Crisis management styles

Three weeks later and I’m still finding Jake’s notes from our Great Heating Crisis of March.

Crisis management styles

Apparently when our apartment turned into an icebox, his response was to create a color-coded action plan with contingency protocols. Mine was to pile every blanket we own on the couch and declare us arctic explorers until the landlord fixed it.

Turns out we’re both right, just in completely different ways.

His emergency protocols are surprisingly thorough

Jake’s systematic approach actually got us through the crisis faster - he had backup plans for the backup plans, contact information organized, even a timeline for when to escalate to emergency services. Meanwhile, I kept us sane with terrible survival movie quotes and increasingly ridiculous fort-building.

Looking at his meticulous handwriting now, I realize this is exactly how we work best together. He handles the logistics, I handle the morale. He plans three steps ahead, I keep us laughing when nothing goes according to plan. Neither approach would work as well alone.

Who knew a broken heater would teach us this much about ourselves? Though I’m definitely keeping his emergency contact list - that level of organization might actually come in handy again.