5 Lessons for Leading Effectively After a Crisis

As an organizational consultant, a question that is becoming increasingly common is, “What’s the best path forward after a crisis?” Sometimes I wonder if the impact of the pandemic on employers and employees is continuing to reverberate, creating a need to meet workplace demands with more creativity and compassion.

I was recently consulting with an organization that had experienced a serious incident involving one of their employees. The incident involved physical injury and had been witnessed by many of the employees. Understandably, in the initial hours and days after the event, there was much attention and care directed toward the injured employee and their family. Immediate procedures were followed regarding investigating and initial debriefing. Support was provided to anyone in the company who expressed a need for it. Eventually, questions arose regarding safety and whether this incident would change any policies and practices moving forward. At this point, the organization’s leadership team began to wonder if they needed more information to move forward effectively.

What Is a Crisis?

In an organization, a crisis is any event that causes distress – these events often affect a temporary change to standard workplace operations. A crisis event can also be referred to as a “critical incident.” The World Health Organization (WHO) describes a critical incident as an event out of the range of normal experience – one which is sudden and unexpected, involves the perception of a threat to life, and can include elements of physical and emotional loss.

Having a crisis plan is better than having no plan. But, by their very nature, these events are sudden and unexpected.

This definition could apply to many situations – a death or accident in the workplace, a natural disaster, an act of violence, etc. It is an event that causes people to question their sense of safety, their competence, and their sense of what is normal. These incidents happen outside of the range of the ordinary, and often with devastating impact.

Moving forward after critical incidents can be a great challenge for leaders. Having a crisis plan is better than having no plan. But, by their very nature, these events are sudden and unexpected. Leaders are forced to make decisions, coordinate responses, and make sense of what has happened in a very short time.

Here are the top lessons for leading effectively after a crisis:

1. Manage your stress reaction.

This is important for so many reasons:

• You will make better decisions and have more clarity.
• You will be a good role model when you ask for help, seek feedback, and take care of yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally.
• The value of authenticity cannot be underestimated and comes through how you take action, not simply the words you use.
• You will keep the trust you have built with your employees and colleagues and perhaps earn even more.

2. Listen, listen, and then listen some more.

It is not uncommon for many different reactions, experiences, and opinions to surface after a critical incident. Dealing with conflict effectively will be essential in the aftermath of the crisis. Do not fear conflict and then shut down employee voices prematurely. Create opportunities for people to express themselves and provide feedback, ensuring their voices are genuinely heard. Make yourself and these opportunities readily available.

Create opportunities for people to express themselves and provide feedback, ensuring their voices are genuinely heard.

3. Communicate effectively.

Explain what is happening now, and what will be happening next. Be transparent and open about processes that need to take place. Be as consistent as possible in the aftermath of a crisis event – returning to a rhythm of predictability is key. Make sure you deliver messages in a timely manner.

4. Connect your actions to the bigger picture.

These situations can be an opportunity for growth, often for positive change within the organization. They can offer the potential to strengthen relationships among coworkers and leaders. When you connect the path forward to the mission of what you do, the chance to find more cohesion as a team can follow the instability that was caused.

5. Create a “new normal” to move forward.

In most cases, it may not be that different from the previous normal; in some cases, it may be quite different. It can definitely be a chance to find some resilience and room for improvement as an organization. I would add caution in trying to move toward this too quickly. Make sure you have given sufficient time for listening – it is the foundation for moving forward on a path together. Every person who is part of your organization will contribute to the progression if they are valued and their voices are heard.

Make sure you have given sufficient time for listening – it is the foundation for moving forward on a path together.

The leadership team I worked with found relief in knowing they could approach the aftermath of a crisis with a developmental perspective. They saw the importance of letting the employees know how they were impacted by the event, but also how they were moving forward with support. By listening to the reactions and concerns of their employees, they were able to forge a path forward and make improvements that everyone could rally around.

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