite lines from that McFadden and Whitehead song is, “I know you know someone that has a negative vibe, and if you trying to make it, they only push you aside…” because it reminds me of how people often respond in a crisis. It’s all doom and gloom and they push the Pollyanna’s out of the way.
Yet, it’s Pollyanna’s that typically have the clearer head and can help light the way forward.
Crisis decision-making is a skill and it’s a gift. It’s a gift to great leadership and it’s a gift to the people you lead. If you’re in charge during a crisis, you can lead effectively by maintaining perspective, staying adaptable — and operating in the present moment.
Leading through a crisis in your personal or professional life is really out of the norm for most people. A crisis can be work-related, technical, financial, brand reputation, or family and nature-involved which will demand that you take your emergency response plan and adapt it because the crisis is never exactly like the one you have on paper.
What steps can you take to help lead your team or family during a crisis?
1. Be present, and visible – Don’t lead from an office or phone. Give people face time during a crisis (if you can).
2. Give everyone a voice – in a crisis, people need to be heard and seen the most.
3. Check your own emotions – If you are afraid, nervous, or scared, you are not the person who should be leading the crisis regardless of your title or position.
4. Prioritize – I have a saying, “Progress equals priorities.” What matters most. If people are involved, it's always people first.
5. Fact checks – Your information should be reliable and credible for crisis decision-making.
I have seen far too many times when leaders rely on hearsay or what they think the best practice is in the moment. Look at the crisis in the moment, make decisions based on the present moment, and step aside if you are not the best person to lead in the moment.
Then breathe and make the best decision you can to get you on the other side of the crisis.
Then... hit that play button because “Aint no stopping us now…we on the move!”
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
"Smart Talk: Conversations That Matter... is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.
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