Establishing Control in a Crisis

Dominic Cockram BA MA MBCI FRSA FCMI

November 2013

Introduction

•  Why are crises so difficult •  What goes wrong •  How do we get control

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not”- Albert Einstein

Why  do  so  many  crisis  plans  not  help?  

•  No  actual  “how  is  this  going  to  work”?  •  Plan  is  huge  •  “there  is  a  plan?”  •  “the  plan  was  before  we  merged  and  then  we  re-­‐structured….”  

•  “who  needs  a  plan?”  

•  Speed  •  Surprise  •  Stress  •  Risk  •  Impacts  

Why  does  a  crisis  need  control?  

•  “the  cogniAve  and  social  skills  that  complement  workers’  technical  skills”  (Flin  et  al  2003)  

•  Not  new  or  mysterious  •  What  best  pracAAoners  do  to  achieve  consistently  high  performance  

•  Vital  to  high  level  performance  in  crisis  seMngs  

Non-­‐Technical  Skills  

Pre-­‐crisis  ac9vi9es  

•  What  can  you  do  •  What  do  you  need  •  How  does  it  all  fit  together  

•  How  do  you  develop  and  build  the  capability  

The  Response  

•  Non  technical  skills  •  Experience  •  RelaAonships  •  Individual  strengths  •  Team  work  

Complicating Factors  

What do you want to achieve? •  Control •  Knowledge •  Direction •  Normality •  Resolution •  Reputation •  Maintenance of values

What are the challenges?

What gives you control?

•  Situation awareness •  Decisions •  Strategy •  Communication

Situation Awareness •  Understand the situation – past, present &

future •  Understand the risks •  Understand time •  Know the priorities and actions •  Identify the decisions •  Direction, responsibility and parameters of

time

•  What  is  known…………..facts  •  What  are  the  outstanding  quesAons  to  be  answered  

•  Who  is  doing  what,  when  and  where  •  When  is  the  next  update  of  informaAon  •  What  are  the  risks  and/or  worst  case  

Situa9on  Awareness  

•  Known  channels  •  RelaAonships  •  CommunicaAon  •  Clarity  •  Trust  •  Reliability  

Informa9on  flows  

Decision  Making  

Leadership  

Communica9on  

Stress  and  Fa9gue  •  Team  •  Individual  •  Leader  •  Management  

§  Build  experience  §  Get  to  know  your  team-­‐  really  get  to  know  them  §  IdenAfy  the  experts  §  Be  accountable  §  Know  your  procedures  and  faciliAes  

§  ConAnually  pracAcing  

The  Road  to  Perfec9on….  

Dominic  Cockram  dc@steelhenge.co.uk  www.steelhenge.co.uk