Why Predictability, Control, and Safety Matter in Crisis Management

The hallmarks of a traumatic experience are Unpredictability, Powerlessness and Threat. As leaders, the way that we can best assist our team is to help create the opposite of those things which is Predictability, Safety and Control.

Predictability - inform your staff of what to expect as much as possible. For example, what time communications will occur, advanced notice for meetings etc.
Safety - making sure that work environments are safe physically is important but also staff being able to trust that they will not be humiliated or embarrassed if they make a mistake is equally as essential to a safe workplace.
Control - whenever possible, give staff choices. For example, give them options about breaks, scheduling and tasks.

Safety, Predictability and Control are the antidotes for Unpredictability, Powerlessness and Threat.

In this interview I speak with crisis response expert Bob VandePol on crisis leadership. We explore the questions of how do leaders embody resilience during trauma? How can leaders sustain a group commitment to a mission greater than the individual? How can leaders cultivate trust and social support when things feel out of control? How do we develop a resilience plan that transitions people to grow through crisis?

About Bob VandePol

Bob VandePol serves as Executive Director of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ Employee Assistance Program where he leverages behavioral health expertise to support healthy, productive people and groups. Prior to joining the Pine Rest team, he was President of Crisis Care Network, helping to lead it from a startup to the world’s largest provider of Critical Incident Response services to the workplace. He managed CCN’s Command Center in Manhattan after the 2001 terrorist attacks and led teams in response to high-profile tragedies including the Boston Marathon bombing; Aurora, Sandy Hook, and Las Vegas shootings; natural disasters, and our nation’s prominent university-based tragedies. He frequently consults with businesses, universities, schools, and churches regarding how leaders can accelerate organizational recovery following crises.

Show Notes

Psychological First Aid https://learn.nctsn.org/course/index.php?categoryid=11

Hobfull, Watson et al (2007). Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: empirical evidence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18181708

VandePol (2005). Leading Employees through Crisis. https://www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings2005/VandePolBLeadingEmployeesThroughCrisis.pdf

8 brief (3 minute) videos on resilience: https://vimeo.com/showcase/6969317

VandePol: Who Do You Trust When the Going Gets Tough? https://www.pinerest.org/who-do-you-trust/

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