Pathways for Healthy Families, Healthy Organizations

COVID-19 has hit racialized and marginalized groups much harder than their non-racialized counterparts. Though different communities have been affected in differing ways and to various degrees, the current global events of 2020 have resulted in urgent and heightened needs for us all. These range from social, economic, to the psychological health and safety needs of families and organizations.

 Leaders, as your organizations think about practical strategies you can take to show commitment to your employees’ safety, psychological, and emotional health; we ask you to consider strategies that will create sustainable structural pathways that empower all families.

 Crisis is the common denominator of human experience. We might wish to avoid it, but eventually in one form or another, it will manifest itself in all of our lives, and with it will come a period of tension, uncertainty, and change. The high cost of unresolved crisis is seen in families and organizations.

Psychologist Erik Erickson developed his eight-stage theory of psychological development, which provides a profound insight into human psychological development and how unresolved crisis keeps us in a survival mode, leaving little to no room for us to thrive. Of note, whether the crisis originates within the home or at work, if left unresolved, both arenas will eventually be negatively impacted.

To create and sustain healthy families and organizations, sustainable structural pathways are necessary in work and life.

 At Ultimate Potentials we ask: What are the structural and systemic changes that organizations and community leaders must make in order to build pathways for healthy families?

 We believe the answers to the above question is a three- pathway approach. The first lies in the principles of public health. We believe a robust public health approach is necessary to build the required sustainable structural and systemic foundations for healthy families and healthy organizations. Public health promotes and protects the health and safety of all people. Decision makers at all levels within governments and organizations must commit to making this true for all. This is how countries and societies are able to effectively thrive in the midst of a global pandemic. 

 Education of the masses is the second pathway. This is a critical start to building sustainable structural equity into the fabric of all societies. Many well-intentioned families fall apart simply because they lack basic negotiation and conflict management skills and tools. Money is also a huge divider and its impact is further heightened during crisis. If families’ finances are already stretched going into a pandemic, the looming possibility of layoffs from work, or actual loss of work, will break this already fragile family.

 Imagine training and coaching families about the many sources of crises and their impacts, as well as coaching them on how to use key tools designed to help them thrive during challenging periods of crisis. We believe this would be monumentally helpful to any individual and would positively affect anyone as they cope with difficult times. This will transfer over into benefits for organizations.

 We believe the third pathway is an organizational commitment to building healthy communities via healthy families. We know health is more than the absence of disease. The mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health of families will determine the overall health of organizations. A successful public health and education approach requires decision makers and leaders in all organizations to commit to building healthy families and, consequently, healthy communities. After all, this is the pool from which organizations drink; should the pool from which you draw not also be healthy?

 As the world looks ahead to adapt to the ‘new normal’ brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, amidst the global unrest over unequal treatments, please consider speaking with us about our Pathways to Creating & Sustaining Healthy Families and Organizations program. We know this is an essential resource for your organization to successfully adapt to the ‘new normal’ workforce.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a crisis for many. As with all crises, some people and some organizations may fail to allow the tension that comes with it to transform them. While, others will choose pathways that are transformative; by embracing the tension brought about by the crisis, knowing by doing so, they too will add their beauty to the symphony of life.

 Sincerely,

Phyllis Reid-Jarvis, CEO, at Ultimate Potentials, creator of Pathways to Creating & Sustaining Healthy Families and Organizations Program