xxxxiii) Teams Handling Bad News

Introduction

When facing a continuous stream of devastating news, people can feel overwhelmed and can show a host of emotions from anger to despair to helplessness.

Even if handling the bad news is outside your control, these five steps can make people feel better:

Five Steps

i) acknowledge the situation (don't default to silence when something tragic, etc has happened as this can be interpreted as you don't care, which will erode trust; don't pretend it is business-as-usual; even if the events are outside your control, the way you respond is in your control; communicate positively and respectfully; provide a path forward which might involve helping people to process their emotions, offering paid time off, etc)

ii) create a safe environment for expressing differing views (this should be done when the team is first established and reinforced over time; if a minority group is targeted, members of the same group will have a fear of being targeted:
"...This fear can consume psychological resources leading to heightened avoidant work behaviours, or higher worth withdrawal and lower social engagement..."
Angelica Leigh as quoted by Molly West Duffy et al, 2022.

Need to have regular identity-based discussions to handle any potential threat)

iii) allow for different reactions from team members, ie
"...they won't all feel the same nor want to express their emotions in the same way..."
Mollie West Duffy et al, 2022

Emotions can vary from being overwhelmed, upset, angry, distracted, discomforted, exhausted, etc.

Provide a safe place where people can share their emotions.

iv) intentionally let some things go (if feeling overwhelmed, find ways to reduce the pressure on yourself, such as postponing a meeting, prioritising your work to concentrate first on the most urgent and important; say no to non-urgent tasks; delegate tasks; take some time out, etc;
"...make work a place of solace, not a source of additional stress..."
Molly West Duffy et al, 2022)

v) channel emotions/energy towards positive change (suppressing your emotions is not necessarily a good thing:
"...If you know how to channel them, your emotions can even serve you by increasing your confidence and making you certain that you are capable and strong......gently encourage your team to channel any anger or despair they express towards improving a situation or advocating for a larger change..."
Molly West Duffy et al, 2022.

Some emotions can be framed differently, eg anger can be seen as a form of compassion, ie anger often
"...expresses compassion for the downtrodden and the desire for a better world. And racial injustice makes people eager to do something about it..."
Myisha Cherry as quoted by Molly West Duffy et al, 2022