Change Communications

What is the right way to communicate with employees during unpredictable times? We can all be subject to disruption ranging from terrorist attacks to natural disasters and organizational change, so it pays to know how best to act during difficult times.
by Al Siebert, director, The Resiliency Center

When facilitating meetings at times when people have heightened emotions, always remember to:

1. Deal with your own feelings first
To facilitate well, you must first deal with your own feelings. Remember not to impose them or your values on others.

2. Conduct a group “check in”
If people are feeling emotional about organizational or world events, focus on their feelings first before trying to cover agenda items. Ask each person to comment on how they feel about the events, express any concerns they have and comment on how they feel about being at the meeting. Look at each person closely while they are speaking to judge for yourself how “present” or emotionally distracted they are.

If people are feeling emotional about organizational or world events, focus on their feelings first before trying to cover agenda items.

3. Discuss the agenda
Ask each person to say if they feel they can be involved in discussions about the agenda items. Make it safe for them to say no if they can’t. Acknowledge their feelings, don’t suppress them, then focus the group on the things that must get done.

4. Reschedule some items on the agenda if necessary
If the majority of the group says they don’t feel that they can focus on the meeting, then save all agenda items that require open discussion until a later date. Limit the meeting to essential information items that are very time relevant.
Limit the meeting to essential information items that are very time relevant.

5. Be prepared to postpone to a later date
Meetings usually require a relaxed atmosphere conducive to open discussion — this may be difficult in times of stress. Resiliency research shows that feelings of distress, anguish, anger and anxiety will constrict and narrow cognitive processes. Postponing a meeting is a rational course of action when involved group discussion, analysis, problem-solving and goal-setting is required.