While responding seems like the prudent choice, in a crisis or emergency situation it may seem that you would logically need to react or operate in a split-second decision mode.

The reality is the best crisis managers are trained and practice a variety of scenarios precisely so they can respond rather than react. The difference is in preparation and thought.

• Make your expectations clear and help people understand when and where you expect response rather than immediate reaction.
• It is hard to encourage or inspire others to respond if you aren’t modeling it yourself.
• Once you are responding rather than reacting, you ...