As managers, it is important to be aware of the potential impact of tragic events on our employees, especially in the aftermath of recent shootings, natural disasters, or other tragic events. These events can flood our news feeds and can have a significant effect on the mental and emotional well-being of our team members.
When our news feeds and notifications are flooded by bad news and tragedy, managers need to be aware of how employees will be affected. This can come up with events like a mass shooting, an officer-involved shooting in a community of color, natural disasters, or a terrorist attack.
Your support of your employees when their world has been rocked can have a huge effect on their well-being and their ability to perform on the job.
TUNE IN
The first thing you should do as a manager is to be aware of the way the news could be affecting your employees. Are they personally connected, or could they have a relative who is directly impacted? Cultural empathy can make the news feel even more important and personal. Or, the news story might actually trigger a kind of PTSD response. The employee might feel they need to hide how they are feeling, but they are nonetheless affected.
You can make sure you are tuned in by first monitoring the news and paying attention to sensitive areas of concern. Then, pay attention to your employees for any reactions they might be experiencing.
Be prepared, also, to offer support. Acknowledge the tragedy immediately and make space for compassionate, vulnerable conversations, both in one-on-ones and group discussions. Be sure to consider your own identity as well as those to whom you’re speaking. Reflect on how you might tailor your approach to each person, and do your best to avoid making assumptions about what your team members are feeling. (Just ask!)
If someone is feeling affected by the news, ask if they know what kind of support they want. You may want to make sure they know how to access counseling services, or you might temporarily bring in counseling to improve access. Some employees might genuinely need time off to process or physically respond to events, and others will prefer to have the distraction of work. You’ll only know what they need by asking.
CREATE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
Even before tragedy strikes, you can take steps to make sure your teams are working in a psychologically safe environment. Employees should feel safe to express their feelings and concerns to their managers, not as a way of being distracted from work, but rather as an acknowledgement that the distraction from work exists and must be managed.
You can build psychological safety in 1:1 meetings by encouraging your employees to share their reactions when an event occurs, and provide a listening ear.
In addition, employee support groups can be a natural add-on to counseling services for the duration of employee reactivity.
Provide reasonable accommodations such as flexibility in scheduling or work arrangements when employee are struggling in the aftermath of a crisis.
BE PROACTIVE
Managers can prepare for challenges like this by promoting employee wellbeing, encouraging healthy living, and utilizing an array of growth options such as resilience development opportunities.
This might include providing information on stress-management techniques like meditation and exercise. You, too, can promote a culture of self-care by modeling healthy behaviors.
ADAPT TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES
Different kinds of events will require different kinds of responses from you. Be sure to pay attention to the nature of the event and the particular needs of your employees.
For example, if a natural disaster occurs that directly affects your employees in the affected area, your role might be to assist with finding temporary housing or financial support. (You can Google how to do this to find resources and instructions.)
If a mass shooting occurs in your area, employees may be directly affected and need support, but even if it is more distant, then employees may still be struggling with feelings of fear, shock, or extremes of sadness or even anger.
In the event of a nearby mass shooting, employees in a shared office environment may appreciate knowing that additional security measures have been implemented to ensure their safety.
BOTTOM LINE
Managers play a critical role in supporting employees during difficult times. By being aware of the potential impact of bad news on their employees, creating a safe and open environment for employees to express their feelings, and promoting healthy coping mechanisms, you can help to mitigate the negative effects of the event and support the well-being of your team. And don’t forget to take care of yourself and your own mental health at work.
