Trauma impacts millions of Americans each year. For too long, trauma was thought to only impact war veterans. Today, we know the truth, that trauma can impact anyone, because the impacts of trauma run deep.
Trauma can result from war, workplace harassment, cyberstalking, bullying, automobile injuries, and early childhood abuse behind closed doors, just to name a few causes. The after effects of trauma can range from anxiety, depression, worry, lack of concentration, emotional outbursts, mental fog, poor coping skills, an inability to be in the present moment, and challenges relating to others.
Beyond the physical cost of trauma’s impact of robbing precious time from one’s life as they heal or deal with the aftermath of trauma, trauma also costs employers billions of dollars each year throughout the world.
While most management courses focus on academic theory, Trauma Informed Management ® gets to the root of the matter to address why our companies are struggling to make a dent in workplace happiness, employee engagement, turnover, and other metrics tied to human performance despite the advances in technology and millions spent annually on professional development workshops. Trauma Informed Management ® offers business leaders and managers the insight, understanding, tools, and resources needed to be trauma aware and informed, so they can create psychologically safe workplaces and communication styles that build healthy cultures.
Understanding the depth of trauma is critical to creating a healthy workplace, and an environment where people can feel supported at all steps along their journey.
Numbers Worth Remembering
Trauma impacts billions of people around the world and is identified in the following statistics:
- According to the CDC, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetimes. About 1 in 3 women and nearly 1 in 6 men experience some form of sexual violence during their lifetimes.
- Average number of car accidents in the U.S. every year is 6 million. More than 90 people die in car accidents everyday.
- At least 5 million acts of domestic violence occur annually to women aged 18 years and older, with over 3 million involving men.
- About 2 million people each year report some type of workplace violence. It is estimated that 25 percent of workplace violence goes unreported.
- Nearly 20 percent of U.S. workers experience bullying in the workplace and 19 percent witness it, according to a national survey conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI).
- Three times as many men as women die by suicide.
- The World Economic Forum reports that by 2030, the global costs of mental health problems will total over $6 trillion.
The Workplace Can Heal, If It Wants To
Leadership must understand the impact of trauma, and the inconvenient truth, that trauma is a root cause of the majority of dysfunction that we see present workplaces across industries, and our world today.
When I work with organziations, I ask what their mental health plan is for their employees and what their communication training program looks like for managers. Most often, I am told they have:
- An EAP to handle their mental health needs
- Workshops from time to time on professional development
Unfortunately, this is not enough for companies that truly want to solve the issues of our time; the issues that are reflected when we know over 50% of employees out there are not engaged, and that people leave mangers, rather than the company itself, costing employers a lot of money and time.
Trauma Informed Management ® can create the opportunity for managers and leaders to learn more about trauma, how it shows up, and what to do for employees who are in need of help, so they can build a culture of support. While HR is essential in supporting stress leaves, EAP programs, and benefits, managers and an employee’s team members are usually seen in a more favorable light than HR. As a first point of contact, trauma informed managers can help employees understand the range of options available to them for help, and that this does not have to be something that is career ending; managers can also improve their communication skills to be a connector with HR and other resources in order to support their team member, which is what a great manager does. Leaders also learn that their EAP program often times has too many gaps, and poor service delivery, and take action once they are aware of what’s truly needed in order to support and retain top talent. By having a holistic understanding of trauma, its impact, and the numerous evidenced based resources and treatment options out there today, companies, employees, and management are equipped to respond to the impact for the statistics mentioned above, instead of reacting to something that is clearly present in the workplace.
The workplace can be a place of healing, if leaders and managers choose to create a healthy culture.
We know that adults spend most of their waking hours in the workplace; and in urban areas, stuck in traffic on commutes, pre-COVID. Knowing this, leaders have the ability to do more. By educating management on the depth and impact of trauma, companies can build supportive cultures that employees want to stay at, because the alternative is the status quo that so many people are working in today. Companies can also create care teams in partnership with HR to make sure employees feel connected when they are off, offering the level of support needed, be it a meal each week via food delivery services or an accountability partner if they are without support in their family unit. You’d be surprised at what happens when we talk about trauma, because it impacts more than what rhetoric is willing to say.
From CEOs to managers, I’ve received positive feedback on Trauma Informed Management ® because it opens the conversation channel to explore more ways of supporting people who show up trying their best each day.
The Impact of Addressing Trauma
Trauma has numerous effects on the human body and performance. Trauma messes with the brain because it sends a false fire alarm in the amygdala telling someone there is danger present, when nothing is wrong.
The brain becomes triggered when it senses something in order to keep us safe; when trauma is not dealt with, the brain can tell false stories, bring up old memories, and create a host of physical reactions from pain, anger, anxiety, and other sensations.
You may have witnessed this delivering a performance review when the employee’s eyes glass over, their thinking slows, words sputter, and fear kicks in.
Depending on one’s trauma history, management can also cause challenges by being seen as an authority figure. Imagine the impact of this on someone who was abused by a family member early on in childhood. While the manager is not the abuser from years ago, they may be seen as an abuser in someone’s subconscious mind, causing the same physical reactions that happened years ago in present time as they confront the employee on an issue. Obviously, you can see how this would make communication, understanding of the conversation, and desired outcomes a challenge if one was not aware of the impact of trauma while delivering a performance review to someone who is showing signs of unresolved past trauma when an authority figure is present and speaking in a tone or manner that is triggering.
The Trauma Informed Management ® workshop aims to increase personal and professional development on the subject of trauma.
When managers understand how to support people at a professional level with the resources available, and on a personal level, by building emotional intelligence, communication skills, and empathy, great things can take place in the workplace.
While it’s easy to let this elephant in the room go unaddressed, there is more liability and exposure today by not addressing the truth of trauma and its impact throughout the workforce.
Addressing trauma in the workplace is the right thing to do, knowing the data that presents itself today. And, while trauma sounds intimidating, it truly isn’t once we normalize it, get to the root of it, and teach people how to heal it, starting right now.
Trauma Informed Management ® Workshops and Online Training
Trauma Informed Management ® is a registered trademark and was created by Drew Aversa in 2020. Workshops can be delivered in-person or online via e-learning and live workshops via Zoom. Please schedule a call to discuss hosting this exclusive workshop or licensing it to your employees for their next training.
