Eventually, a major crisis will impact your company. And while COVID is the most obvious disruptor, it certainly is not the last. Everyone faces a new era of uncertainty, volatility and disruption. Organizations are rocked by technological shake-ups, shifting consumer habits, and political and social unrest, not to mention internal upheavals like harassment, violence, scandal, and more.
The most resilient organizations are those that prepare to deal with traumatic events. Organizations that will stand the test of time are those that put a plan in place to deal with the kinds of disasters that could create traumatic stress in their people and destabilize their culture.
What does such a plan look like? While it varies from company to company, there are a few must haves. Here are some you can consider for your company:
Understand the difference between trauma and stress
While stress upsets our balance in the moment, we still maintain a feeling of control over our lives. Most of us deal with routine stress daily and are able to manage it (up to a point, anyway). Trauma, on the other hand, overwhelms our self-protective structure and sends us scrambling for survival. It leaves us vulnerable, helpless, groundless. It shatters our sense of safety and security and changes how we look at the world. And unaddressed, it can result in long term harm.
Launch a Rapid Response Process the moment a crisis occurs
You might think of this as a “Code Blue.” It is a standardized, pre-planned approach for dealing with disruption. Getting one in place helps everyone know exactly what to do so that decisions can be made quickly, efficiently, and with a focus on safety.
“Name, claim, and frame trauma” from the onset
This helps everyone understand what is happening to individuals and to the group. It gives us the language to talk about it so that everyone is on the same page. It helps people say, “Aha, this is why I am feeling so bad.” And it gives everyone permission to finally seek real help.
Know the “red flags” of traumatized employees
When people are traumatized, they experience the “fight, flight, freeze” survival response. This is the body’s natural response to danger that enables us to defend ourselves or flee to safety or freeze as a means of survival (much like playing dead in the animal kingdom). Fight, flight, freeze can manifest in different ways.
Some people might become hostile, belligerent, aggressive, or otherwise “difficult”—often seemingly without adequate cause. Others might cling to their “competence zone,” blindly doing what they’ve always done even though it no longer works. People dig in and resist change. Or they may insist they are “fine,” even when it is clear they are struggling.
Get super focused on communication (Think: “VITAL”)
In times of crisis, employees need frequent, real-time, transparent communication more than ever. The acronym VITAL will help you remember the tenets around communicating in the aftermath of trauma:
Visible. Leaders must be highly visible and take the lead in communication. Don’t hide behind a spokesperson. Communicate quickly and clearly to reduce ambiguity.
“In it Together.” Double down on messages connected to teambuilding, camaraderie, purpose. Acknowledge fears and worries as normal. Let people know what to expect.
Transparent. Align leadership in how they see the external environment and make sure everyone agrees on what “success” looks like so messages are cascaded consistently. Don’t create voids by waiting to communicate. Tackle rumors head on. Share bad news the minute you have it.
Accessible. Use all modalities (video, email, intranet, text, town halls, etc.) to convey messages from the senior leader. Have a central repository/FAQ where people can get info and ask questions between regular communication sessions.
Listening. Ask questions and leave room for inquiry. When listening, stop talking. Resist the temptation to just listen for what you want to hear (your job is to hear and deal with the hard stuff too).
Leverage the power of the 4th F
You already know about the Fight/Flight/Freeze response. You may not know about the lesser known “fourth F.” This stands for friend. It represents the bonding that occurs in response to trauma due to the presence of oxytocin (the “love” hormone that fuels friendships). This hormone causes people to bond in the aftermath of trauma.
If leaders can leverage this camaraderie early on it can bring the entire organization together. But if they fail to do this, the fourth F can work against your organization as individuals bond with likeminded coworkers and end up splitting into factions. People begin to question other peoples’ motives and start taking sides. This division can lead to deep polarization.
Use “both/and” to stop post-trauma polarization
When a traumatic event occurs, opposing views can divide the organization. People believe the right course of action is either “A” or “B.” They see themselves as right and the other side as wrong. Leaders succumb to pressure and choose one option over the other (say, Choice A). When the downsides of that action appear, they reverse courses and go to the other extreme. Naturally, the downsides of Choice B then appear…and leaders swing back to Choice A. With every swing of the pendulum division deepens. This is incredibly damaging to your culture.
Don’t be caught unprepared. When trauma shows up at your front door, the sooner you take action, the sooner you can make things right—and the sooner your employees can be on the road to healing.
Dr. Diana Hendel, PharmD, and Mark Goulston, MD, FAPA, are co-authors of “Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side” and “Why Cope When You Can Heal? — How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD.” Dr. Hendel is an executive coach and leadership consultant and former CEO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Goulston is a board-certified psychiatrist, fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, former assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA-NPI, and a former FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer. The creator of Theory Y Executive Coaching, he also hosts the My Wakeup Call podcast.
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