How did we respond to terror attacks as organisations
Staff on the lawn of the Cinnamon Grand after the blast
The Easter Sunday attacks that took place around Sri Lanka shook our nation to the core. Collectively, the population went through the stages of grief – from shock, denial, anger, bargaining, to depression. Taking the leap to the next stage of hope and acceptance may require much more healing collectively as a nation.
It is safe to say that most citizens experienced severe grief and distress, lost sleep, and shared the common heart-ache for the lives lost and the sense of security that was lost. The nation’s people really demonstrated character in the wake of the chaos; while nursing their wounds of grief, we saw citizens of diverse age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, take a stand to support those who were afflicted. Our people’s response in this moment of crisis, the outpouring of love and kindness, was a true testament to the spirit of community we hold as a nation.
What was the response from the organisations and how did they respond to the situation in the days that followed? One of the most remarkable stories came from a local company that readily mobilized a ‘crisis management team’ represented by the HODs and at least one extra member from every department and from several levels. These individuals connected on a conference call on Sunday afternoon to make some crucial decisions on people’s safety, leave, travel and point contacts during emergencies. What is notable is the fact that they didn’t have such a team prior to the crisis but organized themselves promptly to respond to the situation. After checking that everyone was safe, they collectively decided that Monday would be a holiday and the HODs notified their managers via text messages, who in turn texted their teams. They convened on Monday again online to assess the situation and make a call on what needs to be done the next day. It was declared a working day for the crucial jobs where one’s presence at office was needed. For such people, car pooling was arranged or cab chits were issued to report to work. For each person a point of contact from HR and a Senior Manager was appointed for emergency correspondence. For whom the work could be completed from home via their laptops, the option was given and they were asked to assemble as a virtual team when required to make urgent business decisions. On Wednesday, the ‘crisis management team’ decided to ask people to come to work with the exception of certain individuals living beyond a particular radius. Car pooling was encouraged again and they organised a few vans to and from some common locations with a considerable distance from Colombo. The same decision was made for Thursday and Friday and which was declared a ‘work from home’ day.
We have also received a similar story from an IT company who said that they did have procedures in place to face the situation, a very similar case as above. They also did a thorough security check on their offices and did a spring-clean before they asked people to report back to work. Such stories are indeed encouraging!
We have had HR directors who got in touch with us on Sunday to assist them in finding the people who can psychologically support the affected staff and their families. We have had inquiries from people who wanted to systematically help people talk about and deal with the fear, uncertainty and sense of loss, organisations that released the personal numbers of their internal trained mentors and external counselors and free help-lines. We know of organisations that arranged breakfast and lunch so that people will not have to go out to buy food. These were small gestures that meant that they really cared. Of course, there will always be something that could have been improved or done differently but the sheer commitment of these organisations is absolutely commendable.
But this was only some organizations; how did some others respond? We took a few train and bus rides to and from Colombo in the days after the attacks, to listen in and to speak to a few people if necessary. We made a round of calls to some of our friends representing different companies. Here are some of these anecdotes.
Nayomi travels from Kalutara and says that she has to come by bus for 30 minutes before catching the train. She says this bus was cancelled on April 22. It is Tuesday the 23rd and she has received an email that morning which says that they have already typed in their resignation letters of people who wouldn’t report to work on two consecutive days despite informing the company. She does not know what to expect but says to her friend how disgusted she is with her working place.
Miyaz travels by train everyday to work. He sits stiff and upright. He tells his friend over the phone to get into his compartment from the next station. As the train comes to a halt and the friend gets in, he smiles widely and says in a hushed voice in Sinhalese how he can’t feel his legs knee downwards. He seems grateful that his friend is around now. His friend says how he was asked by his boss to report to work on Tuesday and that how he has to apply for no-pay leave for his absence on Monday.
Another gentleman says how he had received an email on Monday the 21st in the afternoon from the big boss extending his condolences to whoever was affected from the bombings on the previous day and how he appreciates the work they do and how they now need to unite as a team to build the nation. But he laughs to say how the email in the end reiterates how Monday was a WORKING DAY and whoever who chose not to report to work, need to apply for leave for the day. He tells his friend despondently how people have lost their souls trying to make money. He adds, ‘I have worked for this place for the past 15 years and have known that they are not perfect but no place is. But to stoop so low? It’s a miscalculation of judgement of who they are from my end.’
