How can you create a culture of inclusion during critical incidents?

Culture of inclusion is a culture fostering divesity and leveraging cross cultural technological expertise. Inclusivity is pivotal to idea that ensuring all individuals, irrespective of their diverse backgrounds understand their charter and the response expected of them in critical times of vulnerability. The underlying tenets are 1. Understanding the perception and requirements individual Groups. 2.Setting out distinctly Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) based organizational goals. 3.Promoting an impartial culture of selecting mentors and team leaders with distinct tasks. 4.Attuning training to meet cross cultural and technological expertise of the members. 5.Regular and timely assessment of DEI measures through interviews and surveys.

I think we first have to understand that we know nothing. Perhaps a more nuanced and profound understanding of human biases would be, that we only know what we know, and because of our human biases and how we were raised, we will never be able to see certain things. Until we admit that we are ignorant, and truly seek to understand, none of us will ever really know how it feels to be in someone else’s shoes. It’s even more challenging during a disaster when you’re interacting with humans on their worst day. When in doubt during any crisis, severe trauma, or catastrophic disaster, try these three powerful phrases if you can’t think of anything else to say: “I am sorry”, “Are you OK?”, and “How can I help?”

Pulling together to handle critical incidents for high functioning teams generally works well and a crisis brings out the best in those responsible for dealing with the problem. Having led local governments during natural disasters and advised private organizations and institutions through critical incidents, I have observed incident inspired reduction of biases that lasted long after the crisis passed, possibly because the criticality of the incident necessitated inclusion and a higher level of trust than under normal circumstances. If an organization is not well lead and trained, and its people do not embrace diversity, those realities will often intensify during a crisis.

With preemptive planning! A critical incident (CI) is not the time to contemplate the dynamics of inclusion or diversity. These thing should have already been figured out and formalized BEFORE the CI and followed minimally by appropriate meetings, training, clearly defined roles, and collaborative efforts. Foresight is key...without it is like driving a Ferrari at 200 mph and only looking in the rear view mirror (quote by unknown). A CI, small or large, is handled by people working together and this diverse team must explicitly know their roles and responsibilities. Diversity is not a problem to be fixed during a CI; it is a benefit and springboard to collective success. All of us are smarter than one of us.

Diversity encompasses numerous identities, backgrounds, & characteristics people possess, spanning race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, & beyond. Diversity extends beyond visible differences to encompass delicate small differences of culture, values, beliefs, & preferences. Gaining a deep understanding of diversity involves acknowledging personal biases, assumptions, & stereotypes & recognizing their potential impact on communication & decision-making. Stereotypes are fixed beliefs about a group that may not be true for everyone in that group. Equally crucial is familiarizing yourself with diverse cultures, histories, & experiences of those you collaborate with & serve, demonstrating respect for their inherent differences.

I have often found this to be the basis for spirited discussions…. Many will not only interchange equality and equity, they will resist the logic based on their personal experiences. Luckily there is a common illustration of kids of different heights looking over a fence using boxes that can either provide an equal opportunity to view or an equitable viewing opportunity.??

In my experience, including all individuals and stakeholders in planning for critical incidents requires a thoughtful outreach and engagement plan. While we see many tech advanced and savvy industries and citizens impacted by an emergency, not all populations have access to or the ability to use online apps, cell phones, or automate means of communication relied upon during a crisis. As we saw during the pandemic, it is important aspect of emergency services to meet stakeholders were they are at by understanding the technological limitations of all. Be inquisitive and curious. Avoid assumptions. There is no one size fits all solution when lives, livelihoods, and peace of mind are hanging in the balance.

Couldn’t agree with Mr. Dixon’s perspective enough. Being a first generation female in a leadership role in EM- talk about overcoming equity issues! So in a leadership role you see the value every different type of person can bring. As a leader it is incumbent upon you to develop others and break down barriers.

Equity is ensuring that everyone has what belongs to him or her according to his or her needs. Equity is different from equality which is the fact of giving the same to everyone, without taking into consideration their specific needs!

It's fundamental to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background or circumstance, receive fair and just treatment throughout the entire emergency response process. Equity involves recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of different communities, taking into account factors such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, and ability. By prioritizing equitable access to resources, information, and support services, emergency managers can reduce disparities and enhance the resilience of vulnerable populations. Proactive engagement with marginalized communities, culturally competent planning, and the implementation of policies that prioritize equity contribute to a more inclusive and just emergency management framework.

I believe inclusion is often overlooked when discussing DEI. Adding diversity is not the same as fostering inclusion. Emergency Managers should seek to uphold the whole community approach to planning and continually encourage participation from all members of the community in emergency planning. Emergency Managers should strive to keep open communication with the community for both feedback and updates. A community should not only here from their local emergency manager during an emergency. Within your team you can foster inclusion by creating a safe and welcoming environment for all ideas to be shared without fear. Each member of your team should feel valued, respected, and comfortable to make contributions.

I can think of no more clear example of what inclusion looks like in Emergency Management than the Whole Community approach. Inclusion is about more than just considering the needs of all the various populations we serve; it’s about welcoming and encouraging their participation in the planning effort. There is a seat for everyone at the table, because we all have some degree of ownership in preparedness, response, and recovery!

Inclusion is the key for team success because it's the foundation of team members contribution and motivation at work. We should ensure that everyone feel himself member of the team and give his ideas and proposals to the team.

