What to say when tough times impact your team
Everyone benefits from a workplace that is supportive and responsive to our challenging world.
A common piece of feedback I get from staff within the helping professions is that they struggle when their workplace doesn’t acknowledge the political landscape that impacts their individual lives. When someone is worried or upset after an election, a Supreme Court decision, or legislation, they can feel like their worries aren’t being acknowledged and they’re expected to just “power through” at work.
On the flipside, what I hear from supervisors is that they don’t feel comfortable discussing politics at work, and they understand that their co-workers have different political opinions and stances. They worry that if they acknowledge politics, they’ll be alienating employees who feel different ways about social and political issues. Of course, they’re also concerned about crossing a line by appearing to make a political stance that could impact their nonprofit status.
I believe we can find middle ground that supports employees to feel seen while allowing a workplace to not get specific about politics. Rather than discussing the specifics about whatever occurred, leaders can simply address the feelings that are coming up for staff. Sharing something like, “I know that some of you may be struggling after what’s happened, and I want to make sure you’re getting the care that you need. Please let me know if there’s specific support at work that I can offer, whether it be time off or an adjusted work load in the next few days. It’s important to me that you’re getting the care you need that allows you to be as present as possible.”
A message like this certainly doesn’t solve everything, but the intention I’m offering is that acknowledging when staff may be having a hard time goes a long way in making your co-workers feel like their personal selves are important to you. Keep in mind that you should only offer the support or adjustments that you can actually provide. What is most important is that you share your compassion for those on your team whenever they’re struggling or distracted because of their busy minds. Everyone benefits from a workplace that is supportive and responsive to our challenging world.
