Breaking Down Barriers: Why Reducing Stigma Around Mental Health and Trauma is Key for Every Workplace
In recent years, the conversation around mental health and trauma has grown, but stigma remains one of the biggest hurdles to creating safe and supportive workplaces. Breaking down these barriers isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s crucial for individuals' well-being, businesses' productivity, and our society's health.
Why is reducing stigma so vital, and what’s the role of trauma informed workplaces in helping do so? Let’s dive into the individual, business, and societal benefits and how you, as a leader, can be a catalyst for change.
The Individual Impact: Helping Employees Show Up Fully
Imagine if every employee was comfortable sharing when they’re struggling, knowing they wouldn’t be judged, overlooked, or treated differently. That’s the goal when we talk about reducing stigma — creating an environment where people are safe and supported, no matter their mental health or trauma history.
Increased Employee Engagement: Employees who are supported in their mental health are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and willing to give their best. Stigma often leaves people feeling isolated and withdrawn, impacting not only their productivity but also their morale.
Retention and Loyalty: People want to stay where they are understood. Trauma-informed workplaces, where empathy and respect for individual experiences are woven into the culture, inspire trust. This often translates to lower turnover rates and higher loyalty, even during tough times.
A Ripple Effect on Overall Well-being: Stigmatizing environments can worsen symptoms, pushing employees to “mask” or hide their struggles. When stigma is reduced, and mental health is discussed, individuals often experience relief, lower stress levels, and are more inclined to seek the help they need. This boosts their well-being, making them happier, healthier, and more productive team members.
The Business Benefit: Better Outcomes and a Resilient Workforce
When employees feel safe addressing their mental health, productivity and morale go up. But beyond that, adopting a trauma-informed approach to culture can create lasting change, ensuring the workplace becomes a source of strength rather than stress.
Reduced Absenteeism: Research shows that unaddressed mental health challenges can lead to higher rates of absenteeism. By supporting mental health, companies can reduce the chance of long, unexpected absences, giving employees the chance to address issues early on, often before they escalate.
Enhanced Productivity and Creativity: Trauma informed workplaces foster a sense of psychological safety, where employees know they won’t be judged or penalized for their mental health needs. This safety nets people in challenging times, encouraging them to focus, innovate, and bring their full selves to work without fear.
Lower Healthcare and Liability Costs: The cost of mental health and trauma-related issues is staggering for many businesses. From increased insurance claims to potential workplace injuries linked to untreated mental health issues, stigma around mental health can drive these costs up. By fostering a stigma-free, supportive environment, companies often see a reduction in these indirect expenses.
The Societal Impact: Cultivating a Culture of Openness and Support
Workplaces are a microcosm of society, and how we handle mental health here ripples outward, influencing how these issues are approached everywhere.
Setting a Social Standard: When workplaces prioritize mental health and reduce stigma, they set a powerful example. Employees who feel valued and supported often carry this compassion into their personal lives, creating more understanding and empathy within their families and communities.
Changing the Narrative: For too long, mental health and trauma have been treated as personal weaknesses rather than universal human experiences. By normalizing discussions around these topics at work, we help break down the harmful narrative that mental health struggles are something to be ashamed of.
Building a Stronger, Resilient Workforce: When employees have mental health support, they build resilience and adaptability, valuable qualities in an unpredictable world. These individuals become role models, showing that mental health struggles don’t define you — how you handle them does.
How Trauma Informed Cultures Are Leading the Way
A trauma informed workplace doesn’t just address stigma; it works proactively to dismantle it. Here’s what makes a trauma informed culture so powerful:
Education: Trauma informed workplaces don’t shy away from mental health education. They ensure that every leader and employee understands the basics of trauma and how it can affect anyone. This knowledge alone can foster compassion and patience.
Empathy-Driven Policies: From flexible work options to comprehensive mental health benefits, these workplaces build policies that account for human needs, recognizing that productivity isn’t always linear and that support can often lead to greater gains in the long run.
Open Dialogue: Trauma informed workplaces discuss mental health without judgment. They encourage leaders to check in with their teams and promote a culture where asking for help is normalized. This transparency helps dismantle the idea that mental health is something to hide.
Making it Real: Tips for Leaders to Drive Change
Create a Safe Environment for Conversation: Foster open dialogue around mental health with initiatives like lunch-and-learn sessions, employee resource groups, or even anonymous surveys. Creating avenues for employees to share their experiences reduces stigma and encourages others to seek help.
Model Vulnerability: Leaders who share their mental health journeys (in ways they’re comfortable with) can be impactful. It tells employees, “If I can share my experiences, you can too.” Authenticity from the top trickles down.
Provide Trauma Informed Training and Resources: Equip managers with trauma informed training and resources, so they can better understand the signs of mental health struggles and respond supportively. Often, well-meaning managers may lack the tools to handle these conversations — let’s change that.
Build Benefits that Truly Support Mental Health: Beyond standard insurance, think about benefits like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), access to therapy, and wellness programs that focus on mental health. Support that meets employees where they are can be game-changing.
Final Thoughts: The Future Belongs to Compassionate Workplaces
Reducing stigma around mental health and trauma in the workplace isn’t an HR strategy — it’s a human one. By cultivating a trauma informed culture, we pave the way for stronger businesses, empowered individuals, and a more compassionate society. Let’s break down the barriers, rewrite the narrative, and create workplaces where everyone feels safe, valued, and ready to thrive.
Reducing stigma might not happen overnight, but every conversation, policy, and training session brings us one step closer to workplaces that don’t just understand mental health challenges — they support, uplift, and empower every individual facing them. Let’s make that vision a reality.
Election Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Support Your Teams as the Election Nears
As election season approaches, most of us can feel the tension rise. Everyone’s talking about it—at home, in the news, and even at work. The constant stream of political discussion, headlines, and uncertainty can fuel stress levels, leading to what is called election anxiety. This anxiety can seep into the workplace, creating distractions, conflict, and emotional exhaustion. So, what can we do about it?
Understanding Election Anxiety
Election anxiety isn't just about worrying over political outcomes. It's the emotional and mental strain caused by the constant bombardment of election-related news and discussions. The uncertainty, the polarized conversations, and the high stakes of elections can trigger a range of emotions—anger, fear, frustration—that are hard to leave at the door when employees come to work.
According to research, this anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways: decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, workplace conflicts, and even physical symptoms like headaches or fatigue. Research on this topic increased following the 2016 election and highlights that this is a real issue and not just an amplification of existing anxiety-related conditions.
Election stress is real and it doesn't stay confined to our personal lives.
Why This Matters in a Trauma-Informed Workplace
If you've been following my work, you know I'm a firm believer that trauma informed cultures make for healthier and more productive workplaces. Election anxiety is one of the stressors that a trauma informed approach can address. Trauma informed workplaces aim to create safe, supportive environments where emotional and psychological well-being is prioritized. And during times like elections, this becomes critical.
When employees are already dealing with stress, adding the anxiety of a contentious political climate can amplify the effects of trauma. For employees who’ve experienced political violence, discrimination, or other traumas, elections can be triggering in ways others may not understand. That’s why addressing election anxiety head-on and with compassion matters so much.
How Managers Can Support Their Teams
How can we, as leaders and managers, foster a workplace that helps ease election-related stress rather than exacerbate it?
Set Boundaries Around Political Conversations
Politics is emotional, and emotions can run high. Consider creating guidelines for how and when political discussions should take place at work. Encourage respect and civil discourse, but also make it clear that not everyone needs to engage. Psychological safety means giving employees the space not to talk about things that could harm their mental health.
Foster Open Communication and Support
Let employees know it's okay to feel stressed or anxious about the election and that the organization is there to support them. Simple check-ins or offering mental health resources (like Employee Assistance Programs) can go a long way in showing that you care.
Encourage Flexibility
Some employees may need a bit more flexibility during this period—whether that’s through adjusted work hours, remote work options, or mental health days. Being adaptable shows you're tuned in to their needs, and this flexibility can make a huge difference in how they manage their stress.
Lead by Example with Empathy
Leaders set the tone. By acknowledging that election anxiety is real and sharing how you manage stress yourself, you create a culture where vulnerability is accepted, not stigmatized. Empathy can help de-escalate any tension that arises from political discussions.
Coping Mechanisms for Employees
While managers can do a lot to create a supportive environment, employees also need tools to manage their stress. Here are a few strategies that can help:
Mindfulness and Grounding Practices: Encourage mindfulness exercises that bring employees back to the present moment and out of the anxiety spiral. Apps like Headspace or Calm can be great resources.
Limit Political Media Consumption: It’s tempting to stay glued to the news, but that can fuel anxiety. Suggest taking regular breaks from political media, especially during work hours.
Lean into Self-Care: Remind employees that self-care isn’t a luxury, especially during stressful times. Whether it's taking a walk, meditating, or connecting with a friend, self-care can help mitigate the effects of election stress.
Trauma Informed Cultures During Elections
Creating a supportive environment during election season goes beyond individual conversations or temporary solutions. It's about building a culture that values our humanity all the time. Here’s what that can look like:
Offer Workshops or Resources on Stress Management: Think of this as preventative care. Hosting a workshop or providing tools on managing election anxiety shows employees that you're proactive in supporting their mental well-being.
Emphasize Inclusivity: Election seasons can highlight divides, but workplaces should be spaces where inclusivity thrives. Encourage diversity of thought, but make it clear that respect is non-negotiable.
Provide Mental Health Days: Allowing employees to take time off to recover from the stress of election periods shows you're serious about their well-being.
Election anxiety isn’t going away anytime soon, but your approach to it can make a huge difference for your team. By fostering a trauma-informed workplace, you're not only supporting your employees through a stressful time, but you're also building a resilient culture that values mental health and well-being year-round.
As we navigate yet another election season, ask yourself: what can I do to ensure my workplace doesn’t just survive but thrives through it? The answer starts with empathy, flexibility, and a commitment totrauma informed practices.
We Can’t Overlook Equity in our Efforts to Build Trauma Informed Workplaces
Earlier this month, SHRM announced it would be moving away from DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts and moving to I&D- Inclusion and Diversity. While SHRM’s stance states equity isn’t going away, rather equity will roll into an aspect of inclusion, many HR leaders are skeptical, myself included.
SHRM also noted that a change was made in response to the polarization of DEI. As someone who leads work in trauma informed workplaces, I am much more interested in calling things what they are and having the hard conversation versus seeking to appease misperceptions with ‘softer’ language.
While I am hopeful SHRM reevaluated its position and the HR community at large continues the important work of building equity in the workplace, I want to pivot our conversation to why equity is important in trauma informed cultures.
What is Equity?
I’m a big believer in starting from a place of shared understanding. So let’s tackle what ‘equity’ is and is not.
Equity refers to fair treatment for all people, so the norms, practices, and policies in place ensure identity is not predictive of opportunities or outcomes. It also considers the historical and sociopolitical factors that affect opportunities and experiences so policies, procedures, and systems can help meet people’s unique needs without one person or group having an unfair advantage over another.
Equity differs from equality in a subtle but important way. While equality assumes all people should be treated the same, equity takes into consideration a person’s unique circumstances, adjusting treatment so that the result is equal.
Why I think some folks might get upset about Equity?
Frustration, anger, and work to combat equity come from common misperceptions. Some of the most common misperceptions include-
Equity Means Equality: As noted above, equality and equity sound similar but are different. It can be easy to mix up these similar words but it is important to be clear on their differences — while equality means treating everyone the same, equity involves recognizing and addressing different needs and circumstances to ensure fair outcomes,
Equity Is Reverse Discrimination: Some people believe equity initiatives disadvantage majority groups. In reality, equity seeks to address historical and systemic barriers that have traditionally penalized certain groups.
Equity Only Benefits Minorities: Equity is often seen as only benefiting racial or ethnic minorities. However, equity practices benefit all individuals by creating a more inclusive and supportive environment that values diverse experiences and perspectives.
Equity Lowers Standards: Another misperception is equity requires lowering standards or compromising quality. Equity involves providing the necessary support and resources to ensure everyone can meet high standards. (FYI- If you hear people referring to someone as a “DEI candidate” this might be the intended implication)
Equity Is Only About Race: While racial equity is a significant aspect, equity also encompasses gender, socioeconomic status, disability, age, sexual orientation, and other identity factors. It addresses any systemic barriers that prevent full participation.
Equity Is a One-Time Effort: Some believe equity can be achieved through a single initiative or short-term effort. True equity requires ongoing commitment, continuous assessment, and iterative improvements to address evolving needs and challenges.
