Do you have a specific routine or a checklist to assess your readiness to work? How do you do this?
I have been thinking about this a lot. In my mind it was always important to be ready, have no excuses, being a top performer no matter what are the circumstances. Like Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, when he made his famous, 1,5 hour speech just after being shot. The bullet penetrated his chest, lodging in his rib cage, he was hurt but he still gave his speech. Maybe he was physically hurt but mentally more ready than ever to give strong and engaging speech? This I don't know, I know however that our mental readiness impacts our actions, often in ways we don't expect or realise. So when we come to work tired, hangover, having problems at home or just after a sleepless night, it makes us unpredictable - not just to others but also to ourselves.
If you don't realise it, you demand too much from yourselves, you can compromise your performance, health, relations. If your head is not available to go an extra mile, you can fail to negotiate important deal, make a lasting impression, find creative solution.
The I'M SAFE Checklist
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has developed a Mental Readiness Checklist for pilots, known as I'M SAFE, which they should review before every flight. A pilot should go through 5 simple questions related to Illness, Medications, Stress, Alcohol consumption, Fatigue and Emotions to assess his mental readiness and based on this decide if he is ready to fly.
Source: FAA Risk Management handbook
I'M SAFE is part of a larger risk management tool, which looks at the broader spectrum of risks, and apart from mental readiness and other Pilot related risks (such as experience in specific conditions) allows to assess risks related to Aircraft, Environment and External Pressures.
Source: FAA Risk Management handbook
Strikingly, this approach places the pilot at the center of attention in risk management procedures, emphasizing that the highest risk often lies within the pilot themselves.
Adapting I'M SAFE for Other Professions
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality proposed a very similar tool for healthcare professional, replacing question on Emotions with Eating and elimination: Has it been considerably longer than normal since I have eaten or used the restroom? This adaptation recognizes the unique demands of healthcare settings and the importance of physical readiness.
Advantages of the I'M SAFE Checklist
I think that advantages of those simple checklists are twofold.
Decision-Making Aid: It helps you to decide if you are ready. Your decision options are limited. You are expected to come to work and do your job but you can try to reshuffle priorities to focus on something less demanding mentally, change important meeting appointment, etc. Sometimes the most productive option is to stop and wait, rather than jump and fail.
Awareness and Preparation: Even if you have no choice but to proceed, the checklist increases your awareness of your mental readiness. This knowledge can help you proactively manage your readiness, making it an ongoing self-management technique.
Tailoring I'M SAFE for Different Professions
It is quite likely that pilot or healthcare I'M SAFE is not applicable for everyone in every situation and job. Maybe it requires specific adaptations. For instance:
Corporate Executives: Might include questions about recent travel or significant business decisions.
Teachers: Could focus on classroom management challenges and student interactions.
Creative Professionals: May need to assess inspiration levels and creative blocks.
Experiment with different strategies and find what works best for you. What questions would you include in your I'M SAFE checklist?
Enhancing the I'M SAFE Checklist
While the I'M SAFE checklist is a valuable tool, there are opportunities to enhance its effectiveness:
Holistic Approach: Consider incorporating additional factors such as social support, physical health, and workplace environment to provide a more comprehensive assessment of mental readiness.
Flexible Application: Adapt the checklist to include more nuanced approaches, recognizing that different situations may require different strategies for maintaining readiness.
Long-term Strategies: Integrate long-term strategies for improving mental resilience and readiness, such as ongoing mental health support, regular wellness programs, and organizational changes that promote a healthy work-life balance.
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