| As anyone living in the Western Cape will tell you, the storms raging through cities and outlying areas have been nothing short of epic. Many have lost homes, while people have experienced flooding and even loss of life. There are power outages, and disruption to the internet has left people struggling to find help. Through all of this, I have realised that disruptions are an inevitable part of life. The same applies to the workplace – crises will always show up. When they come, and they will, how can we manage them without losing our minds or freaking out (too much)? Stay Calm Before flying into a panic, take a few deep breaths, calm down and then adjust your plans to mitigate the disaster. Communicate Well During any crisis, helpful communication means sticking to the facts and leaving out the drama. Inform colleagues and affected stakeholders of the situation and explore a way forward. It Won’t Last Forever If there’s one thing life has taught me, no disaster or disruption will last forever. All of us have weathered storms and all of us have somehow found a way through. The fact you are reading this probably means you are stronger than you realise. Stay Flexible Instead of becoming fixated on following a particular course of action (it may not be the best one), stay open to adjusting your schedule, tasks and processes to reduce the extent of the disruption. Focus on What You Can Control Instead of stressing about the problem and what you can’t do, rather focus on what is possible in the current crisis. Learn From the situation Once the disruption has subsided, take stock of what worked and what didn’t, then figure out what you can do about the challenge should it arise again. By staying adaptable, communicating effectively and problem-solving together, you can turn disruptions into catalysts for success. |