Equity Ignores Individual Merit: There is a misconception that equity overlooks individual effort and merit. Equity aims to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their abilities and efforts by removing unfair obstacles.
Equity Is a Zero-Sum Game: Some think promoting equity means gains for one group come at the expense of another. However, creating equitable environments can lead to overall improvements in organizational culture, productivity, and innovation, benefiting everyone.
I also want to add, that I think it’s difficult if not possible for most of us to see the larger picture when it comes to equity, so sometimes, an initial effort towards equity can seem to us like an in-equity because we lack the full context.
The below picture is often used as an example of equity (though there are excellent critiques of why it is not a great example). Using this example, when removing the context of the example- you move from everyone getting one box, to one person getting no boxes and one person getting two. But with the context- we see the reason why.
I offer this as a reminder to check into our gut reactions to equity initiatives that might feel ‘unfair’ or ‘inequitable.’ I also offer it as a way for us to remind ourselves to approach these conversations with empathy as much as possible when someone may be struggling with supporting equity.
Why is Equity an Important Aspect of Trauma Informed Cultures?
We know experiences of trauma and the subsequent impacts of trauma are individual. A single event may be traumatic to one person and not to another. Our lived experiences inform every aspect of our lives, including trauma. At the heart of being trauma informed is understanding the prevalence of trauma and it also shows up in unique ways and each of us may need unique support.
This is in essence equity in action and is why equity is fundamental to trauma informed cultures. Without equity, we are unable to understand the nuance of individual experiences of trauma.
On a larger scale, we also point to cultural, historical, and gender issues as a principle of trauma informed cultures. This principle acknowledges lived experiences, generational trauma, and historical inequities still impact individuals today, and to address these aspects of lived experiences, organizations should have robust and thoughtful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
There is of course an intersection of the work of trauma informed workplaces and DEI. These organizational priorities should exist independently and interdependently to ensure they are leveraged to address DEI efforts and trauma informed efforts to their fullest.
DEI programs are crucial for building a trauma informed culture as they address the systemic barriers and inequalities that contribute to traumatic experiences. Organizations and the individuals within the organization must be able to move past cultural biases and stereotypes to acknowledge the unique lived experiences of each member of the team.
Gender, cultural, and historical (or generational) experiences influence the experience and perception of trauma. Societal expectations, power dynamics, and cultural norms associated with these factors can contribute to diverse types and intensities of trauma. Some examples include (but are not limited to):
Women often face higher rates of sexual assault and domestic violence, leading to trauma associated with those experiences.
Differing cultural perceptions and expectations on speaking about or addressing traumatic experiences
Racially motivated violence, such as hate crimes or police brutality.
Systemic racism, prejudice, and other acts of hate
Historical trauma resulting from the collective experiences of racism, such as intergenerational trauma passed down through generations including slavery, colonization, genocide, and forced displacement.
Without investing in equity, we cannot reach our goal of trauma informed cultures- it is a key element in recognizing the individual experiences of our teams.
Pride in Practice: Why Trauma Informed Workplaces Matter
CW: We reference Suicide, LGBTIQA Hate Crimes, Sexual Assault, and Violence in this article. While we do not go into detail, please be aware and proceed according to your needs. Remember — your mental health is most important!
June is Pride month and organizations are always looking for new ways to celebrate and recognize Pride and the LGBTQIA community- cue the rainbow-themed swag and posts about allyship. I’m not a fan of performative Pride, and there are many ways to support your LGBTQIA employees and customers that aren’t performative- policies, advocacy, etc. But there is one important way to support your LGBTQIA employees all year long that you might be overlooking- trauma informed cultures.
Why are Trauma Informed Cultures Important to the LGBTQIA Community?
If you’ve been following my work, you know I am a firm believer that trauma informed workplace cultures benefit everyone (even those who may not have experienced trauma). That said, it’s also important to look at why trauma informed practices are important to this community.
Prevalence of Trauma Among LGBTQIA Individuals
Statistics show traumatic experiences are more prevalent in the LGBTQIA community; both for children and adults.
When we look first at childhood traumatic experiences, the statistics are staggering, especially when we consider the outsized impact adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have on health outcomes.
According to The Trevor Project National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2020
1 in 3 LGBTQ youth report that have been physically threatened or harmed in their lifetime due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. For Transgender and nonbinary youth, that number rises to 40%
29% of LGBTQ you have experienced homelessness, been kicked out, or run away
40% of LGBTQ respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months
A 2021 National School Climate Survey reported that 82% of LGBTQ+ students felt unsafe in school because of at least one of their actual or perceived personal characteristics.
12% of LGBTQ Students have been the victim of sexual violence at school (Source: Psychiatry.org — LGBTQ)
As LGBTQIA individuals reach adulthood, the statistics still show an outsized impact of traumatic experiences and the lasting impacts of trauma.
LGBTQIA+ people are almost four times more likely to experience violent assault than straight people. These assaults include rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
Almost half (48%) of trans people say they have experienced discrimination, such as verbal harassment or physical assault, in the past year.
LGBTQ+ people are at higher risk of developing PTSD, with prevalence estimates of up to 48% of LGB individuals and 42% of transgender and gender-diverse individuals meeting the criteria for PTSD
LGBTQ+ people face structural discrimination at local, state, and federal levels (e.g., laws and policies that offer less protection to LGBTQ+ people) and across institutions such as education, employment, religion, housing, and health care
(Source: Trauma, Discrimination, and PTSD Among LGBTQ+ People — PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov))
To date in 2024, at least 15 transgender and gender-expansive individuals have been killed in the United States. To keep this data in context, only 0.5% — 1.6% of US adults identify as transgender. You can learn more about each of their stories here as well as data from previous years.
Historical & Collective Trauma
In addition to the prevalence of individual experiences of trauma, the LGBTQIA community also faces a far-reaching history of discrimination, abuse, and other harm.
We also see the collective trauma of the community play out in acts of mass violence targeting LGBTQIA individuals (such as the Pulse and Club Q nightclub shootings) and the devastating impacts of anti-LGBTQIA legislation that continues to sweep across large portions of the United States.
The lengthy history of violence and discrimination in the community informed their perceptions and experiences, including experiences of trauma. Related, collective trauma- the notion that a group of people may develop negative psychological symptoms after a member of that community suffers from an act of violence. Even if they did not directly encounter the act or know the victim or survivor, many trauma symptoms emerge. Given the frequent reports of harm against the LGBTQIA community, collective trauma is common.
Research supports that microaggressions may serve as triggers to cumulative historical traumas experienced throughout life- so just as loud noises may trigger a veteran of war, members of the community may be triggered through microaggressions experienced in their daily lives, including at work.
We must also note the history of mental health care is problematic, given the inclusion of aspects of sexual identity and orientation in psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., “high-risk homosexual behavior” in the ICD10; homosexuality as a psychiatric diagnosis until 1973)
Mental health providers have been positioned as gatekeepers of life-saving gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse people. Gender-affirming care is often contingent upon DSM-5 gender dysphoria diagnosis. All of these factors make the fact that 15% to 33% of LGBTQ+ people report mistreatment in health care unsurprising.
How Trauma Informed Cultures Support Your LBGTQIA Team Members?
At the core, trauma informed cultures seek to do the following things in every aspect of cultural and individual action within an organization or community -
Create awareness around the existence and prevalence of trauma,
Understand how trauma may show up in their workplace, organization, or community
actively avoid retraumatizing survivors
Actively avoid doing harm
By incorporating these tenets into your culture, you create spaces where everyone can be more successful- regardless of prior experiences with trauma.
While we’ve spent much of this article outlining the prevalence of trauma in the LGBTQIA community, we should also note that we don’t want to assume someone’s trauma status and we don’t need to ask to have it disclosed to build trauma informed environments.
Tools that can help build out and bolster support also include The Wounded Workforce’s Seven Principles of Trauma Informed Workplaces-
Safety
Trust & Transparency
Community
Collaboration
Empowerment
Humility & Responsiveness
Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues
You can learn more about each here and in my series of articles highlighting each principle on Medium.
The Wounded Workforce offers a certification for those seeking more knowledge and resources. You can learn more about the Certified Trauma Informed Workplace Practitioner certification here. And in honor of Pride Month, we are offering 25% off the certification with the code ‘Pride25’.
Below are some resources for LGBTQIA+ people dealing with trauma or the effects of trauma, such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD:
The Trevor Project website, online chat, hotline (866–488–7386), or text line (text START to 678678).
The Trans Lifeline at 877–565–8860 is run by trans people.
988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline: 877–360–5428.
The Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Is Your Tendency to People Please at Work Actually a Trauma Response?
Many of us are sometimes guilty of people-pleasing, especially as we navigate the workplace’s political and sometimes even fraught environment. For those of us who move towards people-pleasing, we know that this can be detrimental to our boundaries, mental health, relationships, and even overall career success.
As a recovering people pleaser myself, it can be easy to slide into a mentality of “I just have to stop doing this” or “Why am I like this” and loop into a cycle of self-blame and doubt. Thinking ‘why can’t I get past this people-pleasing behavior”
What if I told you, your people-pleasing may be showing up for you at work (and beyond) as a trauma response?
Some of you may see this and think, yes, that makes complete sense. And some of you may be a bit skeptical. Both responses are legitimate and I hope regardless of your initial reaction you read on.
The Fawn Response
Most of us have heard of the concept of ‘Fight or Flight’ as a common automatic response to perceived threats. But there are more ways we respond to potential threats, including the Fawn response which is closely connected to people-pleasing behavior.
In his book, “Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving,” therapist and survivor, Pete Walker coined the concept and term ‘fawning’ as a trauma response. So what exactly is a Fawn response?
Walker describes it as follows on his website: “Fawn types seek safety by merging with the wishes, needs, and demands of others. They act as if they unconsciously believe that the price of admission to any relationship is the forfeiture of all their needs, rights, preferences, and boundaries. They often begin life like the precocious children described in Alice Miler’s The Drama Of The Gifted Child, who learn that a modicum of safety and attachment can be gained by becoming the helpful and compliant servants of their parents.”
In summary, fawning is a way to create safety not by fighting or fleeing, but by mirroring what is perceived as the expectations, desires, and demands of others.
Sounds a lot like people pleasing, doesn’t it?
Some examples of how ‘fawning’ behavior shows up include:
Trouble saying no or setting healthy boundaries in relationships
Constantly seeking approval
Worrying too much about other people’s needs
Not feeling like you understand your own needs and preferences
Turning to others to determine how you feel in a relationship or situation
Finding it difficult to identify and understand your feelings
Frequently feeling afraid of how others will react
Trying to control others’ decisions to feel emotionally safe
Experiencing guilt when you’re upset with others and immediately blaming yourself
When there is conflict, your initial instinct is to “appease” the angry person
Ignoring your own needs, preferences, thoughts, and feelings to please others
Shapeshifting your needs depending on others’ moods
A few important caveats are warranted here- just because someone is engaging in people-pleasing behavior doesn’t automatically mean they’ve experienced trauma.
It’s always important that we let people own and share their own stories and experiences. It’s also important that we never attempt to diagnose or treat trauma in the workplace.
What Causes a Fawn Response?
The “fawn response” typically emerges in individuals who have faced ongoing traumatic situations, rather than one-time events. It’s often linked with childhood, relational, and complex traumas, such as persistent partner abuse. The challenges escalate when this complex trauma intertwines with collective traumas, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic.
This pattern can also surface in teenagers and young adults dealing with strained or dysfunctional family dynamics. In environments where shame or shaming is common, individuals may feel compelled to adopt specific behaviors to avoid mistreatment or to fulfill their caregivers’ emotional demands.
f parents or caregivers are abusive, controlling, or emotionally distant, it hampers the development of a healthy emotional connection. This may cause an individual to disconnect from their own emotions, focusing instead on understanding and appeasing their caregivers’ distress, or ‘fawning.’
This behavior can often involve “parentification” of a child and forming codependent relationships not just with their caregivers but with others in their lives.
For individuals coping with long-term psychological trauma or complex PTSD, any perceived threat might trigger a reflexive fawning response as a means of self-protection.
What Can I Do About People Pleasing or ‘Fawning’?
First, if you feel you might be people-pleasing or ‘fawning’ because of experiences with trauma, I highly recommend you seek professional help. A credentialed therapist can help you work through your experiences and responses. I also know finding mental health care can be challenging both because of cost and availability. If you are interested in alternative options, Zeera is also a great, on-demand resource for mental health support.
When you are ready to consider the impacts of your people-pleasing behavior at work, I recommend focusing on one thing to get better at concerning your people-pleasing behavior. Recruit support from your leader, a mentor, or a trusted peer. It might be working on saying ‘no’ when you can’t take on more work or a request is out of scope. Change is a process, set goals, have someone hold you accountable, and build from there.
