The Behavioral Risk Bulletin   Friday, October 10, 2008   Extreme Behavioral Risk Management A Division of ALLSector Technology Group, Inc.    How to Managing During Stressful Times         Watching the "Fear Index"   In the week following "Bloody Sunday", the surprise weekend announcements regarding Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and AIG, XBRM issued a Special Edition of the Behavioral Risk Advisor newsletter focusing on managing the emotional aftershocks of the financial crisis. Unfortunately, radical government intervention here and abroad has not yet had the desired effect of improving investor confidence or loosening the credit markets. The "fear index" is at an all time high. Employment and housing numbers, as well as dismal retail forecasts, are compounding anxiety about the future.     Behavioral Risk Bulletins    For the duration of the financial crisis XBRM will transition from our quarterly Behavioral Risk Advisor newsletter to weekly Behavioral Risk Bulletins. In this week's Behavioral Risk Bulletin, we offer some additional guidance for organizations in addressing the emotional consequences of the turbulent climate. In addition, there are links to our white paper, "From Bourbon Street to Wall Street: Managing the Emotional Consequences of the Financial Crisis" and the American Psychological Association's "Managing Your Stress in Tough Economic Times." Both of these documents are useful resources for managers and front line employees.   For Executives and Managers   Regulate the Flow of Information: Encourage employees to take a break from the constant onslaught of troubling financial news. Know when to turn it off, literally. TV or radio news updates tracking the markets will keep people on edge. Checking the Dow Jones Average periodically is understandable, but watching every gyration of the Wall Street rollercoaster will keep anxiety at counterproductive levels. Keep a Watchful Eye: Extreme stress can precipitate and exacerbate mental health issues. Most significantly, there is an established relationship between extreme financial stress and increased rates of suicide, substance abuse, domestic violence and a host of other problems. Be vigilant for sudden changes in individual behavior, mood and interpersonal relations. The baseline level of stress and tension in the workplace may be elevated for all employees, but for some at-risk workers, this increased stress can move them towards a dangerous tipping point. Safety First: There are several established environmental precipitants of workplace violence, such as low morale, helplessness and misplaced blame or anger. Remember that workplace violence threats are both internal and external. Sure, it may be the proverbial "disgruntled employee" responding to a layoff or loss of their stock value or retirement funds, but that angry, agitated client who feels they have been wronged in some way by your organization may also have difficulty regulating intense emotions during times of extreme fear or anxiety and may act out aggressively. Now would be a good time to fortify your organization's workplace violence prevention posture. The increased stress is not a reason to loosen controls or relax your level of vigilance. Rather, remember that not everyone responds well to stress and for some, an inability to manage intense emotions can translate into an increased violence potential. Financial volatility triggers behavioral volatility: Anticipate and respond to behavioral changes in your workforce. Do not ignore sudden or dramatic changes in employee behavior, instead, let troubled employees know that your are aware of their distress and offer support. Ignoring the behavioral indicators of fear, anxiety or depression is an inviation to escalation. If you are aware of high-risk employees or those with pre-existing problems with anxiety or depression, be sure to check in on them and connect them with the appropriate resources if necessary. Back to Basics: Refocusing on the work at hand can help reduce anxiety. For many employees becoming immersed in a project can help keep them anchored and restore a sense of control. Rather than reduce workloads in the face of stressful events, try to keep routines and productivity expectations relatively unchanged. There is comfort in routine and the familiar.

Let Us Help You   XBRM offers training, consulting and technologies to help manage the human factor in crisis and emergency situations.   Our TeleCrisis Solutions™ suite of training and software prepares customer contact employees to effectively manage angry, agitated and abusive callers, as well as high-consequence contacts involving threats of suicide and other violence. Click here to take the TeleCrisis Solutions™ tour and call our toll-free number to speak with a Senior Crisis Management Associate today. Please contact us with any questions at the email address or phone number listed below. Contact Us   phone: 212-366-8200 e-mail: info@xbrm.com

Helpful Resources   Download these helpful resources   "From Bourbon Street to Wall Street", XBRM's white paper addressing the emotional impact of the financial crisis.    "Managing Your Stress in Tough Economic Times", recommendations from the American Psychological Association.