STEPS FOR WRITING AN EMOTIONAL CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

1. Research

   Find your highest order of management style

   Explore a variety of possible forms

   HOW:

   • Call someone in your position in another company for an Idea Meeting

   • Read magazines and books

   • Go to workshops or classes

2. Create a Blueprint

   Visualize your perfect style

   Take time to sketch or write your plan

   HOW:

   • Create a notebook or journal of ideas

   • Draw pictures and doodles of your ideal work process

3. Decide and Commit

   Remove barriers

   Prepare the space

   Gather resources

   Survive first challenges

   Continue to commit

   • HOW:

   • Work for buy-on

   • See the big picture so there is no emergency in the planning stage

   • Continue your research and creative stages

   • Use challenges and obstacles as learning/teaching moments

   • Write and rewrite your plan as it continues to evolve into a final draft

4. Begin

   Take actions

   Safeguard resources

   Survive ongoing challenges

   Recommit

   HOW:

   • Talk with others inside and outside your work: create networks

   • Review and strengthen your data base

   • Create professional documents and forms

   • Accept and review feedback with your ideals in mind

   • Review persistence materials

   • Begin implementation stages

5. Recall

   Review highest order ideals

   Review original visions

   Reconsider if appropriate

   Recommit and Continue

   HOW:

   • Review previous stages with ideals in mind

   • Continue to face challenges with open mind and commitment

Emotional Continuity Management Checklist

As you are creating your Emotional Continuity Training for teams and employees , you can use the following checklist to track your consistency:

• Does each module of training follow the same "scripted" procedure so that the information is uniform and repeatable?

• Is attending mandatory because mandating attendance creates a sense of unity among participants and immediately limits options for spinning?

• Do follow up meetings provide creative input and collaboration from all members ?

• Has there been buy-on from the top? The top-down process allows the administration/management to discover what employees are on board, who are potential company emotional saboteurs, and who are simply trainable "problem children."

• Does each module include practice time and drill for new tools, language, and concept acquirement? Adjustment and absorption of new ideas takes time and familiarity .

• Do units of education, or modules exceed teachable time frames ? Two hours for group education is appropriate, with shorter individual consultations when required. This process should add minimum emotional impact to the organization's functioning. Do not let lengthy trainings become fodder for emotional spinning.

• Do Emotional Continuity Management trainings have written policy and clearly defined statements for:

  • Trainer qualifications

  • Company mission and team visions

  • Top organizational buy-on defined/clarified

  • Rules for mandated participation and non-negotiable consequences for nonparticipation

  • Expectations and timetables for skills practice and drills

  • Value added incentives for participation

  • Are reproducible documents prepared for:

    • Personnel interview charts

    • Models for explaining human emotions

    • Models for explaining human responses

    • Models for conflict resolution

    • Models for grief work and trauma management

    • Self care tools ranging from simple to complex

    • Grading assessments

    • Models for managing individual differences

    • System wide back up plans

    • System wide back up plans for the back up plan