Healthy coping with operational stress:

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Healthy coping with operational stress
Insights for leaders Paul T. Bartone Center for
Technology and National Security Policy Mark K.
Davis Industrial College of the Armed Forces
National Defense University, Washington, DC, USA
20 July, 2009 Reserve Component National
Security Course bartonep_at_ndu.edu
davismk_at_ndu.edu
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Summary
1. National Security involves broad range of
missions, complex operations, stability
reconstruction, prevention of conflict 2. The
human dimension troops and leaders is
critical to our effectiveness in protecting
national security 3. Building and preserving
mental strength of troops increases operational
effectiveness, and reduces later problems 4.
Human dimensions research in military provides
new understanding of (a) sources of stress on
operations (b) nature of individual
resilience or stress hardiness
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Resilience - healthy coping stress Bad
news stress takes a toll 20 experience PTSD
more Good news most people cope well, and
some cope very well By learning more about
healthy, resilient coping, we can teach it to
others and prevent more stress-related
problems! Kobasa, 1979 research on highly
resilient executives, those healthy or hardy
under stress Commitment (vs. alienation) -
the ability to feel deeply involved in activities
of life Control (vs. powerlessness) - belief you
can control or influence events of your
experience Challenge (vs. threat) - sees change
as an exciting challenge chance to learn

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Psychosocial stressors in military operations
1. ISOLATION Physically remote, far removed
from family Poor communication Different
culture Newly configured units, low
cohesion   2. AMBIGUITY Mission Definition
unclear Unclear Command Structure Role
Confusion (Warrior or Peacekeeper?)
indeterminate tour length   3. POWERLESSNESS
Rules-of-Engagement Restrictions Limited
Activity Cultural/Language Barriers Red tape
cant get things fixed, repair parts Relative
Deprivation   4. BOREDOM/TEDIUM or EXISTENTIAL
BOREDOM Repetition Predictability Lack of
Meaningful Work and Activities   5.
THREAT/DANGER Threat of Harm (Terrorists,
Mines, Snipers, Disease) Psychological Threat
(Exposure to suffering, civilians, refugees) 6.
HIGH PACE OF OPERATIONS Many commitments fewer
available forces means frequent longer
deployments, shorter training cycles, less time
for families
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Hardy-Resilient Style The generalized
disposition or tendency to see the world as
interesting and meaningful, with lots of
opportunities to learn and grow, and to believe
you can influence what happens. Commitment (vs.
alienation) - the ability to feel deeply involved
in activities of life (umwelt, mitwelt,
eigenwelt) Control (vs. powerlessness) - belief
you can control or influence events of your
experience Challenge (vs. threat) - anticipation
of change as an exciting challenge to further
development Courage to choose the
future Forgiveness / Future orientation (can let
go of past injuries) Learning orientation (past
is not forgotten is lessons) Humor (sense of
humor)

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FIGURE 1
Gulf War Combat Stress Exposure (CSE) predicting
IES scores for Low and High Hardy groups, active
duty sample
Low Hardy
y (1.09) x 7.81
High Hardy
y (.69) x 7.29
Displays Hardy x CSE interaction (p lt .0001) in
regression model, N824 active duty,
unstandardized betas used to map regression lines
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How can leaders increase hardiness in their
organizations?
1. Lead by example. Model a hardy approach to
life and work, demonstrating commitment, control,
challenge (stress is good!) 2. Facilitate
hardy cognitions - sense-making of experience
-in how tasks, missions are planned, discussed,
executed -in how mistakes, failures,
casualties are talked of, interpreted -in
debriefings, AARs focus on events positive
constructions 3. Seek out (create) meaningful /
challenging group tasks, then capitalize
through reflection and recognition 4.
Communicate respect, commitment to unit members,
mitwelt
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Call-out box 1 Leader actions to foster mental
hardiness - COMMITMENT
How to build commitment How to destroy commitment
Support troops attempts to give their own ideas, use their skills and talents to get tasks accomplished. Give recognition, awards, praise for accomplishments Teamwork, cohesion building activities also increase commitment Provide meaningful tasks where progress is visible Support individual development (eg., schools, distance learning) Be fair, do not show favoritism Spend time with troops Share hardships with troops Provide information about what youre doing and why Dont look for feedback, input Criticize and denigrate initiative Be self absorbed and self promoting Live apart and take special privileges for yourself Be unfair or stingy with rewards, recognition, benefits Avoid direct interactions with troops Only provide information to a limited few Show favoritism Show no interest in troops individual aspirations Impose undue travel and local contact restrictions
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Call-out box 2 Leader actions to foster mental
hardiness - CONTROL
How to build control How to destroy control
Provide tasks that are difficult, but within the capabilities of troops to achieve Establish graduated training programs crawl walk - run Provide resources and time needed to accomplish goals Set achievable standards Build on success seek short term wins to build on Give too many tasks for available time Give too difficult tasks for skill levels Criticize and punish for failure Dont listen to feedback Dont provide needed resources
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Call-out box 3 Leader actions to foster mental
hardiness - CHALLENGE
How to build challenge How to destroy challenge
Always emphasize value of change for learning Incorporate surprises and variation into schedules Model enjoyment, fun in variety Be willing to change the plan to meet changing circumstances Treat failures as chance to learn Avoid change or surprises at all cost Never take a risk Restrict innovation and experimentation by requiring rules and permission for everything Never change the schedule Blame others for mistakes and failure Denigrate others for failure
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Backup
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How hardiness works

