Early in my Army career, I flew Black Hawk helicopters in Korea. My deployment was supposed to be one year — but then it was extended for an unknown period of time. It was a challenging and uncertain time. I missed home. I missed my family. And I had no idea when I would go back to the United States.
I wasn’t alone; many military members frequently face situations of unpredictability. Thousands at a time spend months on a boat or a submarine. Deployments are extended. Changes of station are postponed. Families sometimes don’t know what state they’ll be living in two weeks later, whether a loved one will be home for the holidays, or when to plan that family vacation.
Because of this uncertainty, service members and their families often develop three very important traits that profoundly better their lives: resilience, adaptability and patience. Business leaders can guide their teams through this time of uncertainty with some of the same tips the military community uses:
1. Change your time horizon.
In finance, a time horizon is the length of time an investor expects to hold an investment. If it’s your retirement account, for example, you may expect to keep that investment portfolio until you turn 65. Right now, we don’t know when the stock market will go up again or, in many states, when lockdowns will end and we can go back to our offices. As a business leader, try not to be rigid with your expectations or only think in the short term. Your organization might be facing a tough financial time, but we have to remember that we’re playing the long game, and it’s important to be adaptable with expectations about revenue, clients, hiring schedules and similar plans.
2. Be mindful.
Encourage your team members to appreciate the simple things around them. Mindfulness — living in the moment — makes us happier, calmer and more appreciative. Find small things to appreciate every day, such as taking the dog for a walk or cooking with family. At our organization, we found that implementing mindfulness programs measurably improved our employees’ well-being and work performance. Consider implementing a virtual mindfulness program, and encourage mindful breaks.
3. Form healthy habits.
Lead by example. Let your team know what healthy goal you’ve made during this time. Keep a physical chart where you can mark the healthy things you’ve accomplished each day, such as a walk, a workout or drinking eight glasses of water; this will make you more likely to keep the habit and fight through resistance. Also consider introducing variety into your routine; using your nondominant hand for things like brushing your teeth or opening jars strengthens creativity and your brain’s neuroplasticity — its ability to adapt.
Sticking to a schedule will help good habits stick. It’s tempting to work odd hours and on weekends, or to stay up late watching the news with a bag of chips and then sleep late the next day. But try to stick to your normal work and sleep hours. Reserve nights and weekends for rest and time with family. However, understand that many of your employees may be parents or caregivers and may need schedule flexibility.
4. Plan for the future when the situation lifts.
Keep the work environment optimistic. Talk to your team about where they are excited to go when it’s safe to eat out, travel or pursue other activities. It’s important to see the light at the end of the tunnel and stay motivated. This is a serious situation, but it’s temporary, and we will get through it. Similarly, plan for your ideal business future. What goals would you like to accomplish over the next year? Even if they seem impossible right now, are there steps you could take toward them?
It takes hundreds of people to get one Army helicopter to fly — not only the pilots who fly it, but the workers who build it, the maintenance crew who repairs it, the air traffic controllers who manage the airspace and the cooks who feed everyone. Right now, we’re all part of the solution. We’ll never know exactly how many lives we saved by flattening the curve, but years from now, we’ll look back and know we did our part.
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May 22, 2020 at 06:47PM
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Four Ways To Combat The Stress Of Uncertainty, From A Former Army Helicopter Pilot - Forbes
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