If you aren’t engaging in people-pleasing behavior, but you might see it in your organization as a leader or mentor, there are actions you can take as well. While we aren’t here to diagnose or treat trauma, leaders within organizations are responsible for developing our team members and helping them be successful. People-pleasing tendencies can absolutely get in the way of satisfying careers and performance. So helping curb these behaviors is key for your team and your organization.
First, help support your team members with thoughtful feedback, a willingness to listen, and support. If our tendency is not to people-please, it can be frustrating to experience, but remember, trauma responses and other learned behaviors take time to overcome. Leverage empathy and patience as much as you can offer support and accountability.
Also, invest in trauma informed workplace cultures to avoid retraumatizing survivors as part of the workplace experience. Since people-pleasing is tied to a common trauma response, but avoiding retraumatization, we can better support individuals on their journey and improve their workplace experience and that of those around them.
What We Get Wrong about Mental Health at Work
We are well into Mental Health Awareness Month, so there is no shortage of resources to be found related to workplace mental health. In fact, that’s one of the many things we get wrong about mental health at work- but we’ll get to that later in the article.
I am heartened by the increase in focus around mental health at work and beyond, however- we often miss key things when it comes to mental health at work and beyond. I want to talk about them and how we can work past what we typically get wrong when we try to tackle mental health at work.
We All Have Mental Health
Often when we have conversations around mental health, our focus naturally goes to mental health challenges and conditions. Certainly, these issues have a place in the conversation and are important to address. It makes sense, most of us are geared toward solving problems and issues and so we are drawn to them
However, when we do this, we miss the extremely important fact that WE ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH. Just like we all have physical health. And much like physical health conversations, we know the importance and impact of prevention and proactive care.
We also risk excluding team members who can benefit from mental health efforts when we only focus on challenges and issues. Mental Health is a topic for us all to benefit from- a more expansive view and conversation is vital when we talk about mental health holistically.
Stigma Around Mental Health Conditions
Despite a lot of progress being made here, there is still significant stigma around sharing mental health conditions and diagnoses.
Much of the stigma comes from misunderstanding and fear of mental health conditions that are often perpetuated by media portrayals and ingrained social norms and beliefs, sometimes individuals with mental health challenges will even self-stigmatize because of these norms and portrayals.
The best bet when it comes to overcoming stigma- our own and societal, is through education. There are a lot of wonderful resources for folks to help learn more and knowledge helps us reduce fear and stereotypes. An awesome option is Mental Health First Aid through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
We Overwhelm our Teams & Ourselves with Resources and Information
With more and more focus on mental health at work and all facets of our lives, there are many more resources available. However, this can quickly become a double-edged sword when all the resources and information quickly become overwhelming. Our brains can only handle so much information and if we are in a crisis situation; that is even less.
Don’t get me wrong- I love seeing all the amazing resources- I am not encouraging you to eliminate them, I am encouraging you to be thoughtful about how information is communicated, grouped, and accessed. And make access to crisis and on-demand resources as easy as possible to find.
Since a lot of these resources can cost money, it is also worth looking at both utilization and asking your employees what they want and need to better support their mental health (spoiler alert- their first choice probably isn’t a meditation app).
We Don’t Focus Enough on the Day to Day
When you ask your teams (or even yourself) what has the greatest impact on your mental health at work, the most likely answer will overwhelmingly be the day-to-day reality of your job.
The culture, the never-ending to-do list, an unavailable manager, a toxic co-worker- these have a much greater overall impact than we’d think given how often mental health workplace initiatives focus on adding programs and resources vs. addressing our day to day lives.
I get it- what I’m talking about is investing in meaningful culture change. That’s probably one of the hardest things out there. And there’s nothing wrong with adding resources for the team. The key here is understanding the best approach will offer both and a long-term investment in making work better and more mental health focused for your team is going to have the greatest impact.
It’s also important to recognize that programs added without culture change investment will likely meet resistance or negativity — think “Nice app, but my manager doesn’t care about my mental health.” Aligning organizational efforts creates a much more meaningful impact overall.
We Don’t Empower and Educate Managers and Other Front-Line Leaders
Speaking of making an impact on the day-to-day experience of work, your greatest resource is your front-line leadership and managers. Consider- who would you go to if you were experiencing a challenge, someone who you talk to every day in a position of authority is probably pretty likely. Also, who is most likely to recognize changes in behaviors or other potential mental health red flags- the person who works closely with them daily?
That said, managers have more on their plate than ever. The role of manager has gotten exponentially more difficult send 2020 and regardless of whether or not managers expect or are prepared to have mental health conversations- more likely than not, they already have or will soon. 92% of Gen Z new grads say it’s important for them to feel comfortable discussing mental wellness at work.
If you are trying to figure out where to start initiatives to educate your team and change your culture- start with your managers!! They need support and resources to support their team and their mental health. As we know from countless reports, manager burnout and mental health are often in a dire spot as well.
Invest in manager training resources and support to ensure they are prepared if and when mental health conversations and challenges show up on their team. And this doesn’t mean leaving them to address issues on their own or become defacto counselors- it’s setting them up with the right tools for action and next steps to support everyone- including them.
Remember, we all have mental health for our full lives. Mental Health at work is not a once-a-year ‘check the box’- it is a long-term commitment to support the humans that make your organization run. While initiatives like culture change and education can seem overwhelming, they also are imperative to the most impactful results. Invest in your own and your team’s mental health. It’s worth it.
How Gen Z Will Shape the Future of Employee Wellbeing
The current state of our workplace is at a crossroads; most organizations and individuals are still navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it reshaped how we work and how we relate to work. Gen Z is entering the workplace a the same time and we now have the most generations at work at the same time as we ever have.
We face significant challenges navigating so many generations, working styles, and overall changes to the workplace; I believe that we have a massive opportunity to use this moment to reshape the world of work for the better for everyone.
Who is Gen Z?
As a millennial, I am well aware that the generations and what defines them can get a bit confusing, so let’s start with an overview of who we are talking about when we talk about Gen Z.
Gen Zer's are born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s (exact dates vary by definition)
The first generation of true ‘Digital Natives’ -They’ve grown up with the internet, smartphones, social media, and information at their fingertips. They are adept at using technology and quite attached, sometimes reliant on it.
Open to more ‘nontraditional’ career paths- including entrepreneurship, the gig economy, and skipping out on management roles.
Globally and Environmentally Conscious- the ongoing impact and prospect of global warming are a defining experience for this generation. Also with social media, connections can be made across the globe, fostering a much more global experience- even from home.
More inclusive and diverse — Gen Z is the most diverse generation to date and that is reflected in their collective beliefs and focus on individuality.
More risk-averse- valuing stability and security in their lives and careers following years of seeing recessions, the student debt crisis, and surviving a global pandemic has led to a more risk-averse generation.
High prevalence of mental health challenges and willingness to talk about mental health in all facets of life, including work. It’s important to acknowledge that Gen Z has faced unique stressors, the prevalence of mass and school shootings, online bullying, and isolation to name a few.
It’s helpful to use these overarching themes to better understand Gen Z collectively and how they may shape the workplace, it’s also important to remember that every member of any generation is unique and formed by their own lived experiences. Generalizations in personal or management relationships are not advised!
Different Expectations of Work
Most frequently, when we speak collectively about a new generation in the workforce, we are quick to jump to how this group is different, and let’s face it- often that difference is framed as a negative.
Gen Zer's have key differences in expectations of work and how it integrates into their lives overall. There are also shared expectations with other generations as they begin their careers, like looking for clarity and development opportunities, mentorship, and promotion opportunities.
We also need to recognize that some of the trends we see are more about career stage than generation.
Rely on what we already know about creating productive environments for early career team members and then tailoring it to better fit this new cohort of Gen Z employees.
That said, there are some significant differences when it comes to Gen Z’s expectations of the workplace.
Workplace Culture is the Most Important for Gen Z, specifically when it comes to DEIB, and Mental Health and wellbeing.
According to the Monster.com 2023 State of the Graduate report:
92% of New Grads said it was important for them to be able to discuss their mental health at work.
59% would quit if their workplace became toxic
58% said work/life balance was the most important aspect of the job.
54% would turn down a job offer if the company didn’t offer work/life balance.
42% would turn down a job at a company that doesn’t offer a diverse workforce and leadership team.
Gen Z expects supportive managers and leaders;
From the same Monster.com survey:
51% said having great managers and leaders is the most important aspect of a job.
37% would quit if they didn’t like working for their manager.
Gen Z has a different relationship with loyalty to organizations after watching rounds of layoffs in a variety of industries as they were growing up. Because Gen Z has seen a lack of loyalty from organizations, they can be wary of being loyal, at least without proof of a reciprocal relationship.
For Gen Z, experience doesn’t automatically equate to expertise. Because information is so available and has been for their entire lives, Gen Z doesn’t defer to experience as previous generations were more apt to do. Also, in this age of misinformation, Gen Z is more likely to want to explore information and plans themselves or at least get multiple perspectives.
Gen Z prioritizes stability and financial wellbeing. Given the global and financial turmoil marking most of their lives to date, Gen Z is much more likely to prioritize stability and overall financial wellbeing than other generations at this stage in their career. Like any generation, Gen Z works to get paid, but they are looking for security over an idea of wild success or ‘getting rich’ Compensation matters to Gen Z, but more as part of a holistic employer value proposition than most other generations when in the early career stage.
How Organizations Can Integrate Gen Z
With Gen Z set to make up 27% of the global workforce by 2025, integrating them into your teams is non-negotiable. Below are some ways for leaders and managers to build towards successful integrations.
Start by understanding and listening to Gen Z
Understanding some of what makes Gen Z unique and how they show up at work is an excellent place to start, but don’t ignore one of the best resources available to you- your Gen Z employees and candidates.
Engaging in deliberating and listening to these team members can help you better understand how you and your organization can best work with them. Another benefit, everyone appreciates having a voice.
Approach Work/Life Balance and Integration with an Open Mind
Gen Z wants greater balance and flexibility when it comes to work and life and they expect work to be a part of their life but have diverse interests and priorities.
Gen Z also tends to show up as themselves authentically everywhere, including the workplace- so expect more integration. (PSA- flexibility doesn’t always mean remote work, that can be part of it, but there is so much more to consider).
Encourage a Culture where Mental Health is both Destigmatized and Prioritized
As noted above, nearly all Gen Z employees expect to be able to talk about mental health at work. This is a striking difference from the workplace of the past, so work to create a culture of understanding around mental health, including education, resources, and an effort to destigmatize these types of conversations.
Get your managers and leaders more comfortable with the topics and resources available to them and their teams. If you aren’t sure where to start, The National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers Mental Health First Aid. This is a great, data-backed resource you can use to equip your teams with the right language and resources to meet these changing expectations.
Find Ways to Offer Support and Empathy
Managers have a massive impact on overall employee engagement, success, and wellbeing. Focusing on creating managers focused on offering support and empathy for their teams works well for managing this generation. A couple of wonderful resources come from Katharine Manning, her book and online course on empathy in the workplace.
Don’t be Afraid to Leverage Technology
Because Gen Z are digital natives, don’t shy away from leveraging new technology or technology differently to better serve this demographic and the rest of your team. Technology cannot completely replace some aspects of growth and engagement at work, but it can supplement it and move focus to more value add.
Create a Diverse and Inclusive Environment:
Diversity is a given for Gen Z, they are the most diverse generation to date. Now is not the time to skip over diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; it is the time to double down on investment and engage in the benefits of a diverse workforce.
Leveraging Gen Z’s Strengths for Meaningful Cultural Change in the Workplace
Many of the ways Gen Z is showing up at work are focused on how to better integrate the reality of the whole person into work life in a sustainable way, versus a more ‘hustle culture’ we’ve seen in the past.
Fortuitously, this is also meeting a moment where most of us have already or are currently reconsidering our relationships with work- driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.
By embracing many of Gen Z’s priorities and welcoming their unique perspectives and experiences, organizations are poised to build workplaces that work better for everyone. The key is a willingness to leverage the best of each generation and create an equitable, whole-person future of work.
In my work with The Wounded Workforce, I believe trauma informed workplace cultures provide the structure and resources to support this work. If you’d like to learn more about how trauma informed cultures support the future of work and Gen Z, follow us here.
Unlocking Self-Compassion for Better Lives and Workplaces
Apparently, I am terrible at self-compassion.
I assumed I had room to work on my self-compassion (as most of us do), but I didn’t realize just how bad I was at this practice until this week.
