Create a safe space for change | MindGym

COVID-19. Economic recession. Racism. Inequality. Violence.

If the phrases above leave you feeling exhausted, you’re not alone. This year, our battles against an ongoing pandemic, economic uncertainty, and racial injustice have left many feeling the struggle very intensely.

There is a collective sense of responsibility to convey or suppress certain emotions we are feeling. This has led to an immense emotional burden for many groups who have been thrust into the limelight as the “answer” to diversity at their organizations, even though the details framing much of this emotional burden is not due to anything they have control over.

In many instances, we look to others (the collective) to see how we should respond to certain situations. One study looked at the way a group of Jewish-Israeli people reacted to a story designed to evoke emotions. They found that when these participants were uncertain of what the right emotional response was, they initially looked to the collective emotion as a baseline for what they should be feeling. But when participants felt the collective wasn’t experiencing or displaying the right emotions, they felt an obligation to exhibit stronger emotions, creating an emotional burden on the rest of the group.¹ This may help to explain the reactions and emotions we are seeing and experiencing right now.

Topics that were once avoided are now front and center. We are all confronting issues of race, diversity, and equity head-on. In the workplace that progress begins with candid conversations.

However, this sudden increased visibility and pressure on Black Americans to share their experiences, open up, and educate the rest of the workplace can come with a burden.

Managers and leaders should not just thrust the conversations onto their employees. Instead, they need to provide adequate support as well for the emotional burden their teams might be experiencing.

By taking these important first steps, leaders can ensure that all their employees feel respected and valued when they do speak up.

Here are some tips on how to get started:

Educate yourself Don’t simply rely on the people of color in your organization to teach you. Instead, take the time to teach yourself as much as possible.

1. Expand your knowledge by reading books, listening to podcasts, and finding educational resources created by people whose experiences are different from yours. NPR and Medium have both compiled great lists of resources to get you started. Set up internal communications channels (e.g. Slack, Zoom, Teams) within your team to encourage people to share resources they find helpful as well as what they are learning.
2. Don’t make the narrative about you. Instead of offering immediate reactions and opinions, start by repeating what you heard to clarify your understanding.

Promote sharing Social sharing, or talking about emotionally-taxing experiences with others, can lighten the emotional burden. This is just as true in the workplace as it is with friends.² Sharing with coworkers is a good way to reduce frustration and make sense of what we’re experiencing – together.

1. Schedule a recurring team huddle or a meeting to share what you’re doing to shift your own mindset. Use this time to be candid about what you’re learning. Sharing your experiences can help others feel comfortable opening up and may encourage them to expand their learning as well.
2. Encourage open dialogues. Urge everyone to be present in the moment, actively listening to what’s being shared. And if a difficult topic arises, don’t shy away from it. If the group is willing to discuss it, allow it to happen and thank them for sharing.

Create psychological safety A safe environment at work means a place where everyone feels they can be themselves. If people feel pressure to appear a certain way, that can lead to stress.³ Make sure your workplace is one where everyone’s voice is heard and respected.

1. Foster curiosity in others by encouraging individuals to share new ideas and to ask deeper questions. Don’t avoid disagreements. Instead, begin to see them as healthy opportunities to explore new perspectives.
2. Take action. There’s little point in asking to hear about shared experiences if nothing will be done as a result. Make a commitment to clearly demonstrate the actions being taken from what you learn. Explain the next steps and how you’ll keep everyone informed as the effort evolves.