Crisis Checklist

Crisis Checklist

Sooner or later we'll find ourselves in a crisis situation at work. Sometimes it's multiple crises at once and stress piles up.

The only way to get out of it is to stay calm and cool, but that's easier said than done, especially when you're putting out fires all around you.

The Crisis Checklist is something you can fall back on. Let's look at the steps.

✋ Step 1. Pause

Though it's vital to act quickly, take time to collect your thoughts or you'll risk making the situation worse.

So, before you do anything, take a moment to pause and take a deep breath...

Did you do that? Okay, time for step 2.

✍️ Step 2. Jot down ideas

Take a minute to write down your options and list the pros and cons of each one.

This will help you to understand which is the best path forward, and make sure you don’t miss a good option.

📱 Step 3. Call an advisor

Every leader who inevitably has to deal with crises and stressful situations should have at least 1-3 people they trust on speed dial in times of need.

Talk through the situation with them and share the best solutions you came up with, then get their objective perspective on how you should proceed.

🎯 Step 4. Focus and execute

Once you have a plan of action, be laser-focused on the task at hand - no distractions allowed.

Delegate if you need to, and execute until you've implemented the solution.

💭 Step 5. Reflect

The best leaders reflect on a crisis that’s happened and create plans for how to avoid them in the future.

Now that you've dealt with it once, document how you did it, and store a plan for how to deal with it next time.