4 Ways to Work (& Lead) Through Chaos

I am okay with saying, quite publicly that the last two weeks have been ---- (insert a word that I probably shouldn't use on a professional social media account). In 2018, I briefly lived with a host family who was originally from Afghanistan. During this same year, I traveled to Merger, Haiti to support a community feeding program. While I had no direct connections to those who were impacted by the most recent events, I was able to sense generalized human suffering that was happening across the globe. But, in this moment, I allowed myself to feel all of the emotions that were washing over me...

Lesson 1: It's OK to not be OK. You don't "always" have to verbalize everything. Therapy, friends, family and faith have been my rock. What's been yours?

I wonder as a people, not just as a country, but as a global people, "How much more can we take?" I sometimes feel like we, as a society go about business as normal, without creating the space for employees to grieve or fully process what has occurred. We need more intentional space, and time. We should also normalize the need to take this time to pause or take leave, especially following a tragedy or natural disaster.

Lesson 2: It's OK to turn off your news alerts or totally avoid the news, when appropriate and needed (for your own mental health and sheer sanity).

Like many of you, sometimes I've had to ignore the news alerts on my phone (or turn them off) in order to get work done. And, I've sometimes used the phrase, "I'm fine, how are you?" to avoid talking about these tough subjects at work, and stay focused. I've found that some workplaces carve out time to unpack events when they occur, and others, remind you that there's the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The most important thing is that we use all of the tools in our arsenal to receive support when we need it most. But, I'd love to see more leaders be vulnerable by checking on their employees.

Lesson 3: We don't need more "woke" leaders and organizations. 2020 brought enough of this. We need better, healthier places to work, for the long-term. Support the individual (not just the collective).

It's great that you're giving to charities, doing ID&E work, and working to be energy efficient but, how are you caring for your employees on a day-to-day basis? This goes beyond offering an EAP program or having a wellness ERG. That's why I'm so passionate about developing people leaders. You can have an amazing organizational culture, and that doesn't even matter if you have crummy leaders. Great leaders make employees feel supported, not just when a global tragedy or disaster occurs, but every day.

Lesson 4: Acknowledge the present.

At the end of the day, we are in fact working through a global pandemic and all that has unfolded in the last several weeks (and the last year and a half!). We persist. We are resilient. We put on those "big girl panties", and we get up again, even when it feels like an endless series of one of my favorite movies, Groundhogs Day.

There are no sob stories here, or tears to wipe away tonight you all. I am simply standing in my truth and acknowledging the present in an effort to encourage and uplift, even just 1 person reading this.

??Stay Healthy + Be Well,

Yolanda Fraction, Lumiere Learning