COVID-19 and Disaster Management Leadership

Written By Brad Ison

For a successful response to COVID-19, leaders need to assess information and make well though-out and quick decisions.

All Hazards Coaching by Hazardscape helps leaders understand:

  • Who they are

  • How others see them, and

  • How they lead and work with others

With an understanding that goes to the “why” of their relationships, they can contribute more effectively to their teams and exponentially improve performance.

In order to manage COVID-19, and its' impacts, executive leaders must have access to an objective and non-judgmental coaching process that brings clarity to their thinking so they can make decisions quickly.

Asking for and receiving advice takes time, and it log jams decisions because leaders start second guessing themselves or they spend too much time in their own heads contemplating options

As the virus spreads there will be a need to distance people from each other, board rooms will likely become empty, so leaders may be distanced from their teams. Hazardscape is providing leaders with the ability to increase their capacity, quickly and remotely.

For information on Hazardscape Management Inc. visit our about page.

Author: Brad Ison is a professional disaster and emergency management coach. He’s held various position specific roles in the Alberta Provincial Operations Centre and had decade long career at the Alberta Emergency Management Agency where his last role served was as the Director for Training, Accreditation, and Standards.

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Transition and Movement - Change is Constant
Transition and Movement - Change is Constant

We are moving from Hazardscape to a new name. For now call us ?. We will pick a new one when we are ready. Please read our story.

Eradicating Cultures of Criticism
Eradicating Cultures of Criticism

OPPOSING IDEAS HELP TEAMS SEE ALL SIDES OF AN ISSUE.

But when leaders criticize disagreement turns personal, it can derail projects and destroy relationships if left unattended.

How the leaders of yesterday can best support the next era.
How the leaders of yesterday can best support the next era.

By letting go of their expertise to make room for empathy, listening, and supporting, the leaders of yesterday have an opportunity to develop better, stronger, and better performing leaders for tomorrow. They can do this through a coaching mindset that positions them to co-create relationships with new leaders

Post-Incident Coaching: It’s not a one-off intervention
Post-Incident Coaching: It’s not a one-off intervention

Unlike project management, post-incident coaching is strengths based, it’s not remedial, trying to fix what is wrong. Mutual accountability is developed, rather than it all being on the leader or one person.

Why post-incident coaching is positioned to be the new standard in shifting lessons observed to lessons learned.
Why post-incident coaching is positioned to be the new standard in shifting lessons observed to lessons learned.

Current emergency management consulting models have organizations believing that agencies and teams can leap from observation to learning by using strategies and expertise the consultant used in a previous career or contract.

The New Standard for Disaster and Emergency Management
The New Standard for Disaster and Emergency Management

Today’s disaster and emergency management leaders need the ability to let go of being the most qualified and highly trained expert. This is partially because their knowledge and skills are quickly becoming outdated by the rapid generation of new research, lessons identified, and entrance of more complex disasters.

Disaster and Emergency Management Relationship Intelligence
Disaster and Emergency Management Relationship Intelligence

Teams composed of strong relationships are less likely to have communication breakdowns. Focused on conversations where work gets done, teams with relationship intelligence promote healthy opposition to quickly see all sides of an issue, so they can make timely decisions that drive results.

Developing TRUSTED Networks for Emergency Managers.
Developing TRUSTED Networks for Emergency Managers.

Working, learning, and networking in Virtual Reality provides the same low-cost pricing as video conferencing but it adds a deeper level of trust due to unstructured social activity and the opportunity for ‘water cooler’ talk. With deep fakes, fake news, viruses, and our psychological data being used for marketing means Social Media platforms are quickly becoming places of distrust.

Working virtual is more than working from home
Working virtual is more than working from home

When will incident commanders and emergency managers use artificial intelligence, more than their GUT, to make response decisions? And no, I don’t mean a cyborg in the ICP dong the job of an Incident Commander.

Why letting go is critical for emergency managers
Why letting go is critical for emergency managers

Whether we are in an Incident Command Post, Emergency Coordination Centre, or at a reception centre for days, weeks, or months emergency management is stressful. And even if you are not in the throws of response, coordinating multiple stakeholders for a plan or policy is equally stressful, especially if everyone’s vision of the future is different.

Brad Ison
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