How can you promote growth in your organization after a traumatic event?

Después de un suceso traumático lo cierto es que no hay que complicarse mucho con el crecimiento y sí con la gestión del estrés. Para crecer se necesita una plantilla sana a nivel mental por lo que, tranquilidad.

In the face of adversity, we're committed to fostering growth. Open communication, support services, and team-building activities are in place. Leaders are here for you. Let's learn, heal, and rebuild together, celebrating each step forward and supporting one another through the journey.

Leaders have an essential role in responding to traumatic events. Post-traumatic growth can only happen in conditions of psychological safety, which itself can only happen in the aftermath of a traumatic event if three conditions are met: - top leadership is visibly engaged, transparent, and authentic, - top leadership provides clarity around resources and organizational trajectory, and - top leadership ensures a rapid return to a familiar work cadence and routines, aka a normal 'battle rhythm', that incorporates something new and improved based on the traumatic event When combined together the above actions maximizes the changes of organizational growth and minimizes the possibility of organizational rupture and brand damage.

How can you promote growth in your organization after a traumatic event? This may be the dumbest question asked in this series. Traumatic events are not a springboard for growth. They may be a springboard for reassessment and for evaluation. As a first responder from the world trade center to Katrina and others... I have never and I mean never seen traumatic events as a growth opportunity.

The only way to promote growth after a traumatic event is to meet every person in your organization authentically, vulnerably, and with multiple opportunities for support. Trauma affects everyone differently, subconsciously and consciously. The best leaders find multiple streams of support. From inspiring workshops, to offering individual coaching or therapy, to creating retreats (individually or group) that open the mindset to healing and thriving. If you are able to offer this to your people, you build a foundation of trust and the layers of growth are exponential.

Scheduling talk groups where people come in to talk about what happened and how it impacted them has varied benefits. It brings to surface the core issues. It supports to process what has emerged It helps connect deeply to each other in our shared stories. Surveys, interviews, focus groups are one way processes. They do not give accurate picture and impact of how, what happened, was received!

In my experience assessing the impact of trauma on an organization is essential. This can be done by holding meetings, regularly speaking with staff, communication in anyway possible to support people. Review sickness, lateness and the mood of staff. Hold extra supervisions with staff so they can speak confidentially. If needed bring in external support, this can be especially useful if staff don't really want to speak to in house people. Encourage staff to support each other, often the commonality in a situation can be used in a positive way.

Before fostering growth in your organization post-trauma, it's crucial to evaluate the trauma's impact on both employees and the business. Trauma affects individuals differently, impacting productivity, morale, and overall well-being. Assessment methods may include surveys, interviews, focus groups, or analyzing performance metrics to gauge changes in productivity, engagement, and satisfaction levels.

I believe in the power of breathing through it as a collective in a circle of support. There is a special formula we have found successful for trauma healing in the workplace and it’s called ALIGN: Ask, Listen, Intuit, Guide, Neuroactivate. The Neuroactivation is the gentle release of the stress from the central nervous system with specific guided imagery and breathwork. All of this allows those affected to let go and find peace.

Leverage your network to provide your team with external support. Often when dealing with trauma, it can feel like no one understands what you're going through, how to get out of it, and how to grow from it. Find mentors and experts in your field who have been through similar experiences, and can provide your team with outside insights and reassurance that with the right perspective and the right tools, you can overcome the most difficult of situations and that trauma doesn't mean failure, it can be an opportunity for growth. Hearing from people who have come out the other side of something is powerful.

Acknowledge the crisis and its impact. Don't ignore or downplay what happened and how it hurt your employees. Show sympathy and care, and let them know you are there for them. Validate their emotions and experiences, and don't judge or assume.Encourage communication and connection. Create a safe and supportive space where your employees can talk about their feelings, if they want to. Listen attentively and empathetically, and respect their privacy and limits. Provide flexibility and resources. Promote self-care and wellness. Rebuild trust and hope. A crisis can damage one's sense of safety, security, and optimism. As a leader, you can help your employees restore trust and hope by being honest, transparent, and consistent.

📄 “Trauma-informed leadership (TIL) & posttraumatic growth “by Koloroutis et al. 2021 1️⃣“TIL recognize that people, including themselves, will struggle due to current & past traumatic experiences & they respond with compassion & empathy.” 2️⃣“They understand the importance of presence for themselves & their teams to facilitate coping and growth, & they recognize the need for their teams to feel heard, protected, prepared, & seen by organizational leaders.” 3️⃣“The process of posttraumatic growth is facilitated by leaders who are present, understand trauma & trauma responses, & can listen to & support individuals and teams by meeting them exactly where they are.” 4️⃣“prioritise their own self-care, which requires commitment and practice”

I think it’s very important to be patient and allow space for healing And conversation and save space for the people to process what happened to them. It also depends on what kind of dramatic experience or trauma occurred. Check in with your employers important . Everyone deals with trauma differently so I believe each individual employer needs their own journey and specific time to recover . I know sometimes it’s not possible in companies but we must do best. We can to support the workforce.

