Author: Joanie Creger

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The Role of Leadership During Crisis

What does a retired military General, a physician/CEO of a 29,000-employee healthcare organization and a priest/President of Fordham University have in common? It is their approach to leading others during difficult and dangerous times. The CBS Sunday Morning show profiled General Stanley McChrystal, Dr. Penny Wheeler and Father Joseph McShane last weekend. I was drawn to the common themes in their messages about leadership during a crisis:

1) As a leader, you must be brutally honest with yourself about the situation. Get as much information as you personally need (self-knowledge) and don’t be in denial of what you are up against. This will help you focus on priorities and build a plan.

2) Be candid and genuine with those you lead. Be open about bad news. By contextualizing and sharing information, you will gain trust. Be straight forward, honest and complete with the information you share. If you don’t, your team will lose faith if they find out otherwise.

3) Be more present with your people. Let them know you care about them and likely have some of the same fears or sadness regarding the situation. You are no different from them in that respect.

4) Learn from those closest to the work, the teams and individuals who have direct access to the situation and barriers. They will help guide your choices and decisions. The wisest of leaders will humbly ask for advice from the team and collaborate with them.

Even when you are the one in-charge, it is natural to feel fear. Fear is not a sign of weakness. It is good to have and should act as a motivator. General McChrystal noted that when things get hard, or questionable, or dangerous, or your organization is being tested…leaders stand-up because that is their job.

Whether you are sending people into war, calming your congregation or battling a pandemic, you need to be honest with yourself and others. You may make a mistake or take a wrong turn along the way, but people will forgive you if you have listened, communicated and empathized with them during the difficult journey.

Please touch base with me at [email protected] if you need support with human resources planning, leadership coaching or employee communications during these difficult times.

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Plan for the Worst and Hope for the Best

I don’t consider myself an alarmist, but my father and brother’s Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” is ringing strongly in my head as we learn more about the global spread of the Coronavirus. As employers, Federal and State laws require organizations to reasonably protect employees from work-related illness and injuries. The nature of the workplace often affects the type and level of response that may be required. Having worked with a number of health care organizations entrusted with the care of patients as well as employees, they often need to implement heightened protections.

As a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) member, I’ve been receiving daily messages regarding employer preparedness to help manage concerns regarding the Coronavirus. As this situation intensifies, you don’t want to be “building and flying the plane” at the same time. You want to be prepared with plans and procedures so you are ready to fly when needed.

Here are some key considerations as a starting point:

  1. Create (or review if in place) a communicable disease policy and management plan. Identify a primary contact person in your organization who employees can contact if they have questions or concerns.
  2. Educate employees on workplace safety precautions and how to prevent the spread of the virus. The Center for Disease Control has free information and posters and constantly updates it site with new information: CDC Coronavirus Guide for Employers.
  3. Consider postponing non-essential travel or implementing appropriate travel restrictions based on the nature of your business and where employees are traveling.
  4. Respond to employee questions or concerns in a timely and respectful manner. Ensure related policies/practices/actions are non-discriminatory. You may need employment law counsel to help advise you on such matters.
  5. Ensure leadership is continuously committed to emergency preparedness and business continuity planning…Always “Be Prepared.”
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Lead by Example and Give Employees Freedom to Thrive

I recently attended a 2020 California Legal Update event presented by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Northern California and was quickly reminded why my core beliefs as a Human Resource professional continue to guide my HR consulting services. If you visit www.thecabogroup.com you will find I strongly believe that:

– Truth Matters

– Purpose Drives Performance

– Leaders Don’t Succeed Alone

– Learning Never Stops

– Health is a Priority

It is so important for all employees to be well trained on developing professional relationships in the workplace and how to have honest, purposeful conversations to support success. Yet recent statistics from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicate many employers and employees have missed these messages.

In 2018, the EEOC received 76,418 complaints of harassment, discrimination and retaliation and secured $505,000,000 for victims in private sector, state and local government, and federal workplaces. There was a 13.6% increase in sexual harassment claims from 2017. And of the 76,418 claims, 51.6% were for retaliation. My initial response…heavy sigh! I can’t help but quote Uncle Ben from Spider-Man who states it clearly: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Based on the number of reported cases (and let’s remember these are only those reported to the EEOC) it’s no wonder we have required harassment prevention training and ongoing legislation to help protect employees. I know that mandatory training sessions and written Employee Handbook policies remain good-faith-efforts to support a positive workplace. However, more emphasis should be placed on investing in and developing our talent to better communicate with, learn from and support each other’s success on a daily basis to really make a difference.

HR compliance is a given. My mission is to help organizations develop professional work environments where every employee has freedom to thrive. I believe that begins with leadership…you really have to lead by example, otherwise you won’t be seen as leading at all.