Learn, Share, Grow – Immediate Steps to Grow Resilience

July 6, 2020

Below is a lesson from Blue Courage, LLC on immediate steps to promote resilience.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

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Immediate Steps for Supervisors to Promote Resilience:

(Supervisors should be prepared to model the vulnerability and uncertainty of the moment; they are not experts in this process or psycho therapists. They are simply caring human beings concerned with the welfare of their people!)

1. Be Present:
   • Get out of the office – Lots of face time with your people (Attention)
2. Listen with empathy:
   • No need for solutions, simply listen and acknowledge their feelings whether rational or not
3. Demonstrate caring:
   • Have their backs and make sure they know it and feel it
4. Conduct check-in sessions with your people
   • Use roll call for check-in – let them vent with no judgment or consequences
   • Bring officers in small groups for listening session: How are you doing? How is your family? Describe what you are feeling during this time? What are your biggest concerns? Anything you are grateful for right now. 
5. Send them home when you can; give them breaks:
   • If you can, shorten their shifts – get them home for rest
   • Find ways for them to rest and recover
   • Remind them of the importance of rest when off
6. Breath work: 
   • Encourage breath work several times throughout their day
   • Pattern Interrupt – 16 Seconds Tactical Breathing (Stillness and Silence):
     1. 4 seconds deep inhale
     2. Hold 4 seconds
     3. 4 seconds deep exhale
     4. Hold for 4 seconds
   • Start the day with 5 minutes of deep inhale and exhale
   • End the day with the same
7. Ensure everyone is paying attention to one another and intentionally looking out for each other. 
8. Write personalized (handwritten) notes to each of your people. Acknowledge their sacrifice and that you appreciate them. It will take time and effort but they will never forget you for it!
9. Seize every opportunity to build them up, encourage them, honor their sacrifice and remind them of the “Just Cause” that they are in service of.

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