6 Ways to Handle a Crisis at Work
A crisis at work can include anything from not clinching an important deal, evacuating an office building due to a fire hazard or sending erroneous deliverables to a client. Here are a few ways in which you should deal with a crisis at work, no matter how small or big it is.
1. Be patient
Whenever a crisis hits your company, all the team members and other incumbents of your organization are likely to start panicking. The key to face any crisis is to first be patient and calm. If you are hassled, you will add to the panic and you won’t be able to take stock of the crisis with a clear head. Making incorrect and hurried decisions during the time of a crisis will lead to further confusion.
2. Don’t try to hide the mistake
Whether the crisis in your company has occurred due to your own mistake or the oversight of another team member, don’t try to hide it. Notify the relevant members of the top management or any other managers who are in charge. You may receive a reaction of anger in the beginning, but you will be better equipped to handle the crisis if everyone is aware of it. Trying to solve a crisis all by yourself will make you say a lot of lies and may put you into further trouble.
3. Reshuffle your goals and targets
If an aberration has been caused by a crisis in your company, don’t expect yourself or your team to achieve the targets and objectives you had set originally. You will have to asses the situation after the crisis hits, calculate losses, measure your remaining resources and make a new action plan. One of the important elements of crisis management is to be flexible according to the situation.
