Leadership as a Variable in Stress Debriefing Success
A presentation by Dr Atle Dyregov at the ICISF Congress in Baltimore last April, looked at the leadership component of a stress debriefing, as part of an overall CISM program.
According to Dr Dyregov, the successful debriefing requires a leader who can quickly establish a climate of trust and rapport. What happens early in the debriefing session will shape the outcomes for those participating.
Effective leadership of a debriefing session is important because negative outcomes for the group can arise from a number of situations including...
- Domination by one member
- Conflict (blaming / scapegoating)
- Leader / Co-leader competition
- Raising inappropriate issues
- Breach of confidentiality
- Mishandled group processes
Dr Dyregov suggests there a number of important tasks for team leaders in a debriefing.
- Establish an atmosphere of trust
- Outline goals and motivate participation
- Build a relationship with the group
- Be a role model for the group
- Clarify issues which arise
- Build cohesion within the group
- Defuse destructive processes
- Stimulate positive group interactions.
According to Dr Dyregov, three important developments are:
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Fit the type of debriefing used to the group participating.
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Use alternatives for those who may not benefit from a debriefing.
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More effective training in group dynamics for debriefing leaders.