• Hardiness is a generalized style or form of
  functioning
• that encompasses
• Cognitive how events are interpreted
• understood
• Behavioral actions taken in response
• to events
• Emotional affective tone or feeling

Transformational coping
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Increasing Hardiness in Organizations
High Hardy
Low Hardy
Leaders support employees attempts to express their ideas, capabilities contributions are recognized with awards, praise Leaders not supportive, too engaged in themselves, no time, hostile or disapproving neglectful of expressions of needs potentialities
Leaders provide tasks of moderate difficulty, needed resources employees experience success, sense of mastery Leaders impose too many, too difficult tasks chastise for failure arbitrary exercise of power inadequate resourcing
Leaders show by example and discussion that changes are interesting useful for learning minimize bureaucratic obstacles Leaders show by example that change is disruptive, threatening seek security and predictability above all favor restrictive policies bureaucracy
Supportive work interactions build Commitment
Environments permitting mastery build Control
Change is seen as richness builds Challenge
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Importance of human dimension -building stress
resilience

• Growing importance of individual, psychological /
  personality factors.. Adaptability, flexibility,
  resilience
• Multiple skills capabilities
• Eg., Armys pentathletewarrior, diplomat,
  statesman, communicator, creative thinker,
  business manager
• Examples
• -Gen Petraeus Warrior-Builder-Diplomat
  spirit
• -Navys Human Capital Strategy future
  organizations must be resilient, agile, able to
  grasp and process complex data quickly, creative,
  always learning (focus on organization level)

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More research findings
Hardiness predicts -More robust immune system
responses to infection (Dolbier et al
2000) -Better peripheral vision in football
players (Rogers et al, 2003) -Better
decision-making in police shoot / no-shoot
scenarios (Barton et al, 2004) -Performance in
rugby players (Golby et al, 2003) -Positive use
of emotion / anxiety in athletes (Hanton et al,
2002) -Retention in West Point cadets (Bartone
Kelly, 2005) and civilian college students
(Lifton et. Al., 2006) -Success in Army Special
Forces selection course (Bartone et al, 2007)
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Supporting research on Hardiness

Kobasa Maddi, 1977, Existential personality
theory, in R. Corsini (ed), Current Personality
Theories, Itasca, IL Peacock General
population Middle managers (Kobasa, Maddi
Kahn, 1982 Kobasa et. al., 1985) Health care
workers (Keane et al, 1985 Rich Rich, 1987
Topf, 1989) Older adults (Magnani, 1990) Bus
drivers (Bartone, 1989) Athletes (Maddi Hess,
1992) Military groups U.S. Army casualty
assistance workers (Bartone et al, 1989) Gulf War
soldiers (Bartone, 1999 Bartone,
2000) Peacekeeping soldiers (Bartone,
1996) Israeli officer candidates (Westman,
1990) Norwegian Navy cadets (Bartone, Johnsen,
Eid, Brun Laberg, 2002) Israeli war POWs
(Waysman, Schwarzwald Solomon, 2001)
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Conclusion

• Resilience agility adaptability are critical
  for
• effective human performance in the new
  environment
• Hardiness theory and research provide a
  scientific basis
• for understanding human resiliency under stress
• 3. Hardiness resiliency can be increased in
  individuals
• and organizations through leadership,
  organizational climate, and individual coaching