At a time traditionally meant for summer relaxation and family fun, we are hurting. The senseless loss of human life – 49 people killed in the largest mass shooting in U.S. history and all too close to home.
The news is riled with unrest. We are in a challenging political world at home and abroad. Our environment is fragmented at best. And if we don’t have quite enough stress, record heat , wild fires, and floods are regular news stories.
Does it impact you and your workplace – of course it does. Your employees and colleagues are feeling the unrest and uncertainty, and are looking for assurance.
Even when we can’t give those assurances, we can acknowledge feelings, provide structure, and offer tools for coping as they move through the healing process.
Years ago, I became certified in a technique called “Critical Incident Stress Debriefing”. The goal was to serve emergency service personnel who were dealing with a traumatic event. Sadly, I used the process many times.
Later, I used the same process in private organizations for groups who had experienced a shared traumatic event (i.e., an armed bank robbery, the sudden death of a co-worker). And, since becoming a coach, I’ve used the process with individual clients or small groups who’ve experienced an event that had the potential to over-ride their normal coping skills.
In our current climate (literally and figuratively!), perhaps we all need a stress debriefing process as part of our tool kit.
Best done with a group, everything in a debriefing is kept strictly confidential. No one is forced to speak, but all are encouraged to share since what one says often helps others.
Without fail, the process works. While nothing changes the circumstance(s) that brought it on, it acknowledges the event educates about potential symptoms, and provides coping skills that everyone can practice. It brings people together and connects them in a special way. And for me, it has consistently demonstrated the power of the human spirit to find good amid tragedy.
If you or your team could benefit from a process like this, give me a call. I can customize it for your group.
At some point, we must all update our coping tools for this ever-changing world.
Raving Fan
“Thanks so much for helping me see that I always have a choice, and for showing me how to access my courage. Now I’m confident I can take the actions that will create my future!”