Another story comes from a young mother who laughs and says how if she dies during her work-related travels, they would place a nice wreath and possibly give a few thousands in compensation and if fortunate would sponsor her funeral. She asks her friend seated next to her, “can anyone actually compensate the loss of their mother to my two children? I will be replaced in no time at work, but my family forever will suffer the loss.” She says that she was given the option of working from home (and that she is well equipped with the laptop, dongle and the office phone to do so) but as long as she applies for leave. She adds and says, “I told them that if I apply for leave, that that day is my free day and that I would not answer a single call. And then she was simply told to come to work.” She looks at us after noticing that we have been listening in and says, “But they talk about work-life balance, healthy and safe living and wellness.”
Take a breath and digest the above, yes as much as there were good case studies, there were examples of how over one email or phone call organisations lost their entire workforce. Some did it because they wanted people to get back to work in fact thinking that at best it would really help people to bounce back if they focus on something productive, to maintain company’s loyalty to their clients (think about all the text messages we received from our banks about limited access to their hotlines) or at worst their unrelenting and constant focus on targets and profits that was overriding all their decisions; what some may have not seen is the cost of having their offices open on a day like this Easter Monday when people were still in a state of shock. In this state of shock and fear, going to work would have been counter-productive. Feelings of fear can only exacerbate when we are separated from our family, in a public place, and are away from home. High levels of fear and anxiety will significantly reduce our ability to think clearly, solve problems, or perform any of the executive functions that are necessary to work. But there are also organisations who were willing to rectify the wrong decisions made and how it was communicated.
So what can the organisations practically do EVEN NOW? A few simple steps can make a huge difference in supporting your staff members better during this time.
The first is – agency. The biggest loss we have all suffered, is a loss of control, or perceived control over our lives and future. An organisation can create that in very simple ways. In this digital age, if the job doesn’t necessitate one being present at work, providing staff the option of working from home can be helpful. Giving staff more than one choice can help them feel in control of the situation.
Second, empathetic communication with clarity. That first email you send staff has make-or-break properties. An empathetic communication, understanding and acknowledging the difficulty of the situation, offering condolences for any loss that was felt, and gratitude for the service of the employees can make a huge difference. Being transparent about why staff need to be on-site, instead of online, can help staff come to terms with what is expected from them. If one feels that the first email has been insensitive, one can choose to send an apology, mean it when you say sorry and make amends. It is also important to have a zero tolerance for racial/ethnic discrimination, verbal and non-verbal harassment stemming from differences and unverified information and rumours.
Third, support. Research has repeatedly recommended the provision of psychological first aid, trauma debriefing (where a facilitator takes groups of people through how they feel about the crisis and reflect on its impact helping them to take action to bounce back), and crisis counseling, in the aftermath of a terror attack. Arranging for these supports to be available internally, or through an external party, provides a clear message that you care for your employees’ wellbeing. The support in itself can kick-start the healing process, which will help ensure that your staff is able to come back to its’ optimum level of functioning. Support can also come in the form of easing the targets of the affected and revisiting the goals and making it realistic for them to achieve.
Finally, most organisations, will inadvertently direct CSR responses towards supporting the survivors and their families. Getting the staff involved in this support can provide an avenue for the employees and the organisation to reconnect in a common mission to support the survivors. Altruistic and helping behaviours, are a great outlet for grief following crisis, and organisations in particular can make great impact through the combined synergies of their staff.
But let’s take a moment to remember that not even the most generous and large scale organised CSR activities or charity donation could set off the damage that one may have already created in that initial post-crisis communication and action. The crisis rendered a great opportunity to build emotional/affective commitment (versus a mere transactional, obligatory commitment), to loyalty to our companies, to improve on your employee satisfaction scores this year and to overall strengthen the character of your brand that people are proud to be a part of. No training, team building or compensation would be able to restore what’s broken from within; a wound in the employee psyche of who you are as a company and how trustworthy you are during crunch time. And as one of our interviewees from a multinational company mentioned, repairing this crack within the organisation would take much longer than rebuilding the nation.
(The writer is a Business Psychologist, the Founder of Forté Consultancytions’and can be contacted on rozaine@forte.lk. Kartini Booso is a Psychologist and is the head of Research and Development for Forté Consultancy and can be contacted on Kartini@forte.lk)