You're dealing with facility crises. How do you keep your team motivated in emergency response procedures?

The most important component of providing and managing clear cut crisis procedures is awareness, prevention, reactions, and consequences (understanding failure). Having a full understanding of the facility and how to safely operate in your unique environment. There will be tools and equipment that must be used correctly. You will need to find a way to keep and maintain intellectual equity (experienced personnel). Training to find failure and weaknesses within your programs and facility. Identify these areas and improve on it. Albeit, in no way is this easy, but in the moment that you need to be at your best, you will be!

Have a plan in place. From there I believe it to be relatively simple. Build a rapport with your most valuable asset by engaging with your people, providing them with clear concise direction. Continue to stay involved and ensure that you validate and more importantly, acknowledge or reward everything that they do for you and your agency. COVID mandates were a perfect example. We had to report to work even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Line staff were dedicated in the face of risk of illness yet they continued to report and provide services to our constituency.

You can’t predict every detail of a critical incident; however, you can create generic scenarios where you can set clear goals for the team. This is why consistent training is essential. Teams evolve, personnel changes; but concepts remain generally the same. Be clear with your goals for the team. Train inside of them and train outside of them to see if you need to re-establish a new set or if the ones you have set simply need updating.

Maintain top to bottom and bottom to top lines of communication. The operators and managers will see certain processes from a different "bird's eye view." Get use to solid team communication skills building. Ensure that each member of your team is the most valuable person in the room when they are speaking.

Acknowledging efforts during a crisis is frequently overlooked & undervalued. Emergency managers & incident commanders should prioritize this recognition as a key aspect of their operational leadership. Lead by example and exhibit empathy, understanding, and support for your team. A supportive leader can significantly influence team morale. Positive reinforcement can foster a contagious effect, shifting mindsets, alleviating stress, and ultimately enhancing both performance and morale—particularly crucial during high-pressure situations and extended work periods. If checklists are utilized for yourself and your response team leaders, I recommend incorporating a reminder to emphasize this important practice.

Recognition of all team members is essential to adding to the value process. All colleagues want to be of value to the team and have propose in what they help the company to accomplish daily.

This is where the concept of conditioning the team to respond spontaneously to effectively accomplish clear cut goals. Do not wait for the system to fail. Train to find the areas where the system will failure and improve on it.

This is the killer to success. As a well-oiled machine people need preventative maintenance (manageable workload, time off, effective leadership). Human error will come into play. Managers should firstly manage their workload to better be prepared to help operators and supervisors. Workload should be managed by both the supervisors and Managers. It the most well-trained people in place to help all succeed.

Respirar e respirar, n?o se gerencia estresse… ele acontece e acabamos nos adaptando a ele, ele n?o é a escolha ele só faz acordar para escolha seguinte, vou continuar, devo permanecer, como devo agir e reagir, ent?o só o momento vai nos dar o entendimento do que podemos e devemos fazer.

This concept can never be overstated. All should be trained in a manner that exceeds probability and look for the "what ifs."

“When your team sees that their feedback leads to tangible changes, it reinforces their motivation to engage and perform, knowing that their experiences contribute to the betterment of the entire response process.” This is a critical step towards a successful “continuous improvement” planning process. Keep an open and focused checklist of improvement areas and action items to track progress, improve accountability and document outcomes.