How planning helps in dealing with COVID-19

The current struggles dealing with COVID-19 bring to mind our vulnerabilities as a society but also cause reflection on how to deal with crisis and unexpected emergencies. I suggest it is by having a plan or maybe several plans, depending on how circumstances play out.

One of the problems we have had now nationally, is the lack of plans for a crisis like this. Since planners, scientists and experts have not been recognized for some time now, States and municipalities are stuck developing responses hastily with whatever information may be available.

When there is no specific plan to handle problems like this when crisis strikes, the answer is to develop appropriate plans and do it quickly and effectively because having a coherent workable plan has an amazing result. A plan converts fear and anxiety into action. Appropriate action in a crisis gives us faith we can handle the problem. This is what leadership is about.

I think of this when I tell a client — “you are going to be ok.” I do not make that statement lightly. I do it after learning what her circumstances are, after listening to his story, after comparing this to other situations

A plan converts fear and anxiety into action. Appropriate action in a crisis gives us faith we can handle the problem. This is what leadership is about. we have handled, only after knowing the facts and knowing the law, only after considering the agencies and organizations we deal with and also what the results have been in dealing with past situations affecting individuals and families like them. Then and only then when I feel comfortable with this and consider what plan we are likely to follow, I tell a client “you are going to be ok.”