Space and Grace: How Leadership Can Put People First in the Pandemic

Recently, I saw a Facebook meme from Back to the Future in which scientist Doc Brown tells Marty: “Whatever happens, don’t go back to 2020.”

It’s a safe bet most of us feel the same way about how this year is unfolding. More than any time in living memory — even tumultuous 2008 — this moment has thrown the world for a loop. The pandemic has produced a terrible tragedy of death, sickness, and destruction the likes of we have never seen.

As a result, we are all under a lot of stress right now. Even if we are fortunate to have not lost someone or experienced financial harm, we’re feeling the effects in other ways. One of the most startling statistics demonstrating this truth comes from the CDC. More than 10 percent of those surveyed had recently considered suicide. Worse, this number is higher for people ages 18-24. 25% in this age range say they recently considered suicide.

Based on these figures, stress is on the rise. One of many harmful ways in which negative emotions can manifest, stress may be thought of as a black cloud following us around. Or, if you’re fonder of technological analogies, it may be likened to a digital cookie stalking us around the web. Except, unlike the latter, it doesn’t just lurk in the background, sending us targeted ads — it threatens our wellbeing, robbing us of joy, perpetually keeping us on edge. 

No matter the industry or company, senior leadership would do well to acknowledge stress, sometimes known as the silent killer. Likewise, they should recognize the unprecedented strain their people are under now. Writing for Advisory Board, Matt Cornner, Managing Director of Talent Development Solutions, sees the need for management to preemptively apply empathic emotional intelligence (EQ) toward their personnel. “The best leaders operate with a level of consciousness that allows them to notice those outsized feelings before they erupt into unproductive reactions.” 

Along the same lines, leaders would be well advised to give their people space and grace now. What this means is employees need to know they are still okay with their boss if they make mistakes. After all, scientific studies demonstrate people are more prone to errors when under stress, including surgeons, who make many more in the operating room when under the gun. 

Let’s stop to consider leeway for just a moment. No one is doubting job performance matters, or that people shouldn’t be held accountable for consistent problems. However, the most effective organizations also recognize we need to give more space right now for slip-ups. 

After all, we are in unchartered waters. We have never had so many working from home for the first time. As a result, navigating and establishing new boundaries can be tricky. And, of course, those balancing working from home with children, many whom are still figuring out distance learning, are especially subject to unprecedented challenges.

Based on these disruptions to the traditional work experience, it is little wonder workers’ stress levels are through the roof. A recent Harris Poll indicates 40% of surveyed employees want their managers and supervisors trained to identify signs of emotional distress. More tellingly, 90% in the same poll indicated employers have a responsibility to support mental health, and 40% desire help managing their anxiety and other related negative feelings.

If these statistics and the overall tenor of this discussion feels too touchy-feely for your taste, this is understandable. It wasn’t until recently that businesses began to contemplate squishy concepts, like EQ. However, the most forward-thinking organizations aren’t just aware of this term and what it entails. They are engaged in integrating the concept into their operations.

But there is a more practical reason to address worker morale. Employers need to pay attention to the above stats because along with the obvious need to care about their people, depression and anxiety can lead to lost productivity. COVID-19 has already disrupted businesses in so many ways. Knowing the potential for more damage, why allow the crisis to further harm your organization?

Willis Towers Watson understands the need to fix internal issues before it’s too late. Just before COVID-19 rocked the globe, the British risk management and advisory company was making the case for stronger cultures. “Workplace dignity is a key part of a healthy work environment,” they wrote in a February 2020 survey report. “Employers are realizing that it is linked to lower stress, improved wellbeing, higher engagement, productivity and business performance.”

Recognizing the truth of this statement and the severity of the moment, companies should consider these 4 tips to better navigate mental health issues in their organization.

Tip 1: Train managers and supervisors with the skills to have open and honest communications with employees about what they need to do their jobs well.

Tip 2: Guide managers and supervisors to recognize signs of anxiety and depression.

Tip 3: Provide access to mental health resources, including but not limited to, a confidential helpline.

Tip 4: Start a wellness initiative seeking to address a totality of employee wellness, including physical, emotional, behavioral, and social.  

Undoubtedly, these are hard times testing the characters of both people and institutions. Yet, we needn’t despair at the challenge. Instead, we can choose to meet this moment with dignity and mutual compassion, and in the process build better cultures than ever before. I was recently interviewed in Forbes on ways organizations can accomplish this. If you would like to learn more about how I might help yours, not just weather this storm, but thrive, please contact me @ laura@conoverconsulting.com.

Laura Conover