Leading Your Organization in the Aftermath of a Crisis Bob VandePol SOMEONE VALUEOPTOINS

2 Agenda  Welcome  Context – what happened at VT, how EAP helps in such situations, what we are doing at VT now  Specific concerns your population may have with this incident  The implications of this event on your organization and your employees  Leadership during a crisis (ACT, Hierarchy of Needs, Transitions (fear to safety, etc.), Things to Remember, Ways to Ease Stress)  Discussion/Recommendations  Resources

3 Virginia Tech and Role of the EAP  Assess organizational needs and develop a “recovery plan”  Provide an immediate and ongoing response to the situation (at both macro and micro levels)  Promote recovery of participants by encouraging use of existing resources  Demonstrate organization’s concern for individuals affected by the event  Encourage leaders to take care of themselves so that they can be a role model for strength and optimism

4 Triggering Event  Circles of impact  Implications for your organization Individuals – those with history of trauma, those affected directly by loss, general fear/anxiety for children’s safety Management – re-evaluation of crisis preparedness plan; concern about identifying troubled employees; distracted, fearful workforce

5 5 Leadership = Self-Care + Vision + Action

6 Deal With It Your organization will go through a post- incident process with you or without you. Lead it! “The pure rage that stems from unredressed injury can be more fearsome than that produced by the original wrong.” -- Gerry Spence Founder, Trial Lawyers College

7 Crisis Reactions = Leadership at Risk Regression to more basic, primitive impulses and defenses + Immediate attempts to make sense out of the incident in an effort to gain a feeling of control over it + Isolation from others in distrust = Hostility and blame. Tragedy begets tragedy.

8 8 Leadership Positioning - ACT  Acknowledge and name the incident  Communicate competence and compassion  Transition to a future focus

9 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Actualization Esteem Love/Belonging Safety Physiological

10 Leadership Vision and Action  Fear Safety  Isolation Connectivity  Chaos Structure  Helplessness Efficacy  Victim Survivor

11 The Human Factor in Business Recovery There is no business recovery without people who:  are healthy enough to return to work and be productive  are assured enough of their safety to not feel afraid to return to work  have had their trust in the leadership established so that they desire to return to work  have had their loyalty rewarded so they remain employees over the short haul and the long haul Source: Marsh Crisis Academy 2003

12 Recommendations/Discussion  Send ongoing communications to teams working on the organization’s response, managers and employees about available services.  Management should be visible.  Continue to evaluate population’s needs, and contact VO to arrange if/when needed.  SOMETHING HERE ABOUT ADDRESSING SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE?.  Crisis preparedness plans  Please keep in touch with your ValueOptions account representative.

13 Things to Remember  No one who sees a violent crime is untouched by it  It is normal to feel anxious about you and your loved one’s safety  Profound sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event  Acknowledging our feelings helps us recover  Focusing on our strengths and abilities helps us move on

14 Self-Care for Leaders  Remember to take care of yourself so that you can support others and model strength and optimism.

15 Things to Remember (con’t)  Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy  We each have different needs and different ways of coping  It is common to want to strike back at people who have caused pain. However, nothing good is accomplished by hateful language or actions

16 Ways to Ease Stress  Talk with someone about your feelings even though it may be difficult  Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by staying active in your daily life patterns or by adjusting them. Include healthy diet, rest, exercise, and relaxation

17 Ways to Ease Stress (con’t)  Spend time with family and friends  Participate in memorials, rituals, and use of symbols as a way to express feelings.  Use existing support groups of family, friends, and church. –US Dept of Mental Health

18 Resources  Ensure availability/awareness of resources by all employees and family members  Your employee assistance program (EAP)  AchieveSolutions  Your primary care physician  Community-based services: American Red Cross National Organization for Victims Assistance Your religious organization Self-help support group