During our first panel discussion of the year, on Self- Acceptance (you can access the quiz yourself here)- one of our panelists, Alestin Ajlouny shared more about moving from self-esteem to self-compassion and that Dr. Kristin Neff had some great resources on self-compassion, including quizzes.
Like any self-respecting Millennial, I’m a sucker for a quiz.
Unfortunately, the results were a little shocking and they have a significant impact on how I show up in my life, model self-acceptance, and resilience. This is no “What Sex and The City Character Are You?” quiz.
In the spirit of transparency, here are my full results from the quiz.
Self-Kindness: 2.40
Self-Judgment: 3.60
Common Humanity: 1.50
Isolation: 3.25
Mindfulness: 2.50
Over-Identification: 3.25
Overall score: 2.38
The quiz notes for scoring that the “Average overall self-compassion scores tend to be around 3.0 on the 1–5 scale, so you can interpret your overall score accordingly.
As a rough guide:
1–2.5 for your overall self-compassion score indicates you are low in self-compassion.
2.5–3.5 indicates you are moderate.
3.5–5.0 means you are high.
Remember that higher scores for the Self-Judgment, Isolation, and Over-Identification subscales indicate less self-compassion, while lower scores on these dimensions are indicative of more self-compassion (these subscales are automatically reverse-coded when your overall self-compassion score is calculated.)”
You can find the quiz here if you’d like to try it yourself!
Listen, I’m not happy to see these scores, nor am I particularly excited to share them. But I believe that we can be vulnerable with our opportunities and weaknesses, we can do a lot to help others who may be facing these challenges as well.
So here I am, with a low self-compassion score, leading an organization focused on trauma informed workplaces and encouraging self-acceptance and empathy. It’s only appropriate to do something about this low score. So let's get to it!
But first, let’s level set on what self-compassion is and is not!
What is Self-Compassion?
Self-compassion is a concept developed by psychologist Kristin Neff, and it involves treating oneself with kindness and understanding, especially during difficult times or when facing personal failures.
Self-Compassion consists of three main components:
Self-Kindness: Being understanding and gentle with yourself rather than harshly self-critical. Instead of berating yourself for mistakes, self-compassion encourages a nurturing and supportive attitude.
Common Humanity: Recognizing that suffering and challenges are part of the shared human experience. Understanding that everyone makes mistakes and faces difficulties helps individuals realize they are not alone in their struggles.
Mindfulness: Being aware of your thoughts and feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them. Mindfulness allows us to observe our emotions with a balanced perspective, fostering a greater sense of emotional resilience.
At its heart, self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same warmth and care that you would offer to a friend in times of need. It is considered a healthier and more constructive approach to dealing with setbacks or personal shortcomings than self-criticism.
Keep in mind, that self-compassion is not about self-pity, self-indulgence, or even self-esteem. We often think a lot about our own and other’s self-esteem, but it is important to look at the differences between self-esteem and self-compassion as we explore this journey.
Self-esteem is tied to our sense of self-worth and often involves comparing ourselves to others, it can lead to issues such as narcissism and aggression. The pursuit of high self-esteem may result in ignoring or distorting personal shortcomings and is contingent on external circumstances.
In contrast, self-compassion is not based on self-evaluations or comparisons. It involves treating oneself with kindness and understanding, acknowledging that all humans deserve compassion. Unlike self-esteem, self-compassion doesn’t require feeling better than others. It promotes self-clarity, as personal failings can be acknowledged with kindness, and it remains available regardless of external circumstances.
Research suggests that self-compassion is associated with greater emotional resilience, accurate self-concepts, caring relationship behavior, and less narcissism and reactive anger compared to self-esteem.
As we consider creating more trauma informed workplaces, shifting our focus from improving self-esteem to self-compassion would be transformational.
How can We Improve Our Self-Compassion?
It’s clear I need to work on my self-compassion and what’s great is we can absolutely build our self-compassion muscles over time. The key is to understand what we need to work on and have the patience to build the habit.
Dr. Neff shares on practicing self-compassion:
As we look to build our self-compassion, here are some practical steps you can take:
Mindfulness Practice:
Engage in mindfulness meditation to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Practice mindfulness exercises to stay present in the moment and avoid getting lost in self-critical thoughts.
Challenge Negative Thoughts:
Identify and challenge negative or self-critical thoughts. Ask yourself if you would speak to a friend in the same way, and reframe those thoughts with a more compassionate perspective.
Self-Kindness:
Treat yourself with the same kindness and care that you would offer to a friend. When facing challenges, be understanding rather than overly critical.
Common Humanity:
Recognize that everyone experiences difficulties and makes mistakes. Understand that you are not alone in facing challenges, and these experiences are part of the shared human condition.
Take a moment to acknowledge your suffering, remind yourself that it’s a common human experience, and offer yourself words of kindness and support. This simple exercise can be done in challenging situations.
Practice Self-Care:
Prioritize self-care activities that bring you joy and relaxation. This could include activities like exercise, spending time in nature, reading, or practicing hobbies.
Seek Support:
Talk to friends, family, or a mental health professional about your struggles. Sharing your feelings with others can provide a sense of connection and support.
Learn from Mistakes:
View mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning rather than as personal failures. Embrace a growth mindset and understand that making errors is a natural part of the learning process.
Cultivate Gratitude:
Regularly reflect on and appreciate the positive aspects of your life. Cultivating gratitude can shift your focus away from negative self-talk.
Consistent practice of these strategies can contribute to a more compassionate and positive relationship with yourself over time. And like many practices like empathy, self-acceptance, etc.- these are practices that we must continue to exercise and revisit throughout our lives.
Dr. Neff also provides some amazing resources on her site for practicing and building your self-compassion practice here.
Although I’m not thrilled to realize my low self-compassion, I’m grateful to have a better understanding of myself and the tools to work to a better place of self-compassion and understanding. I hope you also feel called to incorporate some of the practices into your life as well.
Year-End Reflections & Goal Setting
As we all wrap-up 2023 and head into 2024; it’s a common practice to reflect on the past year and plan for the upcoming one.
I’m a firm believer in taking stock more than once a year, and when it makes sense for you (not just at the beginning and end of a calendar year), but since so many of us are either already doing some reflection or gearing up to, I wanted to share some best practice I use for self-reflection and goals setting.
Reflect on the Past Year
I love to start this process with a look back on the past year. Feel free to use my process in full or adjust to what works best for you. (Or do your own thing- whatever works!)
Start by carving out a least an hour for yourself with no (or at least minimal interruptions). Pick a time where you still have a lot of good mental capacity and emotional space to reflect (maybe not right after a super draining 4 hour meeting).
I like to pick a morning, throw on some music in my home office and go to work.
Start with a blank sheet of paper (electronic or physical- again, you do you) and write down your answers to the following:
What are the highlights from this past year?
What accomplishments am I most proud of?
What didn’t go as planned? Why?
What relationships have meant the most to you this year?
Who has helped you? How have you helped others?
What are the lowlights or the biggest challenges from the last year?
Now when you answer these, resist the urge to pull out your performance review or a goals list- go based on what you think of during this brainstorm.
Next, go ahead and take out your goals or any previous performance or reflection notes and compare what you’ve listed out on each. (If you don’t have anything- that’s okay, got to start somewhere, just skip to the second question below).
Did you leave anything off?
How did your goals and/or priorities change throughout the year?
Now that you’ve reflected on the past, it’s time to jump into planning for next year.
Again- you’ve got to go with what works for you. You can jump right in or take a break and come back to this activity at another time- maybe after having a chance to let your thoughts sink in.
Plan for the Year Ahead
Lot’s of people dive right into goal setting when it comes to looking to the year ahead- that might work for you, but it doesn’t quite work for me. I like to dig a bit deeper and love using my Goal setting brainstorm worksheet. You can download a free fillable copy here — My Downloadable | The Wounded Workforce (teachable.com).
If you want to skip the worksheet- no worries, just look to answer the following questions — and yes, make sure to write them down!
What do I want to be true in one year that isn’t true today?
What do I want to be known for?
If I could learn anything, what would I be most excited to learn?
What work excites me most.
I fill this in as a bulleted list, and it lives on my bulletin board all year. This helps me remember the WHY behind my goals and also understand when that why changes and perhaps the goal needs to too.
Once you complete the brainstorm, I recommend taking a break and coming back to it and using it to set your goals- for the year, quarter or whatever interval you prefer.
And I wouldn’t be a career HR professional without encouraging you to create SMART goals — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. You can find many great resources on how to set goals in this way.
Self- reflection and goal setting are both powerful tools. Make sure and take time more than once a year for both. I hope these tools are helpful for you!
November Roundup
As this month comes to a close, it’s time to share some of recommendations for all of you!
🎧You Should be Listening to:
Comfy Chairs hosted by Kate Johnson.
If you enjoy learning, this is the podcast for you. Kate does an awesome job digging into super meaningful, thoughtful, and informative conversations with guests. Grab your own comfy chair and listen in!
From Now to Next hosted by Erica Rooney.
Erica and her guests always offer amazing perspective and advice. Bonus, Erica is never afraid to tackle the tough topics- like her recent work on tackling the role of Alcohol in socializing at work.
📚You Should be Reading:
The Deepest Well- Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris, M.D.
Wow, one of the best books I’ve read and such an excellent and eye-opening look at childhood adversity and its long-term impacts. A quick and interesting read. Dr. Burke Harris is not only brilliant, but also a phenomenal storyteller.
Leader Awakened: Why Accepting Adversity Drives Power and Freedom by Samreen McGregor
Samreen is such a lovely, thoughtful leader and executive coach. This book isn’t afraid to dive into the really tough stuff and then come out on the other side with ways to acknowledge and leverage adversity for a better you. An absolute must read for leaders. Samreen was also kind enough to join me on the podcast this month. Listen here.
Everyday Inspiration for Change- How Daily Experience Can Be Your Best Mentor for Change in Life and Work by Minola Jac
Minola has pulled together so many amazing stories and lessons into one book. Change is inevitable and Minola teaches us how to mange it through everyday lessons. Read it straight through or open it up for some daily or weekly inspiration.
And for my fellow fiction fans-
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is the must read of 2023!
Did I have anxiety the whole time I read this — yes. Was it one of my favorite books of the year — also, yes. R.F. Kuang tackles white privilege in a wildly entertaining, fast-paced, and thoughtful novel. Also, as a fan of Babel, I will never not be impressed by Kuang’s ability to excel across genres. You won’t be able to put this one down. You’ll also be left reflecting for days and weeks to come.
📰Article Roundup:
WHO Makes Loneliness a Global Health Priority with New Committee on Social Connection
The Love Story of My Chosen Family
Our Favorite Management Tips about Showing Gratitude at Work
Leaders, Make Curiosity the Core of Your Organizational Culture
✅You should be doing:
Avoiding Year-End & Holiday Burnout
This time of year is amazing; it can also be overwhelming for a variety of reasons. Make sure you are avoiding that holiday/year-end burnout. And if you need any tips, check out this podcast dedicated to doing just this.
Practicing Self-Care
Self-care is always important but can be easy to overlook when we are focused on everyone else. Make sure you are practicing self-care and making time for yourself.
Giving Back
This is a great time of year to give back to your communities, but remember, it’s not only about giving back financially. Below are some of my favorite ways to give back!
📢 You Should Subscribe:
It should come as no surprise that I adore Katharine Manning. If you could use a weekly dose of Katharine- trust me, you can- make sure and subscribe to her Thursday texts.
To subscribe- Text the word ‘Blackbird’ to 8339751945.
How Trauma Informed Workplaces Support Veterans
As we celebrate Veteran’s Day this weekend, I am reminded the best way we can support those who’ve served our country is in providing ongoing care and support- not just on these days honoring their service, but every day.
Many organizations do great work prioritizing military transitions and hiring veterans- and rightly so, there are numerous benefits both for the transitioning servicemembers as well as the organization, and the community at large.
The many benefits of hiring veterans include:
Strong work ethic and dedication. Veterans are known for their strong work ethic, dedication, and loyalty.
Leadership skills. Many veterans have developed strong leadership skills through their military service.
Technical skills. Veterans often have specialized technical skills that can be valuable to employers.
Teamwork skills. Veterans are accustomed to working in teams, and they can collaborate effectively with others. They are also skilled at problem-solving and conflict resolution.
Diverse skills and experience. Veterans come from a variety of backgrounds and have a wide range of skills and experience.
Financial incentives for employers who hire veterans. For example, employers may be eligible for tax credits or salary reimbursement programs.
And creating paths for our servicemembers to transition to civilian life and jobs is the right thing to do.
