Disasters and emergencies, like fires, earthquakes, pandemics, and hurricanes, can be very chaotic and the bureaucracy that goes along with them can be frustrating. Beyond the immediate physical and emotional toll, disasters often prompt individuals to re-evaluate their priorities and life choices because they are so life-changing. While coaches do not treat trauma as coaches are not the same as psychologists, coaches can help people try to navigate the way forward, make some decisions, re-evaluate their priorities, regroup as a team, deal with conflict, and take some baby steps in the midst of it.
Navigating Priorities & Making Decisions with a Coach
A life-changing event, such as a disaster or emergency, can bring people to a critical juncture in their lives and forward-looking challenges. When people reach this juncture in their lives, especially with a total loss, they often mourn what they have lost, evaluate how they have lived so far, and decide if they want to continue on the same path or try something new. Whereas before a life-changing event, people might try to keep up with the Joneses and avoid conflict by living as others expect them to, but after, they might realize just how important relationships are to people and living authentically.
In addition, natural disasters can bring substantial logistical challenges on top of the emotional toll and big-picture self-reflection that all compete for a survivor’s attention. It may take months (if not years) for people to get back on their feet. Everyday life plus the after-effects of a disaster (including difficulty in thinking clearly through all of the emotions) compete for the attention of survivors. Coaching can help individuals think clearly enough to figure out where to put their attention and how they want to live. A values assessment can help people how to prioritize using values as a guide. With coaching, people can decide whether, when, and where they want to or can rebuild and envision what their new lives will look like.
Regrouping as a Team
With everyone in a team or part of a team scattered because of a disaster or emergency, people’s thoughts may be distracted by their lives outside of work. Sometimes, there is no work to go back to because of the wreckage due to a disaster or emergency. Through team coaching, a coach can facilitate discussions with teams and help bring them back together to focus their thoughts and strategize the way forward together. Given the logistical complexities of recovery, sometimes it is helpful to have someone focus teams so they are able to navigate all of the moving parts. This might also mean figuring out what policies need to be instituted to allow flexibility for the new circumstances, such as working remotely where office space has been destroyed or time off or flexibility in work schedules to speak to insurance providers or disaster assistance.
Dealing with Conflicts
Everyday life already can bring in conflicts. At the same time, conflicts are a natural outcome of emergencies and disasters, especially with already frayed emotions, long hours, and lots of change.
In the immediate aftermath of a conflict, people might decide to bunk with their friends and family. However, what started as a charitable act can turn into unwanted squatters or squabbles as any roommate situation can cause. Hosts can feel conflicted over the logistics of inviting someone new into their homes.
Hosts do not want to appear heartless or turn loved ones out onto the street or the distasteful idea of charging rent, preying on their loved ones. These guests may not have the money to pay for a hotel for several years, but it may take that long to rebuild. At the same, hosts may have genuine concerns over how these guests have disrupted their formerly quiet or private lifestyle. There may also be concerns as to who should cover the extra living costs and how to recoup the cost of emergency housing assistance without asking for rent.
A coach or mediator can help parties think through and discuss potential situations before they arise. A mediator can help parties make agreements about each other’s expectations going forward and resolve interpersonal conflicts. An individual coach can brainstorm with hosts how they can talk with their guests about these sensitive topics, and a team coach can bring together everyone in a household to figure out how to work together instead of against each other to live harmoniously together. A group coach can facilitate discussions so that everyone in a similar boat can figure out what they should or want to do in their own respective lives.
Conflicts may also arise in the workplace, relationships, business, and dealing with bureaucracy. Coaching (whether individual, team, or group) or mediation can all be accessed to reduce or manage conflict in all of these areas so that energy is focused not on conflict but on what matters most to you.
Navigating Your Recovery Journey through Resilience and Long-Term Changes
Once the immediate aftermath of a disaster or emergency has ended, the effect of that disaster or emergency has not and may last for many years. Rebuilding and the bureaucracy of recovery may take many years. Bringing goals to fruition does not happen overnight, especially when those goals involve many people and moving parts. The Big Little Insights signature process can help individuals and organizations bring together many people to empower clients to bring their vision to reality.
The journey of recovery is rarely linear. It is often filled with highs and lows. Whereas the immediate aftermath of an event may motivate people to see results quickly, over time, when delays, life, resistance, and bureaucracy are involved, that motivation may decline over time. Then, having a coach is vital for empowering clients to see their vision come to life, build resilience, and find ways to keep up their motivation.
Together, we can navigate the chaos and find the direction that works for you.
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