HOW TO CREATE A COMPASSIONATE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES
by Susan Bodnar, Ph.D.
Howard W. Lutnick, chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, the New York bonds firm
that lost more than 600 employees, spoke to The New York Times about
his decision to reopen his firm. "We have a new class of partners here
-- these families," he said. "I have to take care of these families."
These are remarkable and courageous words from a devastated man. These
words exactly model what every business and organization in this country
and abroad must do. As so many businesses and industries are intertwined
there are few companies who won't be affected in some way by what happened
in New York City and in Washington, DC. We don't yet know what the long-term
economic impact will be. We can't forsee what protracted struggles are
yet to come. The terrorist attack was an assault on society. Businesses
are the main organizing unit of society. Every company must vow to protect
the citizens of the world and the very notion of society by emotionally
and financially taking care of its employees and their families. Every
business has the moral obligation to protect the concept of working
and loving. Don't let terrorism degrade the dignity of people's work.
Fight back by creating compassionate business environments. Nurture
your employees. Become a caretaking community - love your workers back
into efficacy. It is their labor that will stabilize your company, heal
the painful losses of beloved family members and colleagues and rejuvenate
the social ethics of our society.
1. INTEGRATE
Every company no matter how small has two tasks ahead. The first one is to
take care of the company's finances and to work closely with all financial
incentives to assist businesses. The second job is to take care of the
people. Don't lay people off. Restructure. Diversify. Think differently.
Be innovative. The financial planners should work together with the
human resources department and mental health professionals. The human
and economic issues should be considered as intricate parts of a single
unit.
2. ASSESS THE LONG- AND SHORT-TERM EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF EMPLOYEES
Direct senior managers to spend time with representatives of every category
of employee. Find out how people are coping and what the long- term
problems are likely to be. Depending on the employee population and
the nature of the impact of the terrorism on your organization some
long-term problems might include alcohol and substance abuse, post-traumatic
stress disorder, panic attacks and anxious depression. Some employees
will find their work meaningless and irrelevant. And it very well may
be. Summarize the findings in a report. Include a substantial action
plan. Don't hire an expensive external EPA to manage organizational
trauma. Do utilize an already existing "in-house" mental health professional
or hire one experienced in community catastrophe. Conclude the report
by restating company values and strong words of support for the work
force.
3. EDUCATE
Make use of academic professionals to learn about terrorism. Hold workshops
to teach people how terrorist attacks against a nation may be affecting
employees thousands of miles away. If your company was a ground zero
company or did business with a ground zero company use your in-house
mental health professional to hold ongoing workshops to teach people
how to identify behaviors related to terrorist trauma.
4. CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS
Institute regular lunch meetings. Arrange for work teams to attend
a movie together. Let the "in-house" mental health professional participate
in these activities. Don't impose process sessions on employees. Instead,
nurture employee friendships. Encourage collegiality. Enable spontaneous
processing. Have your in-house mental health professional train managers
to let people talk.
5. EVALUATE PERFORMANCE, WITH A TWIST
Offer well facilitated performance evaluation workshops to assess how your
teams are doing. This shouldn't be a punitive exercise. Rather it is
a method for checking in on the psychic well-being of your employees
and paying attention to how your employees are feeling. Subtle decreased
performance is the first sign of psychological stress. A massive terrorist
attack will have long-term consequences on the behavior of very well
adjusted people. Expect it to happen. If stress symptoms are interfering
with a work group's progress, buttress that group with added incentives
and support. Tell them that they can do this. Believe that they will
overcome the difficulties. Make sure they know that the weakened performance
isn't their fault. Don't let anyone become ineffective. Do everything
you can to help every employee succeed. People heal through a rediscovery
of their personal power. Defeat doesn't mend psychic wounds.
6. BECOME ACTIVE IN CHARITABLE DEEDS
Don't just write checks. Contribute to the well-being of your society. If
you live in the NYC or DC area, develop a buddy system between employees
and affected schools. Or, not matter where you live, sponsor a drive
to clean up a local park. Build a playground. Sponsor a company talent
show at a home for the aged. Support civic organizations. Find ways
to make every employee feel relevant to society.
7. ADOPT IN SPIRIT
If an employee left behind a spouse and or children, make them a permanent
fixture in the company family. Make sure those children are educated,
and have mentoring relationships to stand in place of those they have
lost. Give the widows and widowers work if you can. Or ask them to create
their own organization within the company and give it a task that will
help the company. Do not let anybody go.
8. CREATE A COMPANY MEMORIAL
Even if your organization wasn't anywhere near ground zero create a memorial
for the thousands who perished at the hands of terrorism. Involve the
whole company. Make sure everybody has a role.
9. CREATE A GENEROUS AND EQUITABLE ORGANIZATION
Make sure all company policies promote good social values. If you uphold excellent
ethical standards you will demonstrate the power of civic responsibility
by creating and participating in a just society. Believe in the goodness
of your company even if you only make ball bearings.
10. VALUE YOUR EMPLOYEES, NURTURE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES,
AND REMAIN A DIGNIFIED ORGANIZATION
Support your employees' return to efficacy by modeling effective integrity
in your business interactions. Empower them with the belief that working
for your organization is wonderful way to be part of life. Remind everyone,
and yourself, of the company's significance. You can be the building
blocks of a better world.
Susan Bodnar, Ph.D. is a New York City
clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst with anthropological training.
She has collaborated with groups that have experienced trauma to support
the development of care-taking initiatives within their own communities.
She is now in private practice.
09/24/01
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