What to do when your employees are in crisis mode

Originally posted May 11, 2021 • More resources on building resilience & leading through crises

Years ago, Paloma Medina—whose name you may be familiar with, since she’s the person who developed the BICEPS core needs acronym—taught me how to quickly spot when someone’s amygdala has been hijacked. Folks in fight-or-flight mode will commonly display one of these five forms of resistance:

  1. Questioning/doubting
  2. Avoiding
  3. Fighting
  4. Bonding
  5. Escaping

I wrote about these five crisis-mode clues over on Forbes today, and offered readers specific steps to take as soon as you notice any of your coworkers displaying one of them! You can read it here.

Woman speaking to camera with video player buttons underneathWant some extra support as you lead your team through this challenging season?

Check out my new Building Resilience video course to find exercises, tips, and homework to strengthen your network and manage your energy.


Lara Hogan

Author, public speaker, and coach for managers and leaders across the tech industry.

See all my resources on...