Situational Awareness is about knowing what’s going on around you. It’s about recognizing any potential threats. It’s about recognizing the mood, attitudes, and behaviors of those closest to you and complete strangers.
It seems like everywhere I look I see men and women in these zombie-like trances starring at these little electronic devices we call our phones. I see people driving who are completely oblivious to anything going on around them, and I see an inability for people to connect with other people who are literally sitting right next to them.
So, let’s talk about this today. Let’s talk about situation awareness.
Men, what is going on today?!
My name is Ryan Michler and I am the host and founder of Order of Man. I’m glad to be back with you here again today.
If you’re new to the show you might be asking yourself what The Order of Man is all about. This is all about making you a better man, a better father, a better husband, a better business owner, and a better leader!
I’m seeing a huge and disturbing trend in society that is telling men it’s okay not to be manly, and that you should actually avoid acting like a man. We’re expected to be sensitive, to be in touch with our feelings, to do what we’re told, and to live a life other than the life we were meant to be lived.
John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart says, “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” Can you look yourself in the mirror every morning an honestly tell the man staring back at you that this is the type of life you’re living?
I’m willing to bet not. I’m willing to bet that you are living less than you’re meant to live. I’m willing to bet that most days you don’t enjoy the work you’re doing. I’m willing to bet that most days, your marriage isn’t what you envisioned when you first said, “I do.” I’m willing to bet that you’re a little heavier than you used to be. I’m willing to bet you’re not satisfied.
If that’s the case, good, you recognize it. Now, it’s time to do something about it. It’s time to break through the conditioning society has placed on you and me as men and regain our sense of masculinity and power. It’s time for you to do work you love. It’s time for you to step up as a leader in your business, your family, and your community. It’s time for you to take your health back. It’s time for you to reconnect with your wife and children. It’s time for you to become the man you are meant to be.
We’re here to help you with that. We’ve to an interview podcast available for you each and every Tuesday and, of course, we have this Friday Field Notes show where I talk about some of my thoughts and insights for the week.
Now today, I want to talk with you about something I’m seeing as I go out into the world whether it’s driving down the road or taking my wife out to dinner. The problem I’m seeing is this complete lack of situational awareness.
It seems like everywhere I look I see men and women in these zombie-like trances starring at these little electronic devices we call our phones. I see people driving who are completely oblivious to anything going on around them, and I see an inability for people to connect with other people who are literally sitting right next to them.
So, let’s talk about this today. Let’s talk about situation awareness.
Situational Awareness is about knowing what’s going on around you. It’s about recognizing any potential threats. It’s about recognizing the mood, attitudes, and behaviors of those closest to you and complete strangers.
This is important guys. At the end of the day, and because you are a man, you have been called upon as a leader – a leader in your family, or community, or business. And, frankly, there are going to be strangers who are looking to you for leadership. That might be an active shooter type situation or an emergency or someone just asking for directions. But, if you have no idea what the hell is going on around you, you are not going to be an effective leader. At best, you might give someone the wrong directions and, at worst, your lack of awareness might get someone killed – maybe even a loved one.
I can’t get into all of the details of situation awareness on an 8-minute podcast but let me share with you a quick insight from my glory days of high school.
I had a high school football coach, Matt Labrum, who would always say to me, “Mich, keep your head on a swivel.” I was a linebacker in high school and the goal was to see the entire field at any given time. What was the quarterback doing? Were the linemen on their heels or on their fingers? Where were the receivers lined up? If one receiver what cutting across the middle what were the rest doing? Who was each man going to block? Were our guys in position?
This is what it means to be situationally aware.
If you’re out on a date with your wife, what is the overall mood of the environment? How are people behaving? Is there anything out of the ordinary? If something goes down, how will you react?
But, it’s not just about being aware of any threats. It might be a conversation with a co-worker or a loved one. How are they behaving? Are the unusually happy? Are they unusually upset? If so, it’s your job as a leader to address that issue.
So, let’s talk about a couple things you can do to be more aware and more prepared for any given situation. Although I can’t possibly explain every situation you might encounter, incorporating a few really simple tactics and strategies will help you assess, adapt, and overcome just about anything.
First, establish a baseline. I eluded to this already but you need to understand the overall mood of the environment you find yourself in. What are people doing? What should the be doing? Is it unusually loud? Is there anything out of the ordinary going on? What is different about this location or people than normal?
Bottom line, it’s about asking yourself questions and identifying if this is what I would call “business as usual” or is something else going on?
Next, control the environment. Look, you’re going to find yourself in situations you have no control over. The environment is what it is. People are going to do what they do. But, what you can control is how you position yourself in the environment. Where are you sitting? Is your back against the wall or is it exposed? Is it unusually dark? Can you actually see what’s going on or is your view obstructed? Where are the exits? If something were to go down, how would you maneuver he environment to get you and others to safety. Be aware of the views, the location, the sounds, the smell, and use all your senses to get an idea of the environment in which you find yourself in.
Next, visualize scenarios. Back to sports here for a minute. I also played baseball in high school. During practice, our coach would often call us out and ask us what each of us would do if the ball was hit to the infield, to the outfield or if it was a groundball or fly ball. We would be encouraged to walk through every possible scenario imagined so that if and when the ball was hit, we already knew what to do.
This idea of visualizing a play before it happened allowed for quicker reaction time and more effective play because we didn’t have to think about what we were going to do in the moment – we had already rehearsed it.
So, you need to ask yourself these types of questions so that, if something happens, you already know what to do.
The last thing I want to mention is that you need to take action. If you notice something is off or not quite right, it’s on you as the man to change the situation. You may need to change your position in the environment. You may even need to get yourself out of the situation before something goes down.
Trust your gut here guys. I promise there are things going on subconsciously within your mind and body that are trying to keep you alive. I don’t know all the science behind it but I can tell you that we as humans have evolved over thousands of years to first, survive, and, second, to thrive. You will know if something is off. Have the courage to listen and act upon what your subconscious is telling you!
So there it is guys, just a quick rundown on how to be a bit more aware of what’s going on around you. I’m going to be bringing on some guests in the near future to talk more at length on this subject because I firmly believe ALL men need to be more aware of their surroundings.
In the meantime, let me tell you really quickly about our elite mastermind, The Iron Council. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about it. This is an exclusive group of men who are working together to improve their relationships, their health, their wealth, and themselves. Each and every one of us is committed to leveling up our lives and helping our council brothers do the exact same thing.
We’ve got weekly calls, Battle Teams, weekly assignments, a private Facebook Group for discussion and a ton more. You can learn more about The Iron Council at www.orderofman.com/ironcouncil.
Until next week guys, be more situationally aware, be a better leader, and live manfully!
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