NICK WRIGHT
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Panic

20/9/2016

40 Comments

 
‘You’ve got to know when to panic.’ I smiled the first time I heard a colleague use this expression. He was talking about how every situation calls for its own particular response. If we only have one modus operandi, one approach to space and pace, we could well miss some important moments. Some of these moments could turn out to be work or business critical. Others could turn out to be, quite literally, life and death. I had one of these latter moments in a hospital last week.

I had a CT scan which involved being injected with a radioactive dye. Unfortunately, it triggered an anaphylactic reaction. The doctors responded quite casually at first, smiling and strolling around, chatting, until they realised I was quite literally about to lose my ability to breathe. My airways were swelling up rapidly and someone had removed critical drugs from the emergency crash kit. Only a nurse reacted in appropriate panic mode, ran to find drugs…and saved my life.

I have been in other situations where people, teams and organisations have acted in almost permanent crisis mode. It’s as if they have run on adrenaline, construing every situation as one that demands a dramatic reaction. Although some people love and work well with this type and level of stimulus, for others it can lead to high levels of stress and burnout. So it’s often something about finding a sustainable pace, reserving capacity for an emergency response if needed.
​
What does this mean for leaders, OD, coaches and trainers? How far do we and/or our clients settle into a fixed pace that suits us personally or culturally, irrespective of what may be called for or bring benefit? If so, how would it be if we were to experiment with alternative patterns? For some, this could involve slowing down to reflect or recover. For others, it could mean speeding up to increase energy or impact. Do you create enough space? Do you know when to panic?
40 Comments
Cath Norris, MA, BA, Dip Couns
20/9/2016 12:36:42 pm

So glad that nurse knew to panic Nick.

Reply
Nick Wright
20/9/2016 12:37:57 pm

Thanks Cath. Me too!

Reply
Ian Henderson
23/9/2016 10:50:38 am

Scary thought Nick, but glad the nurse was there to panic!

Reply
Nick Wright
23/9/2016 10:51:47 am

Thanks Ian. Yes, she definitely demonstrated the value of panicking!!

Reply
David Thomson
23/9/2016 10:52:44 am

Thanks for the reminder and the challenge Nick ;-) ps very glad you are still with us!

Reply
Nick Wright
23/9/2016 10:53:10 am

Thanks David. Glad to still be here! :)

Reply
Stella Goddard BA (Hons) Registered MBACP (Accred)
23/9/2016 10:53:57 am

Nick what a shocking experience. I am so glad that you are still here with us. Clearly that was a reason for the nurse to panic. I think sometimes people panic when there isn't a need to. Perhaps if they are already stressed, anxious, tired, stressed, angry etc. they may catastrophise and imagine worse case scenario when there is no or little evidence to suggest this. That's why it's important to accurately assess the situation we are in (or think we are in). I have had times when I thought the world had ended. Whilst it was true that my world as I knew it had ended, there was a way through when I was able to regulate my thoughts and feelings and think clearly.

Reply
Nick Wright
23/9/2016 10:57:56 am

Thanks Stella. Yes, panic often signifies an irrational sense of out-of-controllness and this is where CBT-type approaches can really help. The nurse in this experience prompted me to think about recognising the need for an urgent response when the situation calls for it...even if it feels more instinctive than 'rational' in the moment.

Reply
Martin Palmer
24/9/2016 07:47:16 pm

Excellent, well worth reading.

Reply
Nick Wright
24/9/2016 07:47:56 pm

Hi Martin - and many thanks!

Reply
Linda Randazzo
24/9/2016 11:56:54 pm

Very thought provoking.

Reply
Nick Wright
24/9/2016 11:57:23 pm

Thank you, Linda.

Reply
Nikolai Kopelev, Ph.D., MSIS
24/9/2016 11:59:54 pm

LMHO, trainer (teacher/instructor/professor/etc.) does not have a luxury to panic (except for life-threatening situations).

Reply
Nick Wright
25/9/2016 12:00:45 am

Hi Nikolai. Perhaps for 'panic', think 'act with urgency'..?

Reply
Renata Jakielaszek
25/9/2016 12:03:27 am

'Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.'

Reply
Nick Wright
25/9/2016 12:04:16 am

Thanks Renata. That's a great quotation from Will Smith. :)

Reply
Steve Benfield
25/9/2016 12:05:59 am

Hope all is well with you now Nick - can understand why you mention panic!

Reply
Nick Wright
25/9/2016 12:06:52 am

Thanks Steve. A lot better now! :)

Reply
Laura Lingle
25/9/2016 12:09:47 am

Word choice? I meam to say that the nurse was not in panic mode. She was able to respond with alacrity and kept her head on her shoulders. That is not panic. Panic, connotatively and denotatively means to react without any logical thinking. There is nothing so important in corporate America that should cause a trainer to panic. It just isn't that important in the scheme of things.

