Trauma at Work: 7 tips to build resilience and create psychological safety

On January 2nd, Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, 24, experienced a life-threatening injury on the field.

Millions watched the shocking incident which followed a routine tackle during the first quarter of a televised game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on “Monday Night Football”.

Hamlin’s teammates were of course visibly shocked and overcome by emotion as he laid lifeless on the field while trainers and emergency personnel went into action.?

The Bengals, the fans in the stands – including members of Hamlin’s family – and those watching on television were all shocked by the incident.

You probably know the rest of the story: the game was suspended at the suggestion of Zac Taylor, coach of the Bengals.?

Thankfully Hamlin has gone on to an amazing recovery; although as I write this it’s still unclear if he’ll return to play in the 2024 season.

This incident and its aftermath are amazing on many levels and there were many standout stories of leadership, compassion, and grace from start to finish.?

Horrible things do happen in life and they also happen at work. One of the big questions initially was how would the Bills’ players recover from the trauma of watching a beloved coworker not just collapse from an injury, but experience cardiac arrest in front of them?

And perhaps bigger questions? for leaders everywhere are how do you prepare for the unexpected? How do you lead through a shocking, emotional situation while processing your own emotions?

Trauma Response Lessons for Companies

There are many lessons to learn from how Sean McDermott, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, guided his team through their collective trauma.

Hire (and develop) compassionate leaders. McDermott, the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, is known for a leadership style that emphasizes accountability, communication, and a strong team culture.?

But he didn’t just wake up one day as an effective leader with a cool head in emergencies. He handled the situation well because his strengths, critical thinking skills, and compassion have been cultivated for decades.?

Leaders rise to the occasion because they have the ability already. The seed had already been planted in McDermott and the skills and abilities needed in that moment and its aftermath were cultivated through his life.

Develop your leaders by providing mentoring and coaching opportunities to help them think through decisions, reflect on past decisions, and help them understand and act consistently with the organization’s core values.

Put people first. The Bengals - Bills game was an important game played at a pivotal point in the season as teams qualified for positions in the playoffs.?

As with most decisions – especially tough ones – personal and organizational values collide in the choices to be made.?

Choosing to ignore the emotional toll of everyone’s witnessing Hamlin go down would have communicated people don’t matter more than the game.

Company’s are complex communities, all working towards a common goal of delivering on the organization’s brand promise. That requires being people-centric in their actions.

Hamlin’s situation wasn’t actually the first time a football player suffered a cardiac arrest.?

Chuck Hughes, a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, collapsed on the field late in the fourth quarter and went into spasms. He was pronounced dead at Henry Ford Hospital.

That game – with 1:02 left on the game clock – was actually completed.?

We know the Bills-Bengals game was paused and reports are that Bengals’ coach Zac Taylor acknowledged the game should not continue.?

Taylor’s classy move acknowledged that players and staff for both teams (not to mention the fans in the stands and in their homes) had just collectively experienced a traumatic event.?

While each of us handles emotional trauma differently, great leaders recognize the need for team members and staff to process what they’ve witnessed and experienced. And doing so is crucial for mental wellness and for psychological safety at work.

Studies show unprocessed trauma can lead to distracted thinking, difficulty concentrating, and complex emotions which can lead to problems ranging from reduced performance to increased accidents and misdirected emotions.

To say ignoring the emotions surrounding events at work – and even outside of work – is a mistake is a massive understatement.?

Apply the Platinum Rule. We all know the Golden Rule which states “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But great leaders recognize that each person is different and treating them the way the leader wants to be treated in a given situation can actually be demoralizing for an employee. Instead, take the time to understand each person as the individual they are and what they need in a situation by applying the Platinum Rule which says “Treat others the way they want to be treated.”?

If your organization hasn’t built a culture where workers feel psychologically safe to share how they’re feeling, your team members may not feel comfortable asking for what they need or accessing mental health services available.?

Every culture can be shifted and repaired but it takes time. Especially if your employees have witnessed negative responses to others who’ve expressed the need for help. And in the environment we’re in right now, with many people on edge as they see others getting laid off, they may be afraid to voice their concerns.

Provide resources to support your team. Watch and listen for signs that people are acting differently since the trauma experience. Invite them to talk to trained professionals who can help them process their emotions.

Partner with organizations in your community who offer emergency and trauma-related support services and share information on accessing those services with your team. Remind them of that access regularly.

Talk about times when you’ve needed and gotten help to remove any stigma of receiving support.

Manage Risks and Plan for Emergencies. Sports teams and the arenas they play in are prepared for every possible injury. Being a leader includes identifying risks and creating plans to address them.?

Maybe none of us could have predicted a government-ordered shutdown of businesses, but leaders in the healthcare space have been predicting a large-scale health crisis for years.?

We also know there are weather-related and other events that could prevent employees from being able to work in the office or job site.?

Assessing risks, creating emergency plans, and being ready to enact them is part of being an effective leader.

Hamlin’s health crisis hopefully has inspired many to recognize the importance of rapid response in a health emergency including knowledge of CPR and first-aid.

If safety of the team members is truly important, consider offering opportunities to learn how to keep each other and themselves safe.

Provide clear communication. In any stressful situation rumors run rampant so it's important?to have clear lines of communication and a central person and place to turn to for trustworthy information.?

Regular updates or discussion after a traumatic event or as it’s unfolding help build confidence and ensure people have accurate information.?

Leverage technology to share updates, have video meetings when needed, and send out emails and texts if the situation calls for them.?

Don’t underestimate the importance of one-on-one conversations or sacrifice them in the interest of a mass message’s efficiency.

Create a psychologically safe environment. Psychological safety refers to the feeling of being able to show one’s true self and to express opinions, ideas, and concerns without fear of retribution or negative consequences. In the workplace, psychological safety is the belief that one’s contributions and feedback will be valued and respected. That it’s safe to take risks and make mistakes.

Psychological safety promotes a culture of openness, trust, and collaboration. It can lead to innovation, creativity, and a spirit of problem-solving. It’s a key element in a healthy business and an engaged team.

Trauma doesn’t just happen as the result of a single incident.?

It can build up over time as an individual deals with the challenges and stressors of life and work.?

Gone are the days of expecting employees to leave their problems at the door when they come in.?

Traumatic events can happen anywhere, including the workplace, and it is important for leaders to be prepared to respond to, manage, and lead through? them.?

Leaders must recognize the need for team members and staff to process traumatic events they have experienced, as ignoring the emotions resulting from trauma can lead to deeper problems.

Leaders must work towards building a culture that’s psychologically safe, where workers feel comfortable sharing how they feel and have access to mental health services. By doing so, leaders can help their team members process their emotions and ensure their mental wellness while minimizing the impact of trauma and building a healthy, resilient workplace.

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Building a strong and resilient company culture is crucial for the success of any business. By focusing on creating a positive and inclusive work environment, you can enhance employee satisfaction and retention, boost productivity, and ultimately achieve your business goals. If you're looking for help to cultivate a thriving company and build a strong team, I'm here to help. Contact me today to discuss your situation and how I can help your company thrive.