Stronger Together When We're Apart

 When Times Get Tough, We Need Each Other More than Ever

How are you doing?

• Are your teams distracted by fear?

• Have some begun to disengage?

• Will your teams be able to get their work done?

• Are you concerned about the long-term impact of coronavirus on your organization?

• What if someone on your team gets infected?

• What if you get infected?

• What if they start quarantining your people?

With the right tools, teams can support each other, thrive under pressure, and get work done when it matters most!

There's More To This Than Not Getting Sick.

I've experienced first hand in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina what happens when people panic. It was like a scene from Mad Max and the Thunderdome. One of the greatest threats happens when people shift from "WE" to "ME" and they say "Well, someone has to look out for #1."

Here are a few things to ponder:

• I learned a powerful lesson from the Filipino response to Typhoon Yolanda. They bounced back from devastation faster than any other culture that I’ve worked with. The difference? They focus on “WE” not “ME”. It was striking to see that even before the wind stopped blowing, they were at their neighbors’ homes asking if everyone was OK, offering food, and planning whose house they would rebuild first! If you have friends or coworkers who are struggling with fear, come alongside them with kindness and compassion. See if there is something that you can do to lighten their load.

• As the Director of the Medical Triage Unit at the New Orleans Convention Center following Hurricane Katrina, I saw first hand what can happen when disaster strikes and the world looks like a scene from Mad Max and the Thunderdome. Fear causes people to lose our ability to solve problems. It is helpful to understand a bit of the neuroscience involved: When stressed, the brain decreases activity in the prefrontal cortex (where we problem-solve) and the amygdala takes over. The amygdala is the default “keep-us-safe” part of the brain. It processes information exceptionally fast, but not accurately and not with any thought as to the impact on others. It causes us to have tunnel vision, tunnel hearing, and tunnel thinking.

• As teams move to doing more remote work, it will require more effort to stay connected. We will have to be very intentional. One problem with switching to remote work is that it isolates us at the very time when we need each other most. I recommend that teams schedule twice daily huddles via Skype or Zoom.

• Mindset matters. When disaster strikes, there is usually about 20-30% of the population that responds by saying, “I have the power to make a difference, it’s not about me, and I don’t care who gets the credit.”

• Mindset is a choice. No one can take that away from you. Will you be powerful or powerless? Will you make it all about you or all about others?

• It is OK to ask for help. King Solomon said it best a few thousand years ago, “A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” We are stronger together.

International Disaster Physician, Dr. Dan Diamond, can guide you through these challenging times

It all started with a burning question: Why is it that some people DON’T become victims? What he discovered will challenge you, inspire you, and equip you to flourish. Dr. Dan Diamond is passionate about equipping you to make a difference… especially when resources are scarce or times are tough. He was the Director of the Medical Triage Unit at the New Orleans Convention Center following Hurricane Katrina, led one of the first medical teams into Haiti following their devastating earthquake, and deployed to the Philippines following Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Dr. Diamond is the author of "Beyond Resilience: Trench-Tested Tools to Thrive Under Pressure". He has been seen on CNN, Anderson Cooper, and Larry King Live.