Anne McClain posted a thread highlighting five skills that help you cope with confinement in space “or anywhere else.”
1/ One thing astronauts have to be good at: living in confined
spaces for long periods of time. Find yourself in a similar scenario? Here are
some pro tips…a thread.— Anne McClain (@AstroAnnimal) March 22, 2020
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Communication
This activity requires sharing information and feelings freely. What McClain suggests is:
“Talk about your intentions before taking action. Use the appropriate terminology. Discuss when your actions or others were not what you expected. Take the time to report after the success or conflict. Listen, then repeat the messages to make sure they are understood. Admit when you are wrong.”
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Leadership / Followers
To strengthen this relationship, the NASA astronaut points out that you have to “accept responsibility.”
To be a leader during isolation and to motivate the actions of others, it is necessary to “adjust your style to the environment. Assign tasks and set goals. Lead by example. Give direction, information, feedback, training and encouragement. Make sure your teammates have resources. Talk when something is not right. Ask questions. Offer solutions and not just problems.”
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Self care
The way to maintain this skill begins with a realistic assessment of your own strengths, weaknesses, and influence in the group. For Anne McClain, in this process it is also necessary to learn from mistakes.
“Identify personal trends and their influence on your success or failure. Be open about your weaknesses and feelings. Take steps to mitigate your own stress or negativity and don’t pass it on to the group. Balance work, rest and personal time”, she advises.
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Equipment care
After self-care, it is important to maintain the group’s health on the psychological, physical and logistical levels. So it is recommended to encourage others. In his advice thread, McCain states:
“Monitor your team for signs of stress or fatigue. Encourage participation in team activities. Build positive relationships. Volunteer for unpleasant tasks. Offer and accept help. Share credit; take the blame.”
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Group life
Last but not least: become a team to achieve a goal. In the construction of this ability, according to the expert, it is necessary to create a group culture from each individual.
“Cooperate instead of compete. Respect roles, responsibilities, and workload. Take responsibility; praise freely. Then work to ensure a positive team attitude. Stay calm in the conflict,” is the final message from Anne McClain.
Source: Caracoltv