But as any good HR or talent leader will tell you, your talent strategy extends far beyond talent attraction and hiring and should focus heavily on the employee’s experience at your organization. We often talk about this as employee experience, onboarding, employee engagement, and culture.
Organizations can’t simply rely on military hiring and recruiting strategies, they also need to create overall employee experiences and cultures that support veterans — and trauma informed workplace cultures are key in doing so.
Let’s get a couple things out of the way for our discussion-
Not every veteran or servicemember has experienced trauma or has PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Traumatic experiences can have long-term effects without an official diagnosis of PTSD.
Veterans are not the only demographic that experiences trauma that may have its effects show up in the workplace.
Trauma informed workplaces support the success of everyone, regardless of trauma status.
Why Trauma Informed Workplaces are important for Veterans.
While not all veterans experience trauma, they do experience higher prevalence of traumatic experiences, including for some, existing in an active war zone. While instances of trauma or traumatic experiences are less widely tracked, PTSD statistics are well documented as the initial understanding of trauma and its impacts is tied back to military service and wartime experiences.
11%-23% of Veterans experience PTSD in a given year and is most prevalent between the ages of 18 to 29- often a time when they may be transitioning to civilian life and the workforce. And unfortunately, these statistics also translate to troubling consequences, Veterans are 1.5x more likely to die by suicide than civilian adults. 17.2 veterans die by suicide each day.
Of course, Veterans need appropriate care for PTSD and trauma, and it is often available through the VA and many other government and nonprofit agencies (Including the Veteran’s Crisis Line- Dial 988 if you need support). But we cannot ignore — the workplace has a special role in engaging returning veterans into their communities and supporting overall purpose and livelihood or financial safety.
Trauma informed cultures also value openness to different backgrounds and experiences that can prioritize and value the unique contributions, skills, and knowledge veterans bring to the team that may be overlooked in less thoughtful cultures.
While trauma and its impacts are highly personal, building a culture that is trauma informed is key to supporting anyone who may have been impacted by trauma, including veterans.
Trauma informed cultures center supportive, informed environments where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. It prioritizes eliminating workplace trauma and actively avoids re-traumatizing survivors.
Trauma informed cultures support the journey of trauma recovery.
It is important to keep in mind that Trauma Informed Cultures DO NOT seek to diagnose or treat trauma. Nor should there be an expectation that individuals are under any obligation to share their traumatic experiences.
Trauma informed cultures are rooted in the seven principles created by The Wounded Workforce, as an interpretation of the original Trauma Informed Care principles created by SAMHSA.
Veterans and active servicemembers deserve our gratitude and respect. They also deserve workplaces that support their unique experiences and skillsets as they transition to civilian life. Trauma informed workplaces can do just that.
The Workplace’s Role in Tackling the Loneliness Epidemic
I have a best friend at work.
One of the most hotly debated and discussed questions on Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey, a fact that Gallup recognizes and notes on its website. It also notes why the question remains one of the 12 powerful predictors used globally to track employee engagement- it works to predict performance.
“More than any other Q12 statement, “I have a best friend at work” tends to generate questions and skepticism. But there is one stubborn fact: It predicts performance.
Early research on employee engagement and the Q12 elements revealed a unique social trend among employees on top-performing teams. When employees have a deep sense of affiliation with their team members, they take positive actions that benefit the business — actions they may not otherwise even consider.
Globally, three in 10 employees strongly agree that they have a best friend at work. By moving that ratio to six in 10, organizations could realize 28% fewer safety incidents, 5% higher customer engagement scores and 10% higher profit.”
Gallup provides us with a fantastic data-backed example, that we’ve recognized that work and relationships have been inextricably linked for decades. And even without the data, I’d say that work and relationships have always been linked.
For this reason, alarm bells sounded (or should have) for leaders earlier this year when U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy released his report on “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” The negative impacts of this epidemic have an impact on our work lives as well.
While it is easy to point to the restrictions and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic as a source for this challenge, the epidemic of loneliness predates Covid. Before the pandemic, about one-in-two US adults reported experiencing loneliness. Certainly, the pandemic exacerbated the issue, but it is not its lone cause.
As Dr. Murthy outlines in his report, the importance of connection in the workplace is significant. Ranging from increased job satisfaction, and better performance results, to better health outcomes leading to reduced absenteeism and healthcare costs.
How Can Workplaces Help Combat Loneliness in their Teams & Communities?
There are not a lot of places in our society today where most of us are still able to come together and solve problems and achieve goals across our differences. The workplace is one of those places and for that reason, I believe it is uniquely situated to make meaningful progress in tackling the loneliness epidemic.
Loneliness in the workplace isn’t based on how social your job is or isn’t, like loneliness in all facets of our life, it comes down to the quality of our connections. Someone could frequently interact with others but still feel lonely, and the reverse is also true. And given how long we each spend at work- spending all those hours feeling lonely is a health issue.
It’s also important to acknowledge, that creating friendships is not necessarily the only way to tackle loneliness there are many types of meaningful connections at work that may be short-term or long-lived. All support feelings of connection and help mitigate loneliness.
Tackling the loneliness epidemic through the workplace will require a multifaceted approach focused on creating a supportive and inclusive environment for employees. Here are some strategies that workplaces can implement to help combat loneliness and reap the rewards of meaningful connections:
Promote a Culture of Inclusivity: Foster a workplace culture that values diversity and inclusion. Encourage open communication, respect for different perspectives, and create an environment where all employees feel welcome and valued.
Encourage Social Interaction: Provide opportunities for employees to interact with one another beyond just work-related tasks. This could include team-building activities, social events, or even designated spaces for casual conversations. The key is to provide opportunities- not force interactions or friendships.
Facilitate Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Support the formation of ERGs based on common interests, backgrounds, or experiences. These groups can provide a sense of belonging and a platform for employees to connect with like-minded colleagues.
Implement Flexible Work Arrangements: Allow employees to have some flexibility in their work schedules or the option to work remotely. This allows for opportunities to support better work-life balance and prioritize relationships outside the workplace, as well as inside.
Provide Mental Health Support: Offer resources and programs that support mental health and well-being. This can include access to counseling services, stress management workshops, or mindfulness programs.
Encourage Employee Feedback and Input: Create avenues for employees to voice their concerns and suggestions. This can help identify areas where the workplace can improve in terms of social connection and support.
Promote Team Collaboration: Encourage collaborative work projects that require employees to work together towards a common goal. This can help build stronger bonds among team members.
Provide Opportunities Learning: Offer training and development programs that allow employees to learn and grow together. This not only enhances their professional skills but also provides opportunities for social interaction.
Recognize and Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate both individual and team achievements. This can create a positive and supportive work environment that fosters a sense of belonging.
Support Community Involvement: Encourage employees to get involved in community service or volunteer activities. This can provide a sense of purpose and connection outside the workplace that benefits your employees and community. A great way to do this is by volunteer activities arranged as a group or even just volunteer days of for your employees to use at their discretion.
Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Overworking can lead to isolation and burnout, so it’s important to support a healthy equilibrium.
Provide Spaces for Relaxation and Socializing: Designate areas in the workplace where employees can take breaks, relax, and socialize. Comfortable break rooms or common areas can facilitate casual interactions. These spaces can also be virtual, like zoom or slack channels.
Lead by Example: Leadership should set the tone by demonstrating inclusivity, open communication, and a genuine interest in the well-being of employees.
How Can You make the most Out of Workplace Connections?
Tackling loneliness is up to us all, so I wanted to share this great resource from the book “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness” by Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Schulz, PhD to help you reflect on your workplace connections how to make the most of them.
Tomorrow (or the next day you get up and go to work — physically or virtually), consider these questions:
Who are the people I most enjoy and value at work, and what is it about them that is valuable? Am I appreciating them?
Who is different from me in some way (who thinks differently, comes from a different background, has different expertise, etc.), and what can I learn from that person?
If I’m having a conflict with another worker, what can I do to alleviate it?
What kind of connections am I missing at work that I might want more of? Could I imagine a way to make these connections more likely, or richer?
Do I really know my coworkers? Is there someone I’d like to know better? How can I reach out to them? You might pick a person with whom you seem to have the least in common and make a point to be curious and ask about something they’ve displayed or shared at work.
Loneliness is so harmful to both our physical and mental health and its negative effects are creating harm to our society at large. But there is still hope to make meaningful changes for each of us and our communities to benefit from.
I challenge you to reach out to one person today that you miss or want to learn more about. To offer a simple smile or hello out in public. And of course, if you are so inclined, learn more about what you can do by reading the surgeon general’s full report here.
Creating Your Own Trauma Informed Career Journey
Most of the work I do is focused on how organizations and leaders can create trauma informed environments where everyone on their team can be successful. And for good reason, cultures and organizational environments have a massive ripple effect on everyone in their wake.
I also believe that organizations and leaders have a responsibility for creating environments that are safe and secure, and respond to the variety of needs of their team members as humans, so our focus should be here.
Despite this responsibility, I am also a firm believer that we can each take ownership and direct our careers to better serve our unique needs. And every person who can become more trauma informed helps us further our goal of creating trauma informed cultures.
Learning, Openness, & Curiosity
A great place to start for a trauma informed career is right where you are! Learning more about what it means to be trauma informed and learning more about trauma and how it can show up at work.
There are countless amazing resources available to learn more, including this article series, my podcast Building Trauma Informed Workplaces and The Wounded Workforce Panel series on LinkedIn and Facebook. I also have a list of books and other resources you can explore here.
If you aren’t sure where to start, just remember to approach others with openness and curiosity instead of judgment. This also goes for ourselves. Self-compassion is critical for a trauma informed career journey.
Trauma Informed Transitions
We have a unique opportunity to better support our needs at work when we are transitioning to a new role, organization, or even career path.
A way to enhance your search for a new role or next step in your career is to find ways to spot a trauma informed organization and/or leaders in your search. Trauma informed cultures and leadership are a newer concept for most of the corporate world- so these efforts may not be advertised as such.
Don’t worry, you can spot an trauma informed organization/leader in your search.
First, make sure you are focused on getting a clear and accurate understanding of the overall organization, team and leadership culture for any new role you consider. Zero in on each of the seven principles of trauma informed organizations and consider some of the following as part of an interview or recruiting process to get a better idea of the overall culture.
Safety
Expect to see Competitive Comp
Review Benefits for both Short and long-term financial supports
Ask about Psychological Safety on the team.
Trust & Transparency
Ask to review corporate communications.
Ask about townhall frequency and communication.
Weigh competitive vs. trusting nature among team.
Community
How do new team members integrate into the team?
What programs — formal or informal, build relationships at work
What would your peer group look like?
Collaboration
Review the organizational structure.
Ask about power dynamics & politics in the organization.
Empowerment
How much ownership and choice will you have in your role?
Ask how the team recognizes good work.
Is the organization Strengths-Based?
What growth and development programs exist in the organization
Humility & Responsiveness
What was the last misstep the organization made? How was it handled?
Same question for your potential leader.
Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues
What kind of DEI policy, efforts and commitment exist?
What are the DEI metrics and are they available to everyone?
Another important aspect of a transition that will meet your unique needs at this point in your career is making sure you understand what you are and are not looking for in your next role.
I recommend taking some time to reflect on the next steps before diving too deep into any search. This is also an excellent practice once or twice a year for your development as well. Below are exploration questions I recommend for job seekers I partner with. Take the time to reflect and write your answers down and then review them as a wonderful place to start any transition.
Transition Exploration Questions
What are the three most important things I am looking for in my next role?
What cultures or teams that I’ve worked on were the best? Why?
What cultures or teams were a poor fit? Why?
Who is the leader that stands out in my mind as the best I’ve worked with? Why?
Who is the leader that stands out as my least favorite? Why?
Moving Past Workplace Trauma
Many of us have experienced trauma as a direct or indirect result of jobs, leaders, peers, or careers. Failing to acknowledge that ofetn the workplace can be a source of trauma versus a true support for most of us would be blind spot.
Because trauma can have unique impacts on each of us, our experiences and what we take from one toxic workplace experience to the next can be detrimental to our careers overall. The first step is to recognize what you may be hanging onto from previous experiences- intentionally or not. Then is the next step- moving beyond those experiences so you can continue to maximize your career.
This can be an excellent exercise to work through with a therapist if you have access to one. Discuss how you feel trauma may be showing up for you at work or even how your workplace has done psychological harm to you directly or indirectly. In a world full of micro and macro aggressions, this can be especially significant for members of marginalized communities.
