Compassionate Leadership for Turbulent Times

The past several years have tested leaders’ abilities to support their teams effectively and compassionately. Global health crises and economic instability are creating turbulence, driving mental health challenges in workplaces. We are still recovering from and will continue to recover from this turbulence, even while facing a mental health crisis in Canada that has been ten years in the making.

We know that leaders play a large role in supporting mental health. At the same time, leaders are not immune to the challenges we are seeing. We all face circumstances beyond our control that can wear down on our mental health. Personal loss, lifestyle changes, career shifts, and other life-altering situations can give rise to complicated emotions in both employees and leaders.

Empathetic and compassionate leaders are key to creating successful mental health and wellbeing outcomes in their organizations. However, our teams cannot pour from an empty cup—empathetic managers without the proper tools can face burnout and crisis fatigue. The best way to address this is to understand the emotions we are seeing in ourselves and others, turn our feelings into action, and give ourselves tools to bounce back resiliently.

Managing Complicated Emotions with Empathy

What complicated emotions might you be seeing? Grief? Stress? Anger? Anxiety? These feelings are normal reactions to change or other distressing events. We all exist on a mental health continuum. By taking care of ourselves and building resilience, we can bounce back from negative feelings. Sometimes, we are not able to bounce back ourselves and need resources from others.

As a leader, one of the things you can do is look out for the signs of distress and determine what level of support is needed. Is there a pattern of behaviour changes that signal that an employee might be suffering? When responding to an employee in distress, it is important to show you care. Leaders can do this by lending their EAR (Empathy, Attention, and Respect). Using active listening skills can help create a path for clear communication.

Empathy is more effective than sympathy because it engenders real trust and connection between two people. Sympathy involves feeling sorry for someone’s situation but maintaining emotional distance, often leading to pity rather than support. (E.g., “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”) Empathy is putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes and acknowledging the emotions involved. (E.g., “It sounds like this situation has been really difficult for you.”) Relating to the suffering we are witnessing validates the speaker’s feelings. It doesn’t necessarily agree with their perspective, nor does it provide a solution.

What Is Crisis Fatigue?

Crisis fatigue is the feeling of being emotionally drained and hopeless after or during a prolonged crisis. Compassion fatigue or burnout are other terms used to describe the emotional, cognitive, and physical exhaustion that can occur when we are in a heightened state of fight or flight for a long period of time. It can manifest as emotional numbness, physical exhaustion, increased anxiety or irritability, or difficulty concentrating.

In periods of ongoing uncertainty, challenging workplace demands, or personal hardships, it can be easy for leaders to focus on supporting others while ignoring their own signs of burnout. But a lack of self-care can diminish your ability to listen to other people’s concerns. You may find that your normal state of energy has been reduced and that you have trouble with problem-solving.

More organizations are investing in training managers to have compassionate conversations and support mental health, but this must be paired with strategies to help leaders develop their own self-care strategies.

Turning Empathy into Compassion

To be a good listener and support system for employees, managers are exposed to some emotionally charged conversations. How can leaders protect themselves while still being an empathetic resource?

Occupational Therapist Dr. Rachel Thibeault suggests that compassion is the answer. In her webinar with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, she makes a distinction between empathy and compassion.¹ She says that compassion fatigue is really “empathic distress” from remaining in a mode of empathy and experiencing others’ pain for too long. The actual practice of compassion – of not just observing and resonating with the suffering, but acting on it – strengthens us. Compassion activates genuine connectedness and deep gratification, which is the best psychological protection we can give ourselves.

To demonstrate how to move on to compassion from empathy, Dr. Thibeault developed three steps called The Compassion Protocol:

1. Experience mindfulness (to counter nervousness).

One of the main obstacles to compassion is our own emotions or “nervousness.” Giving ourselves the opportunity to decompress before talking to someone helps us reduce the pressure and cultivate our compassionate intentions.

Consider how you can prepare your heart for the encounter (literally). Entering a state of mindfulness can help your body slow down and prepare you for difficult conversations.

 2. Experience compassion.

Actions to take to experience compassion include:

• Acknowledging and naming emotions
• Validating and normalizing emotions
• Maintaining a positive outlook of the person
• Focus on the wellbeing you can contribute (no matter how small the action)
• Offer ongoing support

3. Experience gratitude (to counter the negativity bias).

Another obstacle to keeping us in a compassionate state is negative thoughts and feelings. Explicitly focusing on goodness, the wellbeing both offered and received, can feed your soul after a difficult encounter.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions – it reminds us why our work is important and inspires us to continue spreading that feeling.

Tips for Creating a Compassionate Space

Dr. Thibeault suggests the following tips for compassionate interactions.

1. Act as an equal, not as an expert. Remember that people want to be heard and listened to.
2. Remain compassionate throughout the conversation: in your tone, with the pace of the conversation, and when ending the exchange.
3. Listen carefully, without interrupting. Interrupting is a form of rejection.
4. Allow the person to express the emotion that needs to be expressed, but don’t let them stay stuck in distress – it risks retraumatizing them.
5. Don't judge.
6. Embrace what is and avoid falling into the trap of what should be. The energy of rejecting and rebelling against injustice is wasted in times of crisis. Acknowledge the past, but move on to how you can act.
7. Don't own the other's person's pain – you are not responsible for it. Instead of trying to resolve the pain, shift your goal to offering some sort of comfort.
8. Don't just offer solutions, but help the person find their own.
9. Don't reduce the person to the pain and distress that are experienced. Focus on their strengths and competence.
10. Don't get drawn into the pain: stay in touch with yourself and your emotions.

More Tips for Managing Turbulent Times

In addition to adapting a compassionate stance, leaders (and employees) can also consider the following strategies.

• Start the conversation. Talking about mental health issues or accommodation needs can be tricky, but these difficult conversations are essential for employees to feel supported by their managers and to get the help they need.
• Practice self-compassion. Prioritize self-care and recognize that taking care of yourself enables you to support others effectively.
• Be transparent. Normalize open discussions about challenges your organization and employees may be facing. This can help employees feel less alone in their mental health struggles.
• Prepare and support each other during change. Change can be difficult, but leaders who proactively communicate and provide reassurance can ease transitions.
• Build resilience. Strengthen physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual resilience by engaging in activities that promote well-being.
• Prioritize psychological health and safety. Implement preventive measures that promote mental well-being and reduce workplace stressors.
• Connect with others in a positive way. Set healthy boundaries for conversations and social media use. If discussions repeatedly focus on distressing events, gently steer them toward constructive and positive topics.
• Focus on what you can control. Try to reframe unhelpful thinking patterns, practice gratitude, and find activities that bring you joy.
• Ask for help. Seek support from family and friends, colleagues, leaders, and professional resources if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

How Can Gowan Consulting Help?

Gowan Consulting has Occupational Therapists and workplace consultants across North America that can assist with making your workplace healthier. In addition to workplace assessments for employees, we also provide customized training for leaders, including Manager Mental Health Training. Make a referral today or contact us to see how we can find the best workplace solution.

Resources

[1] Thibeault, Rachel. (2020). Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. Pathways to resilience: compassion & wellbeing. Information retrieved from https://caot.ca/site/prac-res/pr/freewebinars/resilience?language=en_CA&nav=sidebar&banner=4