5 Ideas for Crisis Management

Last night, I was at the round table "Facing Crises: How to Prepare Collectively," moderated by Alexandre Florentin with Ziad Touat, a Crisis Management Advisor, and Christian Clot, an explorer-researcher.

Here are the key takeaways I got from it:

Crisis management used to be primarily a military affair and was reserved for qualified personnel. Now, the goal is to involve researchers, citizens, and children as much as possible. Developing the right reflexes in those who will face the problem can make all the difference.
Your ability to manage a crisis depends on your capacity to accept the reality of the situation. The more you are in denial ("this isn't real, it can't be happening"), the harder it will be to take steps to manage the crisis as it truly is. Mental preparation can be crucial.
The noise level in an ideal crisis room does not exceed 80 decibels. People speak calmly; information is received, verified, and then processed, with the goal of offering the most relevant alternatives to the person who has to make a decision.
Humility is fundamental. Be wary of those who see the crisis as an opportunity to shine and become the heroes of the situation. Also, be wary of excessive homogeneity in some groups: a crisis room full of engineers will produce an engineering solution. The same goes for soldiers. Cognitive diversity is essential.
Social connection is the key. If you watch my videos, you know this is a subject that's on my mind. We need to be able to create social bonds at the street, neighborhood, and city level. We must be able to work with people we don't particularly like—or even don't like at all—to achieve common goals when those goals are vital for everyone.

And what about me, am I ready to face a crisis?