It is true that several of the biggest achievers in the world, including artists, sportspersons, and entrepreneurs, would have been unable to achieve their dreams if they hadn’t learned the art of staying positive in the midst of a crisis.
Project managers would often find themselves in situations where the project progress is threatened and the project team is feeling the pressure of the crisis. Such situations can cause a panic epidemic with all the members trying to find solutions to resolve the issue at hand. In the midst of a project crisis, it is the project manager who can take charge and infuse some positivity into the situation. Being calm and adopting an action-based approach will help the entire team to get back on track.
One of the key traits of an efficient project manager is to be psychologically prepared for a crisis situation. The solutions come later. It is the state of mind that determines how he/she will lead his/her team out of a problem, whether big or small.
There are multiple approaches that a project manager can take in order to stay positive and unnerved during a crisis situation. Some of them include the following:
- Collect all the facts and updates: Nobody likes to hear bad news. But a crisis calls for collecting all the necessary facts so that you are prepared to take on the challenge with greater awareness and strength. Also, you need to be realistic when communicating with your team. Giving them vague facts and incomplete information will only lead to more panic. Therefore, a project manager must brace himself/herself to gather every update related to the crisis and create a written document in order to stay focused when talking to the team and stakeholders.
- Reflect on previous approaches: Think about it; you have handled project crisis before and have the necessary tools and knowledge to find your way out of it. Simply reflect back on how and what you did in order to get some clarity on the way ahead. You could even refer to some old reports where such crisis scenarios are documented. This will give you greater confidence and help you stay positive regarding the present crisis situation.
- Communicate with confidence: As mentioned earlier, a confident approach to the crisis is important. So, when you’re discussing the issue with your team members and key stakeholders, try to keep your tone positive. You don’t need to hide the actual issues. A firm and confident stance is always better than a shaky and unsure one. After all, they’re counting on you to give them a feasible solution to the problem. Always remember that you’ve handled such situations before and are capable of doing so now.
- Create a crisis management plan: The only way to maintain a positive thought process in the midst of a crisis is to have a crisis management plan in place. This will help you respond more effectively to any future crisis. This plan needs to be realistic, detailed and time-bound.
