1. Prioritize. "You’d be amazed how many balls you can keep in the air by focusing on the large issues and realizing that you don’t have to decide everything at the same time."

2. Reevaluate. "You have to say, if I don’t like the results I’m getting, what can I change to get the results I want?"

3. Negotiate. "People often look at crises or problems as a zero-sum game, where there have to be winners and losers. In peace negotiations you need to convince both sides that it’s a win-win situation. Once they realize that, they’re willing to compromise and move forward."

So put down that fiddle and get to work. And remember, whatever crisis you’re facing, chances are it’s not the end of the world.

Originally published in MORE magazine, October 2007.