In addition to a supportive professional, community can help support you in moving past traumatic workplace experiences. I am excited to announce that The Wounded Workforce will be hosting an intimate workshop to create a sense of community and offer tools to help individuals move past workplace trauma. You can learn more and register here.
Embracing a trauma informed approach in our careers is not just a choice, but a moral imperative. By recognizing the far-reaching impact of trauma on individuals and communities- and ourselves, we open the door to a more compassionate, inclusive, and effective professional environment for everyone. We also lead the way on the important changes needed in the way we collectively approach work.
Through the lens of trauma informed culture, we learn to replace judgment with understanding, to prioritize safety and trust, and to foster resilience in ourselves and those we work with. This approach fortifies our own well-being and professional fulfillment and supports all those we work with.
In the end, a trauma informed career is not solely about our professional development and success, but also about the profound impact we have on the lives of others. It is about recognizing the resilience in ourselves and every individual and offering the dignity and respect we all deserve.
By embracing this approach, we not only transform our workplaces, but we contribute to a more compassionate and understanding society as a whole.
Remember — you have immense value to bring to any organization, and you deserve respect and a safe place to grow.
The Role of Benefits in Trauma Informed Workplaces
Trauma informed workplaces NEVER seek to diagnose or treat trauma or related health issues, which we’ve discussed quite a bit in our exploration of trauma informed workplaces. I’m effusive about this because care from someone without the right training and credentials can do much more harm than good.
It’s also important to note, trauma informed workplaces don’t replace mental health care- they only seek to support in the context of the workplace. However, we also recognize that unaddressed and untreated mental health concerns and trauma can have massive negative impacts on individuals in all aspects of their lives, including work.
Without robust benefits that support mental health care access, your trauma informed culture can’t realize it’s full impact on your employees or your organization. if you were to do only one thing to improve your workplace — it’s improving employer-sponsored benefits that provide for affordable, accessible mental healthcare access.
Significant issues with most benefit offerings have little to do with employers and rather more to do with the insurance and healthcare systems at large.
We must explore these realities facing our employees, communities and ourselves as employers to best navigate the steps that can be taken in the short and long term to better support your team’s access to mental health or behavioral healthcare.
On last week’s Building Trauma Informed Workplaces podcast (you can listen to it here), my friend Christi shared her personal experience navigating mental healthcare coverage.
Christi is a career HR professional- familiar with navigating benefits challenges. When a family member needed urgent access to mental healthcare, despite her expertise and great benefits from her employer, she found that the entire expense was out of pocket. Nothing was covered by her insurance provider.
Christi and her family are doing well, but faced with a similar situation- many others could face serious financial ramifications or devastation from these types of unexpected costs.
How often are people who are in desperate need of care and support faced with an impossible choice to seek that care when they cannot afford it? The cost of mental health care can be a major barrier for many people. Even with insurance- copays, coinsurance, and deductibles can become significant costs. In addition, many mental health professionals do not accept insurance, which can make the cost higher.
Our current healthcare system undermines safety for those relying on it for care- specifically, it undermines financial safety. Safety is the foundation of trauma informed workplaces (and trauma informed care and recovery).
Disregarding potential affordability barriers, other challenges persist. There is a shortage of mental health professionals in many areas- especially rural areas, which can make it difficult to find a provider who is accepting new patients.
Layer on additional challenges for providers specializing in specific types of care, providers with diverse backgrounds, and other potential barriers- for example, language, access becomes a huge barrier for many seeking to find care.
Now layer the challenge of affordability and access and you can begin to see the full scope of the accessibility issues we face. Most of us who access or seek to access mental health care have had run-ins with either affordability or access (or both).
For me, I received news that my therapist would no longer be covered in network one month before the change. My options were to either seek a new provider that was covered (and face the availability challenges outlined), pay out of pocket, or cease accessing care.
Fortunately, I was able to pay out of pocket and then make other arrangements for the future to minimize both issues, but the scenario was still upsetting; I can’t imagine how devastating it would have been if I hadn’t had the privilege to access care by paying out of pocket for a time.
Additional barriers to mental healthcare access also include:
Stigma: Stigma associated with mental illness can deter people from seeking help. People may be afraid of being labeled or judged, or they may worry about how others will react if they find out they are seeing a therapist.
Transportation: Transportation can be a barrier for people who live in rural areas or who do not have reliable transportation. This can make it difficult to get to appointments with a mental health provider.
Lack of awareness: Many people are not aware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, or they may be unaware of where to go for help. This can delay diagnosis and treatment.
What Can Employers Do to Increase Access to Mental HealthCare for their Teams?
While we must be realistic about current challenges to the mental healthcare system and the healthcare systems at large, there are still many ways employers can maximize their current benefit offerings to support their team members and support a trauma informed culture.
Mental Health Care Add-Ons
If your budget allows, one of the best ways to tackle access challenges is with one of the many new tools available in the telehealth and virtual wellbeing marketplace. Often these tools can be more cost effective than you may expect as well.
Keep in mind, that there are different types of services offered, from libraries of virtual resources to therapy or psychiatric support. Understanding what level of support, you are looking to bolster is key as you evaluate which tool(s) are right for you and your team.
It’s also important to factor in your location(s) and your employee profile. If your employees hate using a computer or jumping on Zoom, you may have disappointing utilization.
Below are some great options to explore if you are interested in these options for your team (or yourself- many offer individual services as well)
Headspace for Employers | Mental Healthcare for Your Employees & Their Families
Calm Business: Corporate Wellness Solution for Modern Organizations
Fully Leverage Benefits
Perhaps you don’t have much extra in the budget to explore additional resources, this is not uncommon considering the significant expense and increase employers are seeing in benefits cost this (and most) years. If this is the scenario you’re faced with this year, not to fear, you can still help boost accessibility for your team.
EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) are standard for most benefits offerings; your broker or insurance provider generally includes this in your plans. Despite the numerous and confidential resources provided by EAPs, they are woefully underutilized. Most EAPs have less than a 5% utilization rate.
So, focusing on maximizing what’s already available and increasing EAP usage. Here is a great resource on how to increase usage within your organization — The Step-by-Step Guide to Increase EAP Utilization | Nivati.
You can also work with your benefits broker to provide a ‘cheat sheet’ or FAQs on insurance access and focus on mental health resources. This will work best based on location as most providers have specific coverage based on location.
Another area to make sure you are maximizing- look for partnerships and other resources your broker has available. Many offer partnerships and resources at reduced costs to your employees. One of my favorite providers, Bennie — Better Benefits, does a great job of providing partnerships to enhance resources without adding to costs- especially for small and midsize employers.
Financial Supports
Sometimes financial emergencies pop up for our team, despite increased efforts to improve benefits and access. For that reason, I wanted to highlight a couple of financial support options as well.
Global Employee Relief Fund Platform | Canary (workwithcanary.com) — Canary offers relief grant access to employees when they run into an unexpected financial challenge, for example, healthcare costs. This is a great, innovative service to both streamline and ensure equal access to financial support in your organization.
Financial tools | Northstar (northstarmoney.com)- I’ve mentioned Northstar before because I love their model. Northstar offers a wide variety of tools for financial planning and tackling challenges as it relates to finances of benefits with financial advisors for every level of an organization.
Lobby Insurance Companies for Better Coverage
Admittedly, this is a long-term strategy and will take time- nevertheless, it’s a vital one. Employers choose brokers and insurance providers. One of the questions to ask and items to lobby for is more robust coverage for mental and behavioral health services. Large employers have an upper hand here and can lead the way in insisting coverage meets their teams’ needs.
Supporting changes for better access and affordability for mental and behavioral healthcare is just as important as normalizing discussions around mental health and treatment. While there is no magic fix for our current system, there are many ways in both the short and long term that employers can lead the way for improvements. Remember, without access to credentialed professionals to support trauma recovery, your organization cannot realize the full benefits of a trauma informed culture.
Resources for Building Trauma Informed Workplace Cultures
Full disclosure, it’s been a busy few weeks and the idea of writing a full article this week felt more than a little daunting.
That said, I didn’t want my readers to miss out on the opportunity to continue to learn and grow on our journey to becoming more trauma informed.
So, this week, I’m sharing a host of resources- books, articles, podcasts, etc. for you to engage in your own learning journey. Make sure and bookmark the list as well as a great resource to come back to (I know I will be revisiting it frequently.)
I’d love to hear from you if you enjoy any of these resources or have any you’d add to the list.
If you’re looking for a quick hit packed full of information-
A Little Book About Trauma-Informed Workplaces |A Project of the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute
We Need Trauma-Informed Workplaces by Katharine Manning | Harvard Business Review
The Building Trauma Informed Workplaces Podcast | Hosted by Stephanie Lemek (me!)
If you want to become a more trauma informed leader -
The Empathetic Workplace- 5 Steps for Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job by Katharine Manning
The Trauma Informed Leader Training- November 10th | Hosted by The Wounded Workforce
If you want to leverage your team and your own strengths for better outcomes-
StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
First, Break All the Rules- What the World’s Creates Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath
The CliftonStrengths Podcast |hosted by Gallup
Strengths-Based Individual and Team Coaching | Stephanie Lemek
If you want tools to build your own Resilience-
Building Resilience by Martin Seligman | Harvard Business Review
Tommorrowmind — Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity and Connection — Now and in an Uncertain Future by Gabriella Rosen Kellerman and Martin Seligman
The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Largest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Schulz, PhD
The Modern Trauma Toolkit- Nurture Your Post-Traumatic Growth with Personalized Solutions by Christy Gibson, MD
Executive Functioning Workbook for Adults — Exercises to Help You Get Organized, Stay Focused, and Achieve Your Goals by Dr. Blythe Grossberg
If you’re ready to dive deep on both the concept and science of trauma-
What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
The Body Keeps the Score- Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk
If you’re serious about building psychological safety on your team-
The Fearless Organization — Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplaces for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation by Timothy R. Clark.
If you want to better understand the impacts of Childhood trauma, including the factors that contribute to creating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)-
How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Work Matters: How Parents’ Jobs Shape Children’s Well-being by Maureen Perry-Jenkins
If you want to dig in Cultural, Historical, and Gender issues as a principle of trauma informed workplaces-
DEI Deconstructed — Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing it Right by Lily Zheng
Overcoming Today’s DEI Leadership Challenges by Daisy Auger-Dominguez | Harvard Business Review
Incorporating DEI into Decision-Making by Edward Chang, Siri Chilazi, James Elfer, Cansin Arslan, Erika Kirgios, Oliver Hauser, Iris Bohnet | Harvard Business Review
How Trauma Informed Workplaces Can Drive a Culture of Mental Health
Mental health has become an important and almost non-negotiable topic for discussion in the workplace. With the shifting relationship between our lives and work throughout and following the pandemic, mental health needs are showing up more and more. Or I like to think we are just more aware of them and open about discussions surrounding mental health as well.
According to Mindshare Partners 2021 Mental Health at Work Report, 84% of respondents said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge.
And according to APA’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey, 81% of workers reported that they will be looking for workplaces that support mental health in the future.
This trend isn’t changing anytime soon either. In a recent Monster State of the Graduate Report:
92% say it’s important for them to feel comfortable discussing mental wellness at work.
59% would quit a job if the workplace became toxic.
58% say the most important aspect of a job is work-life balance.
54% would turn down a job at a company that doesn’t offer work-life balance.
With shifting employee expectations, especially those of the newer generation entering the workforce, so focused on transparency and support as it relates to mental health, employers must plan to integrate mental health into their employee value proposition through benefits, and more important -through culture changes.
The question is- How can employers and leaders shift workplace cultures to better prioritize and support mental health?
It may be pretty daunting to shift organizational cultures holistically to center not only on business results and missions but also on mental health outcomes. And I’ll be honest, it will be a journey, but I believe wholeheartedly it’s a journey worth making, which is why I do the work I do around building trauma informed workplace culture.
What does it mean to be a Trauma Informed Workplace?
Trauma informed cultures center supportive, informed environments where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. It prioritizes eliminating workplace trauma and actively avoids re-traumatizing survivors. Trauma informed cultures are designed to better support every member of the team and their unique needs.
It is important to note that Trauma Informed Cultures DO NOT seek to diagnose or treat trauma. Nor should there be an expectation that individuals are under any obligation to share their traumatic experiences.
I’ve interpreted the Trauma Informed Care Principles developed by SAMHSA in 2014 to focus on application to all organizations and a focus on internal culture versus a client-focused approach.
At the core of Trauma Informed Cultures are seven principles that help ensure supportive environments for all members of the team- regardless of their experience with Trauma.
