Balancing employee care during a delicate and sensitive transition or event on top of other work responsibilities can feel overwhelming to even the most seasoned professional. However, by building a proactive strategy that considers five key steps, legal leaders can navigate a traumatic time with compassion, insight and efficiency.
1. Act Immediately
When a traumatic event occurs, it can often feel like the best course of action is a wait-and-see approach. But years of trauma research indicates that the first three to seven days are crucial for people to begin adjusting to the traumatic event and shaping positive psychological habits that build resilience. Immediate support for employees is crucial — but don’t stop there. It’s important to provide a layer of assistance that extends all the way to those directly affected, including employees, clients or their families.
Disruptive event management (DEM) services are an important component of this immediate response during the first week following the event. Additionally, offering counseling services, arranging for medical assistance as needed, and taking steps to ensure employee safety should also be considered in the early days following the event.
2. Open the Lines of Communication
In response to high stress situations, humans tend to seek out information that restores a sense of control or assigns meaning to a certain event. When that information is absent, we fill in the resulting gap with a negative and dramatized version of what happened. This is our evolutionary attempt to prepare for the worst, yet if this fear response remains active for too long it can create a distorted and dysfunctional pattern of thoughts and emotions.
It’s vitally important for leaders to step up in these high stress situations and communicate honestly and openly with all stakeholders about the events that have occurred, while maintaining and respecting strict privacy and confidentiality. Initiating a dialogue to ensure employees know the facts about what happened and what support is available to them can provide much-needed context and understanding. Be willing to have these tough conversations — as difficult as they may feel, it creates authenticity during a time of chaos and confusion for all involved.
3. Consider the Legal Implications
In my many years of consulting, I’ve regularly observed that organizations can have unintentional blind spots when it comes to the legal risks of a traumatic event. With the whirlwind that can often take place following one of these events, it can simply be a business reality.
“In response to high stress situations, humans tend to seek out information that restores a sense of control or assigns meaning to a certain event. When that information is absent, we fill in the resulting gap with a negative and dramatized version of what happened.”
Legal leaders should understand and assess the potential legal liabilities or obligations the firm may have, take appropriate steps to mitigate risks, and address any issues that may arise down the line. Sometimes this even means partnering or consulting with other legal advisors to hear a different point of view and better identify vulnerabilities.
