Various Perspectives Regarding the Human Side of Crisis:  October, 2001
By Darlene Davis

This is a compilation of articles, interviews, and white papers written by professionals and reporters regarding their views on the September 11 tragedy.  If you have problems locating or downloading any of the information, please-mail me.

Many books have been written about corporate crisis management.  But managing a crisis and providing leadership during a crisis are not necessarily the same thing.  As we've seen during the terrible tragedies in New York and in Washington, leadership has a great deal to do with the human side of a crisis - with those being led.

Times of great crisis provide a special challenge for each of us as leaders.  We are forced not only to recognize and to manage our own emotions, but also to manage how we interact with those around us who have been devastated by the same set of circumstances

http://humanresources.about.com/library/weekly/aa091301a.htm
The Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion, and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon are among America's unconscionable tragedies.  Many hear the news at work.  Learn what you can do to ease the pain and encourage hope.

1.  My CEO wants to implement a disaster plan.  What resources can I use?

SHRM has a white paper entitled Disasters—Emergency Preparedness.  The Office of Personnel Management also provides a resource entitled Handling Traumatic Events: A Manager's Handbook.  FEMA (www.fema.gov) has Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry available online.  OSHA also has online information entitled Emergency Preparedness and Response.

What resources are there for employees and their families directly affected by this tragedy?

Contact the American Red Cross or United Way for any relief information that may be available.  Liberty Unites is another resource that may be able to assist.  It is also accepting donations should your organization wish to contribute.  Refer to your EAP or mental health carrier through your health insurance plan for available grief counseling.

This article speaks to what some companies are doing for their employees in the aftermath of September 11.  Lublin writes, “Group counseling sessions are taking place across America as countless companies attempt to help employees traumatized by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.  The most popular techniques, know as ‘critical incident stress debriefing,’ encourages people to describe what they experienced as close to the event as possible and provides coping advice.”  (See “Conducting A Critical Incident Stress Debriefing” below.)

In the same September 25 addition, staff reporter Lagnado, interviews several leading prominent psychiatrists as to the best approaches to counseling.  Not only do the psychiatrists question the critical Incident stress debriefing approach but they also expressed concern “a lack of controls over who is practicing.”

A Critical Incident may be defined as a workplace event which is extraordinary in nature and which could be expected to produce significant reactions on the part of victims or those otherwise either directly or indirectly impacted, such as witnesses, colleagues, and/or family members.  Critical Incident Stress is often described as the natural reaction of a normal person to an extremely abnormal situation.  It may manifest itself as a physical, cognitive and/or emotional response that may be experienced almost immediately or may be delayed days, weeks or even months.

While the primary internal organizational response to such an event is usually coordinated by appropriately trained members of the organization's Human Resources Department, it is usually in the best interest of both the organization and its staff to involve Employee Assistance Professionals trained in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing immediately following any significant incident, or as soon thereafter as possible.  Such professionals are specifically trained to deal with the effects of crisis in the workplace and can provide many valuable services to an organization.  Some of the objectives met by using such professionals are listed below:

Conduct a Debriefing
Immediately following an incident, those affected may feel stunned and/or extremely emotionally volatile.  A trained critical incident consultant can conduct a debriefing which provides a structured setting for victims to talk about the event and begin to process it in their minds.

Provide Reassurance
Knowing that the organization is taking measures to help, as witnessed by calling in a professional consultant, can make everyone feel a little less traumatized and bolster morale and confidence.

Ask Appropriate Questions and/or De-escalate
For people who are not used to routinely dealing with the immediate effects of trauma, normal reactions to a critical incident may seem frightening and/or out of control.  A trained professional knows the appropriate questions to ask to determine whether a response is normal or if additional help should be sought.  They can also be instrumental in de-escalating a highly emotional situation and/or individual(s).

Provide Support to Management
The consultant helps management to structure their response to the crisis as the situation evolves and to evaluate the need for particular services on an ongoing basis.  They may also be able to provide the personal and objective support needed by management in a time of great stress.

Assess the Emotional Damage
A consultant can help identify how individuals and/or groups are responding to the crisis and intervene to help prevent escalating and/or long-term problems.

Link Employees with Additional Help if and When Needed
The consultant is able to make referrals for any outside counseling or additional help that is clinically indicated.