OFF-MUTE π
π° These are fraught times.
π Weβre witnesses to division in higher education, distrust of big tech, fear of airline safety, and conflict over corporations about geopolitics and war.
π₯ A crisis can often trigger fight or flight β the evolutionary human response to danger β when leaders are trying to protect their people and organizations. But, can limit the brainβs ability to access logic.
π§ββοΈ Our CEO Beth Monaghan, who is currently earning her certification in mindfulness and meditation, offers her crisis response guidance in this PRWeek piece. Hereβs a recap of her advice:
βοΈ Ground yourself before reacting. Bring your nervous system back in contact with the part of your brain that operates reason. Step away from the situation and give yourself space to regulate. It might be walking among the trees or slowing down your breath. A pause before a response opens up your options.
βοΈ Get curious to deepen awareness. Are you taking the issue personally? Try to notice your thoughts and emotions without judgment and ask yourself, βWhat could I learn from this?β
βοΈ Find empathy for the other side. Underneath a protest movement is often a group of people caught up feeling unheard, unseen and undervalued. This opens up the aperture to a wider range of understanding.
βοΈ Keep data and facts at the forefront. Reality is easily skewed during a crisis by whatβs happening right now. Stay focused on important trendlines like sales, retention and social engagement trends.
βοΈ Understand that outrage is not synonymous with consensus or wisdom. The most vocal people on social media often donβt represent the majority. Do these critics have all of the information? Do they have a specific agenda? Do they want a resolution or do they want a fight?
βοΈ Give up the need to βwin.β Weβre all tempted to right the public record. But, sometimes the best crisis response is no response and let the news or social media cycle calm down on its own.