Let’s hear it for our first responders and emergency management officials!  Having worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the past ten years, I have learned first-hand the level of planning, hard work, and emotional effort that goes into keeping this country safe during a time of crisis.

Emergency management officials tend to liberally use the word “boom” in their common lexicon.  “Boom” can mean many things, but they are all some form of disaster.  An actual explosion.  A devastating tornado.  A massive hurricane.  A runaway wildfire.  An epic flood.  Whatever the natural or man-made tragedy, FEMA and the emergency management officials must react to “boom”.

But it’s not just about reaction.  Obviously, the response to “boom” is mission critical.  But what about the preparation for “boom”?  What about the planning for “boom”?  In order to build more stable, resilient communities, the emergency management officials  need to focus on what happens “left of boom”.  How can we mitigate the damage of a disaster on a community?  How can we prepare for the worst while focusing on the everyday tasks before “boom” happens?

Preparation and planning are key.  But some disasters are so devastating and hit with such incredible force, they will take out even the most resilient community.  “Left of boom” is important.    But what happens at and after “boom” will determine the true resilience of a community.  It’s all about having  a plan. And preparation can positively impact recovery.

The same is true for all of us.  We need to prepare for “boom”.  That will help our recovery.  But some setbacks are so devastating or hit with so little warning, we can get knocked back on our heels.  What is our plan for picking up the pieces?  How do we react in our personal and professional lives when things go “boom”?

Preparation is a Key to Resilience

In our work lives, we have to face a multitude of setbacks and challenges.  A downward shift in the market.  An apathetic audience.  A loss of a top client.  An unwinnable case.  Multiple rejections and an outdated business plan.  What happens at “boom” is never easy.  But our preparation “left of boom” will determine our resilience “right of boom”.

Have we anticipated a shrinking market and shifted our strategy?  Have we been cultivating a stable of smaller clients?  Have we tweaked our business plan to reflect the changing buying patterns? Have we researched potential shifts in market perceptions?  The hockey stick does not extend upward exponentially forever.  There will always be dips.  There will always be setbacks.  We need to prepare ourselves for these moments.  That will help our resiliency when “boom” happens!

We Can’t Sit Back

The same is true in our personal lives.   A fractured relationship.  A sudden change in financial stability.  The loss of a loved one.  An increased reliance on substances to get us through the day.  These are setbacks we wouldn’t wish them on our worst enemy.  But we can’t always control it.  at some point, “boom” happens!

How willing are we to forgive?  Have we saved enough for a “rainy” day?  How often do we cherish and appreciate the time with our loved ones?  Can we pull ourselves out of a spiral before “rock bottom” hits?  We can’t control everything but we also can’t passively sit back and wait for the inevitable.  We can mitigate the devastating impact of “boom”.  A little proactivity will go a long way.  Resilience starts to the “left of boom”!

We Need to Pick Up the Pieces

But no matter how much we prepare, how much we plan, how much we anticipate, we can’t fully escape the impact of “boom”.  Resilience is not about just “powering through” or “sucking it up”.  There are times in our lives when we will be stopped in our tracks.  We won’t want to go on.  We need to retreat into our shell and recover.  Sometimes, resilience requires us to hit the re-set button.  That is okay!  But we can’t stay in the fetal position forever.  

We have worked too hard to stay down for long.  We have won too many battles to let a loss define us.    We have more going for us than we think.  We have people counting on us to deliver.  It’s time to rise up from the ashes.  It’s time to pick up the pieces to the “right of boom”!

How Do we React at “Boom”?

No community is immune from disaster.  And none of us are bulletproof.  “Boom” does not discriminate.  At some point, we will all be in its path.

But just as emergency managers prepare their communities and help them recover from “boom”, so too do we need to protect ourselves from the challenges and setbacks that plague our personal and professional lives.  Prepare. Plan. Persevere.  And even when “boom” comes out of left field, we eventually need to own our situation and move forward.

What will you do when things go “boom”?