Reply
Nick Wright
25/9/2016 12:10:49 am

Hi Laura. In the context of the blog, I am using the word 'panic' for dramatic effect. It is about acting with appropriate urgency, not in default mode.

Reply
Andrea MacFarlane
25/9/2016 12:11:37 am

Maybe coping with the sensation of panic is key? Learning which techniques work for you could help you stay well through a period of panic and beyond.

Reply
Nick Wright
25/9/2016 12:13:33 am

Hi Andrea. In this case, I am glad the nurse acted in 'panic' mode. That is, with real sense of urgency. She acted on the stimulus rather than try to process it...by which time I would have been no longer alive!

Reply
Janice Taylor
1/10/2016 11:34:00 am

Interesting and thought provoking, maybe for coaches, trainers there may be times when we need a greater sense of 'urgency'.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:35:05 am

Hi Janice. I agree. It's something about being sensitive and responsive to the needs of the person or situation we are dealing with.

Reply
Sandy Welton
1/10/2016 11:36:08 am

Funny - that reminds me. Many years ago I ran a word processing course. No Undo button back in those days. I had 2 signs on the wall.
Don't Panic
Sit on your Hands!

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:36:42 am

Thanks Sandy. You made me smile. :)

Reply
Sam Holtham FEC
1/10/2016 11:37:45 am

Thanks. That's made me stop and reflect on how I'm feeling at work at the moment.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:38:18 am

Thanks Sam. I'm pleased to hear it was useful.

Reply
Norman Dragt
1/10/2016 11:40:35 am

I do understand the need to attract readers, but this is not about panic, this is about responding to what you observe and understand which action is appropriate to the observation. Panic is about the situation in which you observe something for which you do not have a appropriate reaction. That is why we train police officers, firemen and soldiers to a point to react without knowing consciously that they need to react.
That the nurse rescued you was due to the fact that she did not panic, but reacted appropriately.

So an organization that seems to be in constant panic mode, is probably not able to understand the situation it is in, so it can formulate a correct and appropriate respons.
An organization that seems to be laid back is probably in denial or knows exactly what it should do. Being in denial will soon turn into panic and probably their demise, except off course if they know how to react appropriately. But knowing how to react holds the danger of missing the real cause.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:41:32 am

I agree, Norman. One word about my use of 'panic' - hyperbole.

Reply
Denise Lysaght
1/10/2016 11:45:41 am

I tell my delegates during fire evacuation training that on finding a fire they should panic - being 'reflective' and forming a committee to decide what course of action to take is not the most suitable reaction in certain situations and fire is definitely is . Panic can be a positive response, as the adrenaline and cortisol cave-man hormones concentrate and focus the mind so the body can react appropriately.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:47:55 am

Thanks Denise. Yes, I think you are using the word 'panic' in the same sense that I intend here.

Reply
Shaheen Maniar
1/10/2016 11:49:01 am

Thought provoking post. Last week I was training at a hospital - it was a leadership training, and when I got into the training room, I realised that the my training vendor had not filled me in on the actual training requirement. I had to scrap all the preparation that I had done and work on building the training as my workshop progressed!
Panic in this situation would definitely not have helped.
But yes, if the building were on fire, I would definitely have panicked! :)

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:49:45 am

Thanks Shaheen. I agree. We need to choose when to 'panic' and when not to!

Reply
Ben North
1/10/2016 11:52:14 am

Great article, your near death experience added to the drama! Hope your ok. I believe in this situation, you have to understand what the leaders of the organisation are aware of and what they want to portray, if they are happy with this, then maybe you need to work with it help develop the organisation in to a state of controlled panic?

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:53:25 am

Thanks Ben. I'm recovering OK. Perhaps another way of thinking about this is recognising when there is a need for an urgent response?

Reply
Denise Valk Faisst
1/10/2016 11:55:03 am

Panic is a word that can be misunderstood for chaos, fight or flight response etc., but it doesn't have to be. It can be a flag that signal that something needs to be done and when it's done you can let go of it. You are in control of your emotions, don't let your emotions control you.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/10/2016 11:55:33 am

I agree, Denise. Well said!

Reply
Garry Gilkeson
3/10/2016 10:44:30 am

Nice story. Steady as she goes will often do it. GG

Reply
Nick Wright
3/10/2016 10:45:21 am

Thanks Garry. In this situation, I was glad the nurse sprang into emergency response mode!

Reply



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    ​Nick Wright

    ​I'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? ​Get in touch!

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