04/ 19/ 2007
by Pamela Mills-Senn
When tragedy strikes a member of your staff, small-business owners often find themselves in an especially challenging predicament. Given the family atmosphere that characterizes most small businesses, any trauma to one employee is likely to be felt by all, and this must be acknowledged and handled with sensitivity. But on the other hand, there's still work to be done.
How do you keeping people moving forward under trying conditions and not come off like an ogre in the process?
First, let's differentiate between extraordinary events, such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks or workplace shootings, and ordinary life events that we all potentially face, such as heart attacks, death due to illness or other causes, serious injuries and the like.
Because catastrophic events often have such a profoundly negative impact on employees, the ramifications to your company can be extreme. Regardless of your size, it's important make an effort to address the emotional needs of your staff.
Gail Finger, principal of Finger Consulting, an Amherst-based organizational and leadership consulting firm, once worked with an organization that lost several employees on one of the planes hijacked on 9/11. The company provided in-house counseling and other services through their employee assistance program. However, small businesses don't typically have these resources, Finger says. This places more of the burden on the owner to figure out what to do.
"This doesn't mean they have to handle it on their own," Finger explains. "Most small businesses are networked to other organizations in the community like the chamber of commerce, and these resources can very often provide referrals. And it's well worth the cost to bring in a professional."
Thankfully, horrific events are the exception rather than the norm, and generally small-business owners will not find themselves having to respond to these situations. However, you and your staff probably will have to deal with the kind of grief and loss that life tosses at all of us. As Harish Rao, CEO of Echoditto, a New York City-based online communications company with 25 employees, says, it's an inevitable consequence of doing business.
Recently, one of Rao's employees lost her father unexpectedly. With his blessing, she opted to take an extended leave of absence to recover emotionally. Before leaving, she informed each of her teammates individually (Rao offered to do this, but she decided to handle it herself). Rao then called a team meeting and asked for employee's help in managing the workload during her absence. He believes that approaching the team like this enhanced his status as a leader.
"It shows your softer side," Rao explains. "And I feel we came out stronger as a result. The key is to show sensitivity, but paint it in the context of ‘What can we do to get through this together?' "
Drum Associates, Inc., an executive search firm also in New York City, has 40 employees and is extremely team-oriented, says president and CEO Brian Drum. Everything is discussed—not just projects, but the whole gamut, from baby showers to weddings and family activities, he says. And when there's a loss, the entire group feels it.
His daughter, Carly Drum, who serves as managing director, talked about how the company responded to a recent situation.
"We had an individual whose father was in a serious car accident," Carly says. "We asked her permission to provide information to the team. We told them where he was, where to send flowers, his condition, and we followed up by letting them know when we would provide the next update. We did this not only to make sure that work continued, but to protect the employee as well, giving her fewer things to worry about."
Knowledge is essential in any situation, a fact that was driven home for the company, which was located near the Twin Towers, during the Sept. 11 attacks, Carly says.
"One of the biggest things about 9/11 was that no one knew what was going on," she recalls. "When this happens, I think people will have more anxiety, and they will create ways to find out the information they're missing.
"We've learned we need to really ensure the team understands the situation, and what the next steps are," Carly continues. "When people are left to figure it out on their own, they spend more time trying to fill in the blanks. It becomes very distracting. Giving them the necessary resources and information keeps people from speculating and from becoming distracted and consumed by the situation."
"What you don't want to do is ignore the situation," Finger says. "This can cause people to feel as if they have uncaring employers. It can cause them to speak ill of the company to outside people and even leave."
Acknowledgement is the first step. Others include:
- Calling an all-hands meeting after you've spoken with the affected employee or a family representative. Share what you're able to and give the staff an opportunity to take action and show concern. This will help them move forward and improve productivity.
- Find out what the affected person and/or team needs, Rao suggests. Communicate regularly and get the facts straight. Keep your office door open, walk around more and interact with your staff face-to-face.
- Manage the message to outside stakeholders. Clients may have to be told, especially if deliverables could be impacted. Still, Finger cautions, be mindful of what you can share. In the case of an employee suicide, for example, the family may not want this known.
If something has happened where the events are known to those outside the company--in a workplace shooting, for instance—there will likely be many inquiries coming in. In these cases, owners should develop a consistent message for employees to share with outside sources, rather than leave it up to staff members as to what they are going to say.
And regardless of your personal feelings, don't forget your role, Rao says. "It's your responsibility as leader to stay focused on the future as well as on the current operational stability, and even in trying times, to remain somewhat upbeat."
