GreenSage E-zine May/June 2009

Shift Happens: When Crisis is Everywhere, How do We Prepare?
By Hina Pendle, Us Partners

Crisis is everywhere. We recognize it more easily when it is an earthquake, a hurricane or flood. But, now we're all in a tsunami of economic meltdown, collapsing infrastructure and basic systems failure-in communities, organizations, government agencies and the environment. Because our society is so complex, we can't predict precisely what challenges will unfold as systems break down. The level of stress and fear is accelerating. Organizations are reducing their workforce and production. Communities are cutting services. People are losing their homes. These are not solutions. They are just immediate reactions, which trigger further unintended consequences. How do we prepare when life as we know it is shifting like sand?

While there is no way to be fully prepared for an unknown future, we can greatly increase our capability to respond to crises more skillfully, effectively and elegantly. When we know the nature of crisis we can predict what to expect and when, ways to intervene, and how to transition from basic survival to building resilient, self-reliant systems. Understanding the four stage process from crisis to resilience will equip leaders to facilitate the dynamic changes their organizations and communities need for repairing and preparing for the future.

Humanity is in the midst of a global transformation. Change is inevitable.

The old organizational systems, old ways of thinking and the stability they promised are destabilized and dysfunctional. Many are ill-equipped to weather the crisis let alone re-imagine a different and better future. As in any crisis, people are likely to be anxious, confused or reactive. Thinking isn't rational or strategic. It is focused on survival and coping in the moment. High stress levels can be paralyzing, not conducive to clear thinking or effective action. To transform the situation, a different approach is needed to set a new more resilient course. Opportunities for breakthrough, if taken, lead people to adapt, move forward and create a common, unifying vision.

Breakdown to Breakthrough
I recently heard that Darwin's “survival of the fittest” was misinterpreted. He actually said that those with the “most adaptive” skills have the best chance of survival. What a valuable message for our time of uncertainty. We can better survive and adapt to the challenges of change by utilizing the four stages recovery process model. Each stage has distinctive social and psychological characteristics, needs and leadership strategies. Using the best strategy at the right stage could prevent a crisis from becoming a disaster.

How do leaders lead effectively through crisis?

Appropriate leadership style and strategies at the appropriate stages are key. President Obama came into office during multidimensional crises-economy, wars, government system breakdown. People looked to him for strong effective leadership, seeking clear direction, stability, and self-confidence. He needed to quickly put together a team of competent experts. In the critical survival stage, people are frightened and feel helpless. They want a leader who can take charge. His leadership style needed to be directive in order to be effective. If he had been more advisory, letting government agencies find their own way or waiting until they sought his counsel, people would have felt rudderless, likely causing even more chaos and unanticipated, unintended consequences.

Hopefully, after securing a solid level of stability, experts and citizens will proactively resolve issues locally. At that point a highly directive leadership strategy could disempower the community and sabotage all their gains. Transitioning from one stage of recovery to the next, with appropriate leadership strategies is critical to success. Informed leaders can facilitate the transformation of crisis through the stages of growth to a whole and healthy community and society.

The Global Facilitators Service Corps and Us Partners are teaming up to expand the corps of knowledgeable leaders world-wide, who can help communities, organizations, businesses, and citizens to emerge from crisis, becoming more self-reliant and resilient. Join them for a series of 4 weekly one-hour webinars accessible by computer or telephone, beginning June 2, 2009. For further information, www.crisis2resilience.com/

Our time to make a positive impact is now. These skills will make a critical, positive difference in improving our lives, our communities and our world.