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The Empathetic Workplace: 5 Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma On the Job - Paperback | Diverse Reads

The Empathetic Workplace: 5 Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma On the Job

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This critical resource gives managers, HR, and anyone who may come into contact with someone in trauma—including workplace violence, harassment, assault, illness, addiction, fraud, bankruptcy, and more—the tools they need to be prepared for what lies ahead.

This book is crucial for every manager or HR representative who shouldn’t just prepare to one day be faced with a report of a traumatic experience at work, but plan on it. This five-step method will help managers make survivors feel supported and understood. The Empathetic Workplace guides supervisors of any level through an understanding of how stories of trauma impact the brain of both the survivor and the listener, as well as the tools to handle the interaction appropriately, to help the listener, the organization, and most importantly, the survivor.

The easy-to-follow LASER method outlined in these pages includes the following elements that all managers should know and understand:

  • Listen-Controlling your own reaction, managing your body language, asking open-ended questions, hearing what is not being said, and winding down the speaker when the conversation becomes unproductive are essential elements in being a good listener.
  • Acknowledge-Once someone shares a difficult personal story with you, it is important to acknowledge that gift.
  • Share-You can help the speaker regain some measure of control by sharing information with him or her about what happened or what happens next, your personal or organizational values, and what you don’t yet know but hope to learn.
  • Empower-You can help the traumatized person by providing him or her with resources that are available to them through the company or outside groups.
  • Return-The final step is to ensure that the traumatized person has a way to come back later when he or she cannot remember all that you said, thinks of more questions, or wishes for updates.

The LASER technique can benefit all who are responsible for others, from top-tier managers at Fortune 500 companies to Residence Advisors in college dormitories.

ISBN-13: 9781400220021

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: HarperCollins Leadership

Publication Date: 02-16-2021

Pages: 208

Product Dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

For fifteen years, Katharine Manning advised the Justice Department on victim issues in its most challenging cases, from terrorism to child exploitation to large-scale financial fraud. As President of Blackbird DC, Manning now uses her expertise to help government, educational, and corporate institutions prepare for and respond to the challenges they face involving employees and members of the public who may be in trauma, from claims of sexual harassment or assault to large-scale impacts like data theft and workplace violence. A member of the California bar, Manning also served as an attorney with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop in San Francisco, where she represented Fortune 500 companies in class actions, insurance, and media cases. She is a graduate of Smith College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 An Empathetic Approach 3

2 The Impact of Trauma at Work 7

3 The LASER Method 15

4 Trauma and the Brain 21

Step 1 Listen 27

5 Introduction 29

6 Why We Listen 33

7 Before the Meeting 39

8 Active Listening 45

9 Controlling Your Response 55

10 What if the Person Is Lying? 59

11 When Not to Listen 63

12 Taking Notes 65

13 Hearing What Isn't Said 69

14 Self-Harm and Harm of Others 73

15 Winding Down 79

Step 2 Acknowledge 81

16 Introduction 83

17 Why We Acknowledge 87

18 Silence 91

19 Thank the Person 95

20 What Not to Say 97

21 What to Say Instead 103

22 Avoid Judgment 107

23 Distancing Assumptions 113

24 Resist the Urge to Fix It 115

Step 3 Share 117

25 Introduction 119

26 Why We Share Information 123

27 Why It's Hard to Share 125

28 Share Facts 129

29 Share Process 131

30 Share Values 133

31 Share What You Don't Know or Can't Share 135

32 How to Share Information 137

33 The Role of Apology 139

Step 4 Empower 145

34 Introduction 147

35 Why We Empower 151

36 Security Issues 155

37 Counseling 157

36 Flexible Work Options 161

39 Other Community Services 163

40 Introduction 167

41 Why We Return 171

42 Prepare to Exit the Conversation 173

43 Remind of Next Steps 177

44 Follow Up 179

45 A Return to Yourself 183

48 What Else We Can Do 191

Conclusion 195

47 The Benefits of the LASER Method 197

Acknowledgments 201

Notes 203

Index 215

About the Author 220