5 Lessons from a Thanksgiving Dinner After Action Review
What lessons about homeland security can we learn from planning a Thanksgiving dinner?
The Thanksgiving holiday brings together family and friends in an annual tradition of celebration. In this spirit of thankfulness and appreciation, it is almost inevitable that miscommunication can lead to confusion and holiday stress. How can you avoid this? Let’s take some lessons from emergency management after action reviews (AARs). These meetings after an emergency incident examine what went well and what can be improved for the next time:
1. Planning is Key
For many, planning is boring. But how else are you going to know what you’re supposed to do? Wing it? Not a good idea in an emergency, and not a good idea for Thanksgiving dinner. Unless salmonella poisoning is in your plans, know days or weeks ahead of time who is going to do what and when.
2. Know Your Role
For most, Thanksgiving is a team effort. Family and friends want to know how to help or what they can bring. As in an emergency, be SPECIFIC. Tell them what you need, and when you need it. People want to feel useful and a part of something, so give them something specific to do. I brought home made salsa to a dinner party once. So did three other people. We ate salsa, cheese, and crackers. If you don’t tell people their specific role and how they can help, similar to donations management after a disaster, you too could end up with too much of something you don’t need, and not enough of something you do.
3. Communicate Clearly
What time is dinner again? Should I get there at that time, or are we actually eating later? You know what’s in your head. Others don’t. A lot of miscommunication happens when someone assumes others know what they’re thinking, and don’t communicate it clearly. Or they’ve played the can and string telephone game where they told one person and asked them to pass it on. It never goes well. Be direct and consistent in your communication.
4. Delegate to the Team!
Sure, you’re a superman or superwoman. You can do it all. But you don’t have to. Enlist the help of the team so everyone can enjoy the day. Just as an emergency response rule of thumb is to manage between 3–7 individuals to have effective span of control, make a decision to manage 5 tasks for Thanksgiving, and rely on your team for the rest. Check in with them often to see how things are going and if there is anything they need. Otherwise relax and enjoy the time with family and friends.
5. Be Flexible
Does anyone have a story where Thanksgiving didn’t go just as you envisioned in your head? The rolls burned, the turkey’s raw. Once when we were young my mother asked my sister to put the turkey in the oven. She did. Did mom ever say to turn the oven on? Nope. Things happen. You’re prepared for this. What’s your backup plan? Ham today, turkey tomorrow? Extra sides? Your guests are there to celebrate the day with you, not to judge if everything is prepared perfectly and on time. Remaining flexible can ensure you all enjoy the holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Suzanne Boccia has 18 years of experience in emergency management and is the Emergency Management Coordinator with the City and County of Denver Department of Environmental Health. She coordinates emergency preparedness and response efforts for the Department and its divisions. Opinions expressed here are her own. You can follow Suzanne on Twitter: @SuzBocc
Suzanne is part of The White Hat Syndicate, a Medium account launched on October 26 that aims to publish thought-provoking articles about cutting-edge homeland security topics. The six authors come from a diverse array of professional and personal backgrounds: legal, fire, environmental health, federal transportation security, and law enforcement.
The Syndicate invites you to engage us in conversation, either here on Medium or via Twitter. We look forward to the discussion.