These principles are:
Safety
Trust & Transparency
Community
Collaboration
Empowerment
Humility & Responsiveness
Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues
How can Trauma Informed Cultures Drive Mental Health and Well-being?
To date, organizations have done a lot of great work when it comes to instituting wellness and mental health programs and initiatives. Certainly, there are opportunities to expand these programs, especially access to affordable mental healthcare benefits and therapy as a standard with health coverage.
Beyond programs and initiatives comes the more difficult work. Any type of culture change is a journey and takes significant buy-in throughout the organization and work that weaves the desired changes throughout every aspect of the employee experience.
The work is worthwhile, but how can you begin the work to seamlessly weave mental health into every aspect of your business? Trauma informed cultures are the perfect answer. While not it is not always the case, mental health challenges can frequently result from experiences of trauma.
It can be difficult to consider every aspect of an organization and its processes through only the lens of mental health. The trauma informed principles outlined above create a greater range for reflection and adjustment. Allowing for better overall mental health and cultures where everyone can be successful regardless of their prior experiences with trauma.
Trauma informed workplaces recognize the widespread impact of trauma within the population at large and their workforce; setting the foundation for creating a safe and supportive environment where employees are both physically and emotionally secure in expressing themselves without fear of judgment or reprisal.
Clear and transparent policies and procedures ensure employees know where to turn if they require support. The culture should also provide psychological safety that supports asking for help and speaking up. Leaders also play an important role in modeling behaviors throughout the organization; exhibiting empathy, approachability, and a willingness to listen with humility and make changes. They encourage open communication and actively seek feedback from their teams.
Trauma informed cultures also recognize how the workplace can sometimes cause trauma, as well as other mental health issues. This may happen because of a traumatic event in the workplace, triggering past trauma, or even vicarious trauma or secondary trauma.
Communities of peers and leaders within trauma informed organizations keep open lines of communication to help prevent these issues and when they do occur, help address and respond to them proactively.
Another meaningful aspect of trauma informed cultures that support ongoing cultural change is the mechanism for ongoing change and improvement is baked into the culture in the principle of humility and responsiveness. This supports the ever-changing environment and changing mental health needs of the workforce.
With openness, empathy, vulnerability, and a commitment to lasting change through trauma informed cultures organizations can support their overall employee mental health as well as business results to better navigate the future of work.
Lessons on Becoming Trauma Informed from My Thirteen-Year-Old Dog, Scarlet
This is Scarlet.
She turned thirteen yesterday. She officially joined our family when we rescued her from the Arizona Animal Welfare League when she was five, in October of 2015.
There is a lot we know about Scarlet.
Clearly, she’s adorable. She is also feisty. She is incredibly protective of her family.
She loves chicken and pup cups from Starbucks. She wasn’t sure about her sister, Zoey at first but now they are best friends.
There is a strong possibility that she is the reincarnation of Elizabeth Taylor, but that’s a whole other article.
She is a survivor.
About a month after she joined us, we found out Scarlet had heartworm. (Obligatory reminder to give your pets a Heartworm preventative). Scarlet went through two rounds of very difficult treatment and made it out the other end only a little worse for wear.
Scarlet before starting her first round of Heartworm treatment.
About six months into 2020, our Vet found a mammary tumor on Scarlet’s belly. Luckily it had not spread, but it had to be removed. The procedure was tough on her, but again, she made it back to her old self in record time.
And although heartworm had some lasting impacts on her health, Scarlet is as feisty and energetic as ever.
There is also a lot that we don’t know and will never know about the time before she was part of our family.
We don’t know if Scarlet had puppies. She wasn’t spayed until she arrived at the shelter.
We don’t know how well Scarlet was taken care of.
We don’t know the total of almost half of her life and much of what shaped who she is today.
And while Scarlet is an impressive little creature, she still hasn’t figured out how to tell us about those years before she joined us.
Scarlet first arriving home with us in October of 2015
Certainly, the people we work with can speak and share their experiences with us- but there are many other barriers beyond just words when it comes to explaining or choosing to share your experiences with others. Especially if those experiences are traumatic ones.
So, the lesson from Scarlet- who cannot share her stories, is to bring empathy and kindness to her behaviors and idiosyncrasies. To understand that although we don’t know her history, we can provide comfort, safety and a good environment for her now and for the rest of her life.
It is the same when we think about building trauma informed workplace cultures for our teams. Regardless of what we do or do not know about our team members’ pasts, we can focus on how we can build environments that a supportive, empathetic, caring, and that empower everyone to succeed.
This is the heart of a trauma informed workplace culture and these cultures support everyone- regardless of their past. Regardless of experiences with trauma.
So, as we work to build trauma informed systems and cultures, remember the power of supporting others without having to know their stories. The power to provide support and tools for success for everyone. It’s worth the journey.
Why We Need Trauma Informed Communication at Work
A central skill in every job and workplace is strong communication.
Communication or a lack thereof is also a frequent culprit when things don’t go as planned, or relationships are harmed.
Communication is also an umbrella term and if you’ve ever heard feedback to ‘improve communication’ you likely looked for something more specific and more tangible to take action on.
While we all have different communication styles and needs, all of us can benefit from a trauma informed approach to communication- regardless of whether we’ve experienced trauma. However, it’s important to note, that many of us have — over 70% of US adults self-identify as having one or more traumatic experiences in their lifetimes.
Trauma informed communication goes hand in hand with trauma informed workplaces and the principles to build these trauma informed cultures. These principles are Safety, Trust and transparency, Community, Collaboration, Empowerment, Humility and responsiveness, and Cultural, Historical, & Gender issues.
Like trauma informed cultures, trauma informed communication should acknowledge the existence and pervasive impacts of trauma and center supportive, informed communication styles where everyone has the opportunity to both speak up and be heard. It is also important to note that trauma informed communication actively avoids re-traumatizing survivors and notes that words matter and can also do incredible harm.
Building trauma informed communication styles is a great way for every team member to support efforts to build more trauma informed cultures in every organization they are a part of. So how can you build your communication skills to be more trauma informed?
How To Build a Trauma Informed Communication Style
Recognize and Appreciate Differences
Imagine each person with a suitcase they bring with them to work and everywhere they go. In the suitcase is all their knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities- those things that are needed for them to perform their job and what makes them a great partner and teammate. That suitcase is also filled with all their lived experiences — coloring their approach to life, work, and communication.
For most of us, we approach communication the way we communicate! But we all have different styles, needs, and methods that work best for each of us. While it’s easy to approach these differences with frustration, it’s important to focus on acknowledgment and appreciation for the myriad of ways we all communicate.
By pausing to recognize the differences, we can better position our own styles to suit those around us and offer more flexibility when communication styles are getting wires crossed. This is extra important if you are a leader.
A great way to start recognizing and appreciating differences is by reflecting on your own communication style. Think about how you approach conversations with different people, and how you best process information- do you like to brainstorm out loud or do you need time for private reflection?
As part of your reflection, see if you can put your style into words. For example, I might say- “I like to talk things out on the fly and will talk about any topic without preparation. I’m a verbal person and I like to talk through ideas and conflicts directly.”
Why is this helpful? If you can verbalize your own approach to communication- you can communicate it to others and let them adjust and offer their own style.
I’d also encourage you to proactively ask others for the preferred communication avenues and styles (and if you are a leader or in a position of power- ask them to share first, then offer your own preferences.)
For example, since I enjoy talking about things on the spot and I can be quite direct, if someone prefers time to reflect first and is uncomfortable with very direct conversations; we won’t have the most effective conversation.
Unless we can both verbalize our needs and adjust to the other person. We will also be more likely to offer each other grace and understand when there is a misfire in communication because we have a better understanding.
Openness
Approaching communication with openness is another key aspect of building a trauma informed style. It involves being receptive, non-judgmental, and willing to listen and learn from others. Here are some ways you can infuse openness into your communication style.
Practice Active Listening
Give your full attention to the speaker.
Avoid interrupting or formulating a response while they are talking.
Use non-verbal cues like nodding or maintaining eye contact to show you’re engaged
Stay present in the conversation and avoid distractions
Suspend Judgment:
Avoid making assumptions or forming opinions too early in a conversation.
Recognize that everyone has their own perspective and experiences that shape their views.
Be Non-Defensive:
If someone expresses a differing opinion or criticism, avoid becoming defensive.
Instead, try to understand their viewpoint.
Be Vulnerable:
Share your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences when appropriate. This can create a sense of mutual openness.
Ask Open-Ended Questions:
Encourage the other person to share more by asking questions that invite them to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings.
Avoid Assumptions:
Don’t assume you know what someone is going to say or how they feel. Let them express themselves in their own words.
Be Mindful of Body Language:
Your non-verbal cues can convey openness or closedness. Maintain open body language (e.g., uncrossed arms, relaxed posture)
Recognize and challenge any preconceived notions or biases you may have that could hinder open communication.
Openness takes practice, and that’s a great reason to start practicing today. Keep in mind it’s about creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, where individuals feel heard and valued. By approaching conversations with openness, you foster stronger connections and deeper understanding in your relationships as well.
“Clarity Is Kindness”
I first heard the quote ‘clarity is kindness’ from Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer/Chief People Officer at VaynerMedia and it sums up an issue I’ve found so frequently in my career. Oftentimes, especially in business, we are faced with delivering news or information that isn’t the most joyful or welcomed.
This is an uncomfortable spot to be in and it’s uncomfortable to be associated with bad news, especially when we have a genuine, caring relationship with someone.
The tricky part is, often without the clarity of the not-so-fun to deliver news, people are often working from a place without all the information they need, and it can oftentimes make the issue even worse.
Remember, while what you have to share may not be the best, providing clarity to someone- being transparent, is a kindness. This will help you move to communicate in the moments where you should, but it can be very difficult.
Empathy
I want to start here with a quick definition of empathy because it is often confused with sympathy and understanding is important to incorporating it into your communication. Empathy is ‘the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.’
Sympathy and empathy both refer to a caring response to the emotional state of another person, but a distinction between them is typically made: while sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful, empathy involves actively sharing in the emotional experience of the other person.
Practicing empathy in your communication style involves understanding and acknowledging the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of others. It’s about listening and responding in a way that shows you care and are trying to comprehend their point of view. Here are some ways to cultivate empathy in your communication:
Validate Emotions:
Acknowledge the other person’s feelings, even if you don’t agree with their perspective.
Use statements like, “I can see that you’re feeling [emotion]” or “It sounds like this is important to you.”
Use Reflective Listening:
Repeat what you’ve heard in your own words to confirm your understanding.
For example, say, “It sounds like you’re saying…” or “If I understand, you feel…”
Put Yourself in Their Shoes:
Try to imagine how the situation might feel from their perspective.
Consider their background, experiences, and circumstances.
Express Understanding:
Show that you understand their point of view by saying things like, “I can see why that would be difficult for you” or “I understand why you feel that way.”
Avoid Offering Immediate Solutions:
Sometimes, people just need to be heard and understood. Don’t rush to provide solutions or advice unless it’s requested.
Use “I” Statements:
Share your feelings and experiences in a way that focuses on your perspective, rather than assuming you know what the other person is feeling.
Respect Boundaries:
Be mindful of the other person’s comfort level in sharing their feelings. Don’t push them to disclose more than they’re comfortable with.
Offer Support and Reassurance:
Let the person know that you’re there for them and that you care about their well-being.
Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is the feeling or belief that you will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with questions, ideas, concerns, and opinions. It is vital to trauma informed communication; without it- you cannot expect to get honest and open dialogue.
You can build psychological safety in a conversation by leveraging the previous components we discussed and also focusing on building relationships that are safe with those you work with. If you are looking for more tools to leverage to create psychological safety on your team and within your relationships, this is an excellent resource — re:Work — Guide: Understand team effectiveness (rework.withgoogle.com).
Often times, trauma informed cultures are reliant on big changes to culture and systems, however the ever person can help their organization become a little more trauma informed by building their communication skills with the lens of traumatic experiences in mind.
What the Heck is Neuroplasticity? And Why We Should Be Talking about Neuroplasticity at Work
Stephanie, I thought this article series was about trauma informed workplaces; so why are we talking about neuroplasticity? And on that note, what the heck is neuroplasticity?
I promise- we are still talking about trauma informed workplaces! Neuroplasticity is an important and amazing tool when it comes to addressing and recovering from the impacts of trauma. It is also an amazing aspect of humans with countless implications in the workplace. This article will explore the basics and connect these dots!
What is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, refers to the brain’s remarkable ability to continue to grow, adapt, and reorganize itself throughout a person’s entire life. It is the process by which the brain changes in response to experiences, learning, and environmental influences — rewiring the brain. Think of neuroplasticity as your internal system of evolution!
