Personality Type for RMT/CRT (Risk Management Teams and Crisis Response Teams)

It will come as a surprise to most that I do not feel I am the best suited person, personality-wise, to be a member of a Crisis Response Team, or even a Risk Management Team. I love writing about risk, researching risk, thinking through exegetically how the Bible can specifically help us address Cross-Cultural Risk analysis, management, as well as stewardship issues. I also love consulting on risk because it helps me think through another unique angle on a Theology of Risk and I get to hear what God is doing in another challenging situation to further His kingdom through His saints.

But when it comes to Crisis Management Teams, "that's a whole 'nother ballgame," as we like to say in America.

I recognize that there are few with my experiences and understand what is involved, so I have on occasion accepted to be part of a Crisis Management Team. Neal is really much better suited to this. Really, in the end, the reason we have RMT's and CMT's is because of threats against a team or individuals or because a field worker has been kidnapped or killed, or some other major risk event has taken place or is threatening to take place.

We do this difficult work for the love of our King and His saints serving in dangerous places. But there is wisdom in working to get the best team together for Risk and Crisis Management, and this includes self-awareness and awareness of the personality mix of the individuals and the RMT/CMT mix of folks.

Research has demonstrated fairly accurately the personality type best suited for Risk and Crisis Management and Leadership, and when I compare the results of the studies with those men and women who I have leaned on in crisis, they really match the following descriptions. 

How can you tell that a certain person has the personality type?  I know it when I see it, which really isn't helpful to everyone else.  But it's really a mysterious mix of calmness, reticence to speak until a certain amount of data has been gathered, decisiveness in ambiguity and total clarity of thought and purpose despite immense stress and pressure.

This person, at the exact same time all this is going on, is able to speak calmly and generally graciously but directly and with confidence. It is not more a male trait than female, but seems to be distributed in both genders.  The best Crisis Response Team member and leader is not typically an "A-Type" dominant leader, (usually not), and it is not always a phlegmatic personality, either.

Here are the brief conclusions from a study copied and pasted from this source: 

The results from this study suggest that personality assessment can make a useful contribution to identifying and selecting individuals that are most suited to crises management roles.
It can also help to provide individuals with a more detailed level of feedback in order to understand their own reactions and behaviors under challenging circumstances, and to inform future training programs.
The key areas to assess are:

• Extraversion
• Leadership
• Group orientation
• Emotional stability

Those that are socially confident, influential and comfortable taking the lead are most likely to perform well in crisis situation. Being able to communicate and work well in a team is critical to managing crisis situations, as well as remaining calm under stressful circumstances.
 In addition, other important areas to assess are:

• Ease in decision making
• Work pace

In a crisis, the situation can change at a very rapid pace.
New information can arrive at any time, which may change the course of action that needs to be taken and shifting work force allocation. Individuals need to be able to assimilate this information and make decisions that could have far reaching consequences in a short space of time.
Some unexpected results that emerged from the study were:

• Variety seeking
• Conscientiousness (low)

During a crisis, the situation may be changeable and  ambiguous.
Therefore individuals that are able to cope with ambiguity and change maybe more effective during a crisis. Individuals that have a high need to follow rules and be supervised, may find managing a crisis more challenging.
Those that are too analytical may also find emergency situations challenging – overall too much conscientiousness could get in the way – certainly in emergency situations.

References and further reading:

Choi, J. N., Sung. Y. S. & Kim, M. U. (2010). How groups react to unexpected threats? Crisis Management in Organizational Teams. Social Behavior and Personality, 38 (6), 805-828.
Flin, R. & Slavin, G. (1994). The selection and training of offshore installation managers for crisis management. Health and Safety Executive – Offshore Technology Report, OTH 92 374.
Seeger, M. W., Sellnow, T. L. and Ulmer, R. R. (1998). Communication, organization and crisis. Communication Yearbook 21: 231–275.