has been done, the rehearsed plans can be carried out. Any minor adjustments 

 that the actual situation may require can be made at that time. With these 

 adjustments made, there is time and energy to process new inputs. 



Personal behavior during a crisis is extremely important. The attitude 

 taken toward others involved in the crisis can dramatically affect how they 

 react. Running over others roughshod or putting others down may invite re- 

 taliation, either directly or indirectly. The words used during emotionally 

 tense situations are more important than those used under normal circum- 

 stances. Some people are enraged by certain responses, so that appropriate 

 words should be chosen ahead of time. The tone of voice is sometimes even 

 more important than the actual words used. A sarcastic tone, a belittling 

 tone, and an abrupt brush-off may all be hazardous to your continued health 

 and welfare. 



Many authorities believe that at least 50 percent of the message we 

 communicate to others is nonverbal. Jutting the jaw, standing with arms 

 akimbo, turning one's back, looking down one's nose, or giving the "peasants" 

 the message from Washington can create great antagonism. 



The person on the listening end may be subjected to a fair amount of 

 verbal "garbage dumping." People may project anger, hostility, and other 

 messages with a high emotional content. When this occurs, one of the key 

 factors in deciding how to respond is how many people are present. If it is 

 a 1-to-l situation, the "rule of 3" works very well: let people express 

 their emotions, telling their story three times if necessary. This technique 

 allows people to vent their spleen and return to a more normal situation that 

 can be handled rationally. Listen sympathetically and give people a chance 

 to get their temperatures down. While listening, do not inject a "shot of 

 logic," which may make the other person look foolish and may shoot his or her 

 temperature up again. The "rule of 3" works quite well on a 1-to-l basis, 

 providing that the listener does not develop ulcers. 



When many people are present, however, this technique may result in 

 chaos, because of the reinforcement that comes from the presence of other 

 emotionally charged people. In this situation, a calm restating of the view- 

 point of the other person, eliminating as much of the inflammatory language 

 as possible, transmits to the person that his/her message has been heard, 

 even though it may not be agreed with. This, in itself, has a healthy effect 

 on most people, because they want at least to be heard. Again a shot of 

 logic at this point may not be well received by people suffering from 

 emotional headaches. Addressing their emotional headaches without making 

 unwise or rash promises, may be advisable at this time. 



Even when a crisis situation is handled smoothly, something can happen 

 to upset the balance. That factor is fatigue. Major crisis situations can 

 go on, not just for days, but sometimes for weeks. This means being under 

 stress day after day, possibly without adequate rest and meals. This 

 physical abuse causes fatigue, resulting in behavior that would not occur 



144 



