Communicating in high stress situations

How to Communicatein High Stress

Situations*Rusty Cawley, APR | TheColdCrisis.com

* Condensed from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense’s “Risk Communicator Training for Food Defense Preparedness, Response & Recovery,” module 3, topic 1.

Basic model for communication

The Sender

The Receiver

The Channel

The Message

Feedback

The Environment

High stress is noise

Establishing trust inLOW stress situations

Competence & expertise

80-85%

All other factors15%-20%

Trust factors

Source: Vincent Covello

Establishing trust inHIGH stress situations

Listening, caring & empathy

Honesty & openness15%-20%

Competence & exper-tise

15-20%

All other factors15-20%

Trust factors

9/11 attack on New York City

• ‘The loss of life … is greater than any of us can possible bear.’– Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Impact of high stress• The sender must emphasize

caring and openness.• The receiver loses some

capacity to understand and recall messages.

• Listening carefully to feedback becomes crucial.

Effects of stress on communication

Low stress• People can process an

average of 7 messages.• They recall information in

linear order (1,2,3 …)• They process messages at

an eighth-grade level• Trust is built on competence

and experience.

Effects of stress on communication

Low stress• People can process an

average of 7 messages.• They recall information in

linear order (1,2,3 …)• They process messages at

an eighth-grade level• Trust is built on competence

and experience.

High stress• People can process an

average of 3 messages.• They recall what they

perceive as most important or what is said last.

• They process messages at a fourth-grade level.

• Trust is built on listening, empathy, caring and compassion

How do we adjustfor high stress?

1. Send simple messages

• Maximum: 3 messages.• Use short sentences.• Blend empathy with action.• Use numbers sparingly.

2006 E.coli spinach outbreak

• ‘We are telling everyone to get rid of fresh bagged spinach right now.’– Wisconsin Gov. Jim

• ‘To be safe, don’t eat it.’– Minnesota Health

Department

• ‘It's sickening for us to see anybody in the public suffer in this way, especially if they got ill from eating at Taco John's.’

–Corporate Vice President for Marketing

2. Emphasize pictures and diagrams

To learn more,visit TheColdCrisis.com

Search: #COLDCRISIS

Communicating in high stress situations

Business

STRESS AND HEALTH. STRESS Stress is the physiological and psychological responses to situations or events that disturb the equilibrium of an organism

Strategies for Effectively Communicating about …...5 Strategies for Effectively Communicating about Toxic Stress This Message Brief is designed to help advocates, pediatricians,

Learning Objectives How do psychologists define stress? What kinds of events and situations can cause stress? How can stress affect physiological and

Communicating Emotion - Library of Congresscatdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam032/98049524.pdf · 2003. 1. 17. · Communicating Emotion to Manage Social Situations 151 Apologizing

Stress & Stress Management - hydesmith.com · Introduction Stress is a fact of everyday life. When people reach out for help, they are often dealing with circumstances, situations,

Tips in Communicating with Difficult Rhetorical Situations

STRESS: THE CONSTANT CHALLENGE Chapter Two. What is Stress? Stress = 1) Situations that trigger physical and emotional reactions and 2) The reactions

Stress Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management Fight vs. Flight reflexes –some of it is going off before a test or stressful situations Theory:

Stress and Health. We all experience stress but we don’t all find the same situations stressful. Stress means different things for different people, and

Communicating Clearly, Setting Limits, & Handling Stress

Managing Stress and Coping with Loss Chapter 4. Section 1 Stress and Your Health Bellringer Identify three situations that can cause you stress on a daily

SMART STEPS - QuitNow · Smart Steps De-Stress 101 | 9 De-Stress 101 Many people use smoking as a way to deal with stressful situations in their lives. When a smoker experiences stress

Well-Being of the First Responder. Topic Overview Emotional Aspects of Emergency Care Death and Dying High Stress Situations Stress Management Critical

Challenging Situations. Challenging Situations = Stress Challenging situations cause stress in a child’s life. Stress results from changes in a routine,

Healthy VIP FALL 2017 - AmeriHealth · relieving stress. Cope with stress. Take steps to reduce stress and change how you respond to stressful situations. Sometimes counting to 10

Communicating with Pediatric Patients and their Families ... · communicating with pediatric patients and their families, especially in difficult situations, thereby decreasing miscommunication,

Et s’il y avait du stress - analysedespratiques.com · bonne ambiance.les situations de stress aigu : ... associés à leur définition. ... Les études montrent que si l’état

Stress and Health What Is Stress? Stimulus or Response? Or interaction? yStressor — events, pressures, or situations that place demands & trigger coping

Managing Stress. What is stress? The Royal College of Psychiatrists refers to stress as situations or events that leave you feeling under pressure, worried,

CHAPTER 3 MANAGING STRESS 2014/2015 Managing stress Stress – the reaction of your body Stressors – the causes of stress Situations Events People