DOMAIN 4: SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS–INFORMED LEADERSHIP
Item 10
Strategies for Leaders:
- Regularly interact with your staff and be available to staff as much as possible. It is important as a leader to openly acknowledge the occupational hazards and the positive work being done by staff and to provide appropriate and effective recognition for them.
- Conduct focus groups or regular check-ins with staff to ask about how the existing supports are working for staff and what further needs they have.
- Be able to talk about the occupational hazards of the work as well as celebrating the accomplishments and positive impacts of the work that staff do in order to help them identify their “why” for doing the work.
- Learn how different staff prefer to be recognized for their work and attempt to ensure that the organization regularly recognizes the positive impacts of staff.
- Be careful about placing a high value on working overtime, high productivity, and other types of work styles that may actually put staff at higher risk for secondary trauma. High trauma dosage and not taking the time to reset and replenish can exacerbate STS; therefore, if you recognize these types of work styles, it may normalize them and make it difficult for staff to set appropriate boundaries or acknowledge the impact of the work on themselves.
Implementation Resources:
Books
- The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, by Gary Chapman and Paul White, applies the love languages concept to the workplace to help leaders better show appreciation and provide encouragement to their staff that help mitigate burnout and to improve job satisfaction.
Publications
- “Feeling Seen: What to Say When Your Employees Are Not OK,” an article by Pamela Reynolds, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Guidance for leaders on how to recognize and approach staff who are experiencing emotional stress, which can then lead to a deeper connection and working relationship.
Websites/Apps/Posts
- “Practical Leadership Tips for Enhancing Staff Behavioral Health During a Crisis,” a brief post by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on simple and practical ways leaders can engage with their staffs during a crisis to ensure that they are able to perform their roles while also maintaining their well-being.
Select Action Plan to begin to organize and implement next steps.