Employees expectation is to feel valued for the service and work they do. A little extra respect and encouragement is good foe them to be motivated and perform better. The how to do it.. The encouragement can be done in many ways. One of the few ways are getting them lunch in one of the days in a month, offer sports allowance, bringing them to watch a movie. All these are proven method which i even done with my employees ans seen the benefit after that. It works.

Clear the FOG One thing all great leaders do after the traumatic event is getting rid of the FOG. FOG minimises our clarity & hindersbthe growth. Similarly post traumatic events employees stay in FOG: 1. Fear 2. Obligation 3. Guilt As a leader you must step up and clear the fog: 1. Fear: Post traumatic fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. So, learn to reason it out with your rational brain instead of emotional one. Rely more on facts than feelings. 2. Obligation: Enable them to decide what is acceptable, what is adjustable & what is avoidable. Now they can exercise their choices & feel less obligated. 3. Guilt: Make them focus on the present & understand not everything is in our control. Guilt is past & growth is future.

In my experience creating a positive work environment following a traumatic event is essential. Acknowledging the event and discussing its impact with staff can help their recovery and mental health. It is not always easy to discuss the emotional aspects of a trauma but this can be done gently through group meetings. Meeting people where they are and allowing them to deal with it in their own way is useful. Being aware that some staff may not react until a later date and allowing them to have a way to still be able to express their emotions when they are ready is a kind way of supporting them.

Acknowledgement of what happened and how it affects each one is need of the hour. A traumatic event affects employee as well as the head hierarchy too. Talking about it and offering support measures openly goes a long way in normalising feelings and needs felt. Schedule talks Ask for 'What needs to be done to feel connected?' Give time for processing. Allow for difficult emotions to be expressed. These steps will create safety and bonding within organisational community.

Creating a safe and positive work environment post-trauma is essential for rebuilding trust and motivation. Clear communication, involvement in decision-making, recognition of efforts, and fostering a sense of community are crucial. Providing flexibility, autonomy, and opportunities for learning and development can also contribute to a supportive and empowering workplace culture

Promoting growth in an organization after a traumatic event hinges on creating a safe, positive work environment. However, it's important to understand that establishing this sense of safety isn't a one-time task. It's an ongoing practice that requires feedback and consistent follow-up. We must prioritize open communication channels, encourage team members to share their thoughts and concerns freely, and actively listen to their feedback. By conducting regular check-ins, fostering transparent leadership, and providing resources for mental health support, we can reinforce our commitment to maintaining a safe and supportive workplace environment for everyone.

Lean in. That takes courage. Learn. Be the change agent. None of us typically embrace change until we reach rock bottom. Except, a baby in a soiled diaper. Conflict forces change to occur. Trust the process.?

Learning from trauma involves reflection, analysis, and adaptation. Conducting debriefing sessions, identifying lessons learned, and implementing changes based on insights gained are crucial steps. Recognizing successes, addressing challenges, and expressing gratitude for growth and resilience can foster a culture of learning and innovation within the organization.

Provide as many people as possible in the organization with trauma-informed skills, especially on the leadership team. This is key to creating a supportive and safe environment that champions recovery and significantly reduces the chance of retraumatization among team members. And, it's essential to guarantee that skilled, trauma-informed mental health professionals are readily accessible, ensuring everyone has the support they need.

Challenging situations can be excellent opportunities for growth. The three step process I take my clients through is: 1. Say thank you. It might sound counterintuitive, but you can’t feel bad about something you’re grateful for. It also shifts the energy from closed to open. 2. Ask, “what’s the lesson is?”, or, “where’s the opportunity in this?”. The answers may not be immediately apparent but plant the seeds and in time the answers will come. 3. Once the lesson/opportunity is clear, ask, “how could this help someone else?” With this process, not only is there growth for the person/team that experienced the challenges, there is the opportunity to be of service which creates even more growth.

To my idea, holding group or individual sessions with counselors, psychologists, or trauma specialists for employees in need of support can be highly effective. These sessions help employees share emotions, manage stress, and learn coping strategies for trauma. Benefits include increased adaptation, social support, heightened awareness, and effective solutions. Overall, these sessions are a valuable way to support employees in facing trauma and reducing stress and anxiety.

Fomentar el crecimiento requiere un enfoque compasivo y estratégico. Prioriza la comunicación abierta y transparente para construir confianza, abordando las preocupaciones del equipo. Implementa programas de apoyo emocional, como asesoramiento o talleres de manejo del estrés. Establece metas realistas, reconociendo y celebrando los logros pequeños. Fomenta un entorno de trabajo colaborativo, incentivando la participación y la resiliencia. Proporciona oportunidades de desarrollo profesional para fortalecer habilidades y motivar la progresión. Evalúa continuamente el clima organizacional y ajusta las estrategias según sea necesario. La empatía y la acción proactiva son esenciales para reconstruir y promover el crecimiento sostenible.

Everyone reacts or responds to a traumatic event or experiences differently. As a leader, we need to - understand the fears of each person and provide them emotional support, - create a safe and compatible work environment, - allow them time to heal and be mindful of their individual emotional requirements, - show empathy and respect