When you manage through a crisis: 3 actions anyone can take
I have recently taken two weeks off from my blog — my wedding weekend and last weekend. Unfortunately, my husband and I caught a stomach bug, something we haven’t had in probably at least 10+ years, that laid us out for several days. We were starting to feel better on July 4, and we walked to the corner in our neighborhood to participate in our village’s 4th of July parade at 9 am.
I am glad we did because after two years without a parade and greeting every July 4 with nothing but silence, it was nice to see smiling faces, excited children, creative acts, and our local support groups and businesses celebrating the holiday. I saw a group of women donning red T-shirts for the first time: Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. I thought that might be a group I could get involved with and would look them up when I got home.
When we walked back to our home, we learned that a mass shooting had occurred two towns over, and people were fleeing the scene, hiding in strangers’ homes and taking cover in local businesses. There were fatalities and dozens of gunshot wounds. My stomach was feeling better, but this tragedy made me sick to my core.
Being 10 miles from Highland Park, we often frequent restaurants in its downtown area, and we have friends and family who live there and in the surrounding towns. Everyone checked in as safe, but, of course, not every person received that relieving news. My heart breaks for those directly impacted, including anyone who was at the parade and has to try to get through how they cope, grieve, and push forward.
I have tried to focus and be productive this past week; it has been difficult. I float from being focused on work to getting angry to outright sobbing. This blog is not going to be a political one. I have clear views on many of our major issues of the day, but I want to focus more on how people can manage and get through a crisis. Now, I am not a psychologist. I am not a therapist, although I can play one sometimes.
Even though I was 10 miles west enjoying my family and community, I am shaken…more shaken than I have ever been. I have been reflecting this weekend on what to do — how to move forward, and how I can support others.
I have read many posts this week from professionals in my network who live in Highland Park and who were attending the parade. So many posts have raised the issue of LinkedIn’s purpose and question whether personal posts related to the shooting belong on the platform. I used to be one of those people who thought perhaps the more personal posts would be more appropriate on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. I no longer feel that way.
I often write that whether we want to or not, we bring our whole selves to work. I grew up in an era where I was expected to compartmentalize my personal life from my work life. When events like what happened on July 4 occur, how on earth can this not impact your work life? We may not want it to, but it absolutely does.
So, what can we do at work to help with a crisis? I have three simple items all managers, leaders, and human beings can do to help in a crisis, whatever shape that takes. This could be loss of life, loss of a home to a wildfire or natural disaster, loss of a job to a layoff, loss of a marriage through divorce, loss of control, or whatever your feelings of loss are about; unfortunately, the list of options can be long.
Give space.
To me, the most important action we can take to help those in crisis is to give space. Yes…I am sure significant deadlines are looming, we need to win a critical client, we need to close the monthly books, or a customer needs our help. All these situations may be true, but this is why business continuity is so important. The saying has always been: “If so-and-so got hit by a bus, what would we do?” I have always had such a visceral reaction to this phrase because of how dark it is. I prefer “If so-and-so wins the lottery and moves to The Bahamas, what would we do?” Regardless of the cliche, organizations must figure out how to still conduct business if someone goes on vacation, needs personal time, or leaves their job. When a crisis happens, and someone needs to take a week or weeks to figure out their plan of coping, we need to give that space and figure out how to continue business in their absence.
Give support.
Another essential item to remember is that people need support differently. What I might want can be completely different from what my colleague needs. Some people may want to be left alone, some may want a kind ear to listen to them, some may need more formalized support in the way of a counselor or support group, and some may wish to donate their time or money to a cause like gun violence, climate change, addiction, cancer research, etc. Organizations have taken great leaps in the last two years to provide wellness options for mental, physical, social, and financial wellness. If your organization can financially offer these resources, do it. Further, if you can match donations and/or provide time off to volunteer, do this to support your employees on their personal journeys.
Give time.
Related to space is time. Not to be trite, but time is one of the most valuable things we can give to someone. We need to cut slack to those impacted by a crisis; we need to give our own time to listen or pick up some of their work if they need time off. We need to ensure people have the flexibility to pursue help, have the headspace to make adjustments, and have time to figure out how they will move forward. I have known some people who prefer to throw themselves into work to get through a crisis. This is okay, but for those working with this person, we still need to give time and space to let them figure out how to strike the balance they need.
I am not the only one who a tragedy has shaken. I know behind every door, every household has been impacted by something that has come along unexpectedly that makes us take stock, grieve, cope through a tragedy, and figure out how to get stronger and move forward.
As a manager, you don’t need to pry but asking how someone is doing is not prying. Offer an ear, offer support, give time to process what has happened, and allow them the flexibility to re-engage when they are ready.
I have taken some time to process and I am still left puzzled, angry and sick, but I also feel grateful, compassionate, and ready to help. Squeeze your families and take time to process. Get involved in a cause if you want to, and, above all, be kind to one another—peace, everyone.