Even in hard moments, like dealing with a crisis, I’ve found that there is almost always joy to be found in the darkness. A lot of the time, we deal with crises that other people simply don’t know about, whether it’s something in our homes, in our communities, with our friends and families, or even at work. Sometimes we share our crises with others, and they share similar perspectives, but other times we might not have had experience with the crisis another person shares with us. Even in the midst of crisis though, it is possible to learn from it and learn how to have better workdays. To help navigate these difficult times, I wanted to share four things I’ve learned about dealing with a crisis, which I discussed on a recent episode of the Even Better Podcast.
1. Recognizing Crisis is the First Step
Whether we define a crisis in terms of health, finances, or on an individual, personal, or communal basis, there are patterns that emerge between these definitions. Crises are times when emotions, stakes, and risks are high, and the things that come next are really important. In these high stress moments, we’re often robbed of the ability to be our best selves. But, by recognizing when we or someone else is in the midst of a crisis, we take a helpful first step towards figuring out how to navigate it. When we understand that we’re in one of those high-stakes moments, we can bring the right response to the table. This is emotional intelligence at its best — understanding our situation through self-awareness, applying self-management by getting a grip on how we normally respond, and being situationally aware of how the people around us are responding. From there, we can acknowledge what needs to be done and work to find the best path forward.
2. Honor and Acknowledge That We All Do Crisis Differently
As humans, we all react to crises in different ways. Whether someone excels at reading the room, providing calm, offering comic relief, inspiring action, analyzing data, making decisions, waiting patiently, articulating concerns, whispering words of encouragement, or speaking joy and optimism, these responses are all valid. Just because we each do crisis differently, doesn’t mean that one way is good while another is bad. It is unfair to assume that everyone will respond to crisis in the same ways I do, and in truth, it can be more helpful to honor and acknowledge that we’re going to do things differently.
3. Leverage Each Other’s Strengths
When we are in crisis, leveraging each other’s strengths is a valuable alternative to insisting we all do it one way. As someone who struggles with my desire to control everything, a time of crisis is an especially great moment for me to let others do what they do best. In a team, one person isn’t more important than another: we’ve all been given unique strengths that allow us to perform and support each other differently. If everyone in the room has the same strengths, we miss out on the valuable skills needed to respond to different crises. When we work together, we can arrive at shared goals together and accomplish things that are hard to do alone.
4. If We Listen and Learn, We Can Be More Equipped for Next Time
None of us want to think about when we might experience another crisis down the line. Truthfully, we don’t want to think much about the one we’re currently living through either. But these crisis moments can prepare us even to just take the next deep breath or help to steady us in a moment of anxiety. If we listen and learn, we can be more equipped for next time. When we pay attention, we learn about ourselves and how we respond. We learn about how we self-manage. We learn about the people around us and how we can better support them. We even learn from those around us as we see the admirable things they do well in crisis that we can apply in the future. When we view a moment of crisis as an opportunity to learn, we can build a toolbox of skills that will help us respond to crises in the future, no matter how big or small.
At Your Clear Next Step, we strive to make sure that every day is even better than the last. Each day is a learning opportunity, and our current challenges better prepare us for challenges down the line. Navigating a crisis is an example of one of the core tenants of the Changemakers Certification Program: Treating change as a process, not an event. When we view crisis as a changing process, we can learn how to become the best versions of ourselves, we grow in our emotional intelligence, and we better respond to crisis in the future. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Changemakers, please reach out or check out our resource page!