Neuroplasticity encompasses how nerve cells adapt to circumstances — to respond to stimulation by generating new tendrils of connection to other nerve cells, called synapses, and to respond to deprivation and excess stress by weakening connections.
Neuroplasticity plays a crucial role in learning and memory. When we learn new things or practice a skill, the brain forms new neural pathways or strengthens existing ones. This process allows us to acquire new knowledge, develop new abilities, and adapt to changes in our environment. When you think about neuroplasticity, it’s easiest to think of a baby and how they learn new skills and behaviors at a swift pace as their brain is developing.
While the brain does change most rapidly in childhood, new research shows the brain continues to develop throughout our entire lives! So no more saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’- because it’s not true! (It’s also just not a very nice thing to say.)
The importance of neuroplasticity can’t be overstated: It means that it is possible to change dysfunctional patterns of thought and behavior and to develop new mindsets, new memories, new skills, and new abilities throughout our entire lives.
What Role Does Neuroplasticity Play in Trauma and Trauma Recovery?
Trauma, especially childhood trauma and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), can have an astounding impact on our brains and the neuropathways that are formed. Trauma’s effect on the brain starts with the amygdala which is activated once it detects a threat. Once triggered, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system, often colloquially referred to as the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. This system in the body is called the limbic system.
Repeated and severe experiences of trauma can result in the brain detecting these perceived threats more easily- leading to increased feelings of stress, anxiety, and or depression throughout life.
The limbic system can be activated not only by trauma itself but by the stimuli that trigger traumatic memories — a smell or a sound, for example (think of war veterans and fireworks).
This means that the limbic system can fire off the same response to a trigger that it does to trauma before the brain has a chance to evaluate whether the person is in danger.
This is known as hypervigilance. On a biological level, it’s one part of the brain shutting down another part of the brain and limiting a person’s ability to reason their way through a trigger instead of instinctively reacting to it.
Since neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to re-wire itself, it is key in changing the body and brain’s automatic responses to perceived threats and triggers as a result of traumatic experiences. This means that regardless of age, it may be possible to rewire your brain and nervous system from trauma by having new, positive, and supportive experiences.
Restructuring the brain is not a quick fix, it is a journey focused on habits and new practices to reroute neural pathways.
If you are looking for places to start practicing and flexing neuroplasticity, you can learn new skills, take new routes to work, or try some of these exercises as a simple place to start — 6 Neuroplasticity Exercises to Relieve Anxiety (psychcentral.com).
The most powerful way to open windows of plasticity in your brain is through physical activity; specifically aerobic exercise which stimulates the release of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) that facilitates the growth of new connections in the brain and strengthens signals.
Other ways to stimulate BDNF include-
Engaging in positive social interactions
Participating in novel activities
Engaging in play
Being in enriched and stimulating environments
Practicing and repeating positive activities — even mentally rehearsing them
Engaging in mental training strategies such as mindfulness meditation
Developing a sense of purpose in life.
It’s also important to note that stress will weaken BDNF in the body.
Neuroplasticity at Work
Neuroplasticity can play a significant role at work; as you may have already guessed from the information so far. Ther are countless ways neuroplasticity comes into play at work and can support both organizational and individual outcomes and goals. We’ll explore a few key ones here in the article.
Embracing neuroplasticity at work can transform the way organizations approach employee learning, development and well-being. Encouraging team members to engage in ongoing learning cultivates a culture of growth and innovation, allowing them to adapt to new challenges and technologies in the workplace and helps actively facilitate the creation of new neural pathways.
By recognizing the brain’s capacity for change and growth, organizations can invest in training programs that enhance communication skills, including active listening, empathy, and clear expression of ideas. This fosters a culture of open, effective communication, ultimately strengthening teamwork and collaboration.
In today’s changing environment, adaptability is vital. Understanding and leveraging neuroplasticity underscores the brain’s remarkable ability to learn new skills and adapt to change. This resilience enables employees to navigate shifting landscapes with confidence and agility, contributing to a more resilient and dynamic organization.
Embracing neuroplasticity can lead to enhanced problem-solving and creativity. Activities that challenge the brain, such as collaborative problem-solving exercises or brainstorming sessions, stimulate innovative thinking. This approach encourages employees to explore new solutions and approaches, ultimately driving progress and growth within the organization.
Effective stress management is another area where neuroplasticity can make a significant impact. By providing resources and practices that support mental well-being, organizations create a healthier, more productive work environment. This, in turn, empowers employees to manage stress more effectively, leading to improved overall mental health.
That said, organizations must also work to deliberately manage and mitigate employee stress to realize the full benefits of neuroplasticity building. As we noted above, stress limits BDNF in the body and can work against creating those windows of plasticity.
Encouraging a growth mindset is also a powerful way to leverage neuroplasticity in the workplace. By instilling the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning, organizations empower employees to take on challenges and persist in the face of setbacks. This mindset fosters a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability.
Neuroplasticity and Trauma Informed Cultures
Neuroplasticity holds profound significance in trauma informed cultures as it underscores the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt and recover from traumatic experiences. Understanding this concept informs approaches to healing and support. It emphasizes that, even in the aftermath of trauma, the brain can forge new pathways and each of us can continue to grow and change. This knowledge informs therapeutic interventions, promoting resilience, trust-building, and effective communication.
Understanding neuroplasticity and leveraging it supports awareness of trauma and reinforces the principles of trauma informed workplaces. Specifically, empowerment, humility and responsiveness. In empowerment as a principle, we honor the importance of the opportunity for growth for every member of the team; which is heavily tied to neuroplasticity and forging those new connections in the brain.
With Humility and Responsiveness, we recognize that none of us are perfect and that we can take action to make changes, just like neuroplasticity allows us to take action and make meaningful, changes in our brains.
By acknowledging the potential for positive change and growth, trauma-informed work cultures create environments that empower individuals to heal, learn, and ultimately thrive.
How to Use CliftonStrengths as a Powerful Tool in Building Trauma Informed Workplaces
Most of us have had plenty of experience with personality assessment and self-awareness tools in the workplace. Like most leaders, I have a favorite.
And while there are many reasons CliftonStrengths (previously StrengthsFinder) is my preferred tool, the number one reason is it is the best option for a culture that seeks to be trauma informed.
What is a Trauma Informed Workplace Culture?
Trauma informed cultures center supportive, informed environments where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. These cultures prioritize eliminating workplace trauma and actively avoid re-traumatizing survivors.
I
t is important to note that Trauma Informed Cultures DO NOT seek to diagnose or treat trauma. Nor should there be an expectation that individuals are under any obligation to share their traumatic experiences.
I’ve interpreted the Trauma Informed Care Principles developed by SAMHSA in 2014 to focus on application to all organizations and a focus on internal culture versus a client-focused approach.
At the core of Trauma Informed Culture are seven principles that help ensure supportive environments for all members of the team- regardless of their experience with Trauma.
What is CliftonStrengths?
The CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly known as the StrengthsFinder assessment) is a popular tool developed by Don Clifton and the Gallup Organization to help individuals discover and develop their unique strengths or talents.
Based on the belief that people are more successful and fulfilled when they focus on their natural abilities and talents, rather than trying to fix their weaknesses, it was a novel change from the current state of the field of psychology.
The field of psychology was focused more on interventions that decreased an individual’s misery or problems before Clifton created this tool. But he saw an opportunity to supplement this traditional science — a way to build the “enabling conditions of life.” Strengths science answers questions about what’s right with people rather than what’s wrong with them.
Clifton initiated early work on strengths and received a Presidential Commendation from the American Psychological Association (APA) as the father of strengths-based psychology and the grandfather of positive psychology.
When Clifton studied human behavior, he noted hundreds of positive characteristics and saw that many of those characteristics had commonalities. Based on those common traits, he distilled them down into the 34 talent themes central to the CliftonStrengths tool; identified and rank-ordered using the assessment. But to turn those talents into strengths, you must invest in them — practice using them and add knowledge and skills to them.
Here’s a quick summary of how the CliftonStrengths assessment works:
Assessment: Individuals take an online assessment that consists of a series of 177 questions. The assessment is designed to identify and rank top talents which can be leveraged as strengths.
Results: After completing the assessment, individuals receive a personalized report that lists their top strengths. These strengths are also organized into four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking, to help leverage the results for relationships and teams and create a common language.
Understanding Strengths: The assessment provides detailed descriptions of each of the identified strengths, including insights into how these strengths may manifest in an individual’s behavior, thinking, and interactions with others.
Application: The CliftonStrengths assessment encourages individuals to focus on developing and leveraging their top strengths. Gallup emphasizes that it’s more productive to invest in areas where one has natural talents and abilities, as opposed to trying to overcome weaknesses. This is a powerful perspective to promote self-acceptance and growth in tandem.
People can apply their knowledge of their strengths in various aspects of their lives, including their careers, personal relationships, and personal development.
Team Building: The CliftonStrengths assessment is also used in team building and leadership development. By understanding the strengths of team members, leaders can assemble teams that are well-balanced and can work together more effectively.
Self-awareness tools can play a crucial role in helping individuals become more trauma informed by enabling them to better understand their responses, triggers, and emotional states and helping understand those around them. Where CliftonStrengths stands far above other self-awareness tools is the incorporation of self-acceptance into the purpose and outcomes of the tool.
CliftonStrengths isn’t about finding what is wrong with you and fixing it; it’s about finding what is right and natural talent and leveraging it to be the absolute best version of yourself.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of self-acceptance in personal development and growth. I shared that self-acceptance doesn’t mean you won’t change and grow; we all change of course, and our self-acceptance will flex with those changes. It may be helpful to think of self-acceptance as acceptance of yourself now- as you are and acceptance of who you can become.
Self-acceptance also includes recognizing what you will not become or what is not available to you and accepting it. It may seem challenging to let go of who you can never be, but it is also powerful. Don’t mistake this for a limiting belief, rather it is a focus on the reality of ourselves and what we can and cannot change.
This aspect of recognizing who you will not become- who you are not — is sometimes overlooked, but it is key to self-acceptance. CliftonStrengths allows you to recognize this in a safe, empowering way.
How to Leverage CliftonStrengths to Build Trauma Informed Cultures
Trauma-informed awareness can help people not only in their healing journey but also in their interactions with others who may have experienced trauma, including coworkers and direct reports.
Here’s how CliftonStrengths can facilitate this process:
Personal Awareness and Regulation: At the heart of CliftonStrengths is better understanding of yourself, your motivations and your natural tendencies. This is accomplished in a way that looks to maximize your strengths versus creating shame around things that may not be natural talents. Whenever each of us can better understand how our behaviors can impact both ourselves and those arounds us- we are better team member and can be more conscious in efforts to prevent trauma or re-traumatization of our peers and ourselves.
Identifying Triggers: When we get to know ourselves better, we better understand our potential triggers. CliftonStrengths can help us with this. It can be as simple as giving us the tools to understand why we may be approaching something differently than a co-worker; because we have different strengths.
Continuous Self-Reflection: CliftonStrengths and the robust tools for ongoing use of the assessment for personal and team development make continuous self-reflection and growth a key component of the tool. Continuous reflection is important in shaping humility and responsiveness- one of the key principles of trauma informed workplaces.
Building Empathy for Ourselves & Others: Becoming trauma informed a involves understanding the experiences of others and ourselves. Self-awareness tools can help individuals develop empathy by encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences and emotions. This, in turn, can make them more sensitive and compassionate when interacting with others.
Effective Communication and Common Language: CliftonStrengths helps create a common language about who we are as individuals, what we need, and what we can bring to the table. By creating this common language that is focused on what is right with each of us and prioritizes elevating our strengths, communication is rooted in empowerment.
Creating Safe Spaces for Acceptance & Growth: Because CliftonStrengths focuses on strengths for each of us — and there are no bad strengths- discussion and working to better ourselves and focused on continued growth feels safer.
Driving Empowerment: When we talk about trauma informed workplaces, empowerment includes choice, strengths-leveraged, recognition, and growth. CliftonStrengths is an excellent facilitator of all these aspects of empowerment. And the tool works across all levels of the organization and any type of role.
We focus heavily on systems and processes to build trauma informed workplace cultures, but it’s important to never overlook the individual impacts each of us can have on the workplace- both positive and negative.
The beauty of the CliftonStrengths tool is it works for a dedicated individual, a team, all the way to a full, strengths-based organization. All of which are key bricks in building a trauma informed culture.
If you’d like to learn more about CliftonStrengths and how to leverage it yourself or your team, reach out and schedule a discovery call with me here. Or check out Gallup.com