The paramount to building a resilient and cohesive community response. Inclusive practices involve actively engaging and valuing the perspectives of all community members, regardless of their background, abilities, or demographics. Establishing accessible communication channels, providing resources in multiple languages, and needs of individuals contribute to creating an inclusive emergency management approach. Collaboration with leaders, organizations, and diverse stakeholders ensures that planning and response efforts consider the unique strengths and challenges. By promoting a sense of belonging and involving everyone in the decision-making process, we strengthen the collective capacity to face emergencies with unity and resilience.

Only a few people are interested in foster inclusion because most of the people are busy harvesting their self needs. There is a huge barrier when it comes to foster inclusion like seniors- juniors, girls-boys, utility workers-officers. Most of the people are evaluated by their job profile and rank not by their thoughts. There should be a forum to listen to people. Then only we can talk about foster inclusion.

In my experience, with over 20 years of Crisis Management, there needs to be a grass root approach in training to manage stressful situations. As ex-British military, our training prior to deployment prepared us the worst possible conditions and events. This was not to create immunity to the stress but to understand how to manage it. Organisations should ideally adopt a similar approach if the Crisis team is to be fully prepared. The team leader should be capable of appreciating and understanding both the strengths and weaknesses of their team members and their various responses to stressful situations. Our motto of ‘Train Hard, Fight Easy’ worked in our preparations to the point where the crisis situation was not as bad as the training.

As a crisis management professional, with training on mental health counseling and psychological first aid interventions, I find CISM vital in any planning. CISM can ensure the overall wellbeing and the long-term balance of the responders and as a result the cohesion and efficiency of the team. Training first responders in basic psychological first aid principles and extensive collaboration between mental health experts and responding teams can cultivate a stress management mentality in the responding teams. On the other hand, building strong mental health structures, with the ability to support the community in case of a disaster, can significantly improve the overall disaster resilience and the recovery capacity of the community.

To truly embrace diversity, leaders need to take the time to get to know their crisis management team. Each will have traits unique to them, and each will approach critical thinking and problem solving differently. All must feel the environment is a safe place to share their thoughts and concerns constructively, in an environment where respectful challenge is encouraged. Know when to seek input in an open forum, and identify those who make more meaningful contributions away from the crowd, as some cultures could find openly challenging the position of others as brash or even disrespectful.

Professor Kinsville-Heyne, I know CISM, is a fundamental component of Crisis Management, especially for companies that i work with who are operating in areas of the globe were their personnel has to do their job in an environment were organized crime operates. This daily fact causes mental and physical stress. The companies don't have current programs to deal with this challenge.

Nowadays it is a common issue to have stress or mental illnesses because of BOSS culture. Bosses are only looking for results not for the circumstances which can affect their underline severely. To keep the job safe one must cross the stress mountain. Bosses need to be more matured and co-operative to keep balance between job and mental health.

Three companies that I have worked with, have suffered from several habits due to lack of : * Emergency Management is "important" and plans are made, policies and procedures are done, but its not incorporated into the culture of the company. * However, other companies do have multidisciplinary teams who incorporate as part of their work process - a) daily group meetings with key rank and file personnel & strategic partners to identify risks in the operation (work related to security or to safety, etc.) b) do monthly multidisciplinary team inspections of key programs: one of them - emergency management. c) They have also leveraged of technology to provide time saving in data analysis of risk trends and use of software (incident management)

Evaluating is essential to ensure that we have the planified results on time and with the planified ressources. I think we should evaluate our work whatever the domain is. Evaluating permits improvement!

Building an inclusive culture during critical times involves simple yet impactful steps. Talk openly so everyone feels heard, appreciate each person's unique contribution, & make sure everyone, no matter their abilities, can participate. Encourage kindness & understanding in teams, adapt plans to address various needs, & create a culture where differences are seen as strengths. Set up easy ways for reporting problems, teach respect for different cultures, & connect with the community for support. Regularly check & improve inclusivity, empower individuals to play an active role, & celebrate successes while learning from challenges. The key is to be flexible, ready to change how things are done to accommodate different needs.

Principles and Values, which an organization promotes, or a Leader follows, are the most important aspect which underlines the purpose of doing something, for the others and where possible, involving the able, unaffected members in the ops. For example, World's largest Humanitarian organization, present in almost all countries in the World, the Red Cross Movement, follows 7 fundamental principles as it's underlying doctrine ie Humanity, Independent, Neutral, Impartial, Universality, Volunteer Service, and Unity. When all members of the ops, follow common Humanitarian Principles and Values where beneficiary's interest is at the core, it helps the most, in upholding team spirit, sense of purpose and inclusion.

I have found the best way to foster a sense of inclusion is through communication. By sharing the relevant details of an incident and continuously communicating the goals, the best practices and any available just in time training along with the pertinent details and changes related to the incident brings responders and people involved together in the shared processes and goals.

Emergency managers understand the critical importance of preplanning before an incident. This includes understanding the diversity within the community you serve. This is not only the right thing to do, but it may alter the way that you plan to meet the needs of more of your population. FEMA has begun to embrace this by providing resources such as independent study courses and other GIS application to assist in this process. One GIS application I would consider is the Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) which provides demographic data from the most recent census to visualize different areas of your community. This information can be used with other incident maps giving emergency managers another tool to be more inclusive.

La diversité dans la gestion des mesures d’urgence est un atout pour mieux répondre aux crises, en mobilisant des équipes diversifiées, innovantes et efficaces. Elle favorise la compréhension, la confiance, la participation, la créativité et l’efficacité. C’est un atout pour une organisation internationale qui intervient dans des contextes variés et changeants. La diversité est donc essentielle pour une approche globale, participative et humaine des mesures d’urgence.