The intention of the Foundation’s new series awareness@work is to shed light on how leaders within business organizations today are responding to those impacted by a crisis in the workplace. Whether one person, (customer, employee, family member) or a group of people are experiencing trauma, many organizations are initiating change in how they respond.
Awareness of how the needs of distressed people can be met within the context of the workplace has risen dramatically with the evolution of Care and Special Assistance Teams throughout the world. Once cautioned against approaching a distressed survivor due to concerns over liability, many companies today encourage employees to contact them without fear, expressing sorrow and thereby showing true compassion toward the impacted individual.
This new series features comments by program leaders as to the changes they are experiencing and challenges for the future of their programs. Bruce LaLonde, an experienced airline and passenger rail leader in the fields of customer service and family assistance responded to questions about the trend of awareness he has observed over the years.
CVC: Since you first started your work involving humanitarian assistance in the workplace, what changes have you noticed in how people are responding when trauma or any suffering takes place?
BL: When I first became involved as a CARE team member with a large regional airline in the late 90’s, I felt as though we were making light year strides forward in our knowledge of how to treat those involved in a tragedy. It was unfortunate that these strides forward came about as a result of the recognition of the harm that had been done to those involved in previous tragedies. Survivors who suffered from the industry’s lack of understanding how to help them are actually responsible for the passing of the 1996 Aviation Family Assistance Act.
After the act was passed, we were still ignorant as to how to meet the needs of those involved in a crisis or disaster. The popular thought at the time was to “protect” those impacted by trauma and “protect” the organization. In so many ways, we were ill prepared to respond appropriately to those who were hurting, only to cause additional emotional harm.
I experienced this lack of knowledge again when I transitioned into a different passenger transportation industry. As we were preparing for a passenger disaster drill, I could see that our operational response during the drill was excellent but there was little knowledge as to what to do with regard to our passengers and families who would have been involved. Thankfully, with the assistance of Aviem and the Family Assistance Foundation and a lot of hard work, we were able to create a family assistance program. It is fortunate that we had key members of our executive team who caught the vision and embraced the program.
We are fortunate today that many organizations now understand the importance of using humanitarian assistance during a crisis. My experience is that many travel and visitor industry organizations have formal CARE team programs. Many of those that don’t have formal programs have been exposed to the Human Services Response™ (HSR) model and at least have a basic understanding of how to treat those involved in a crisis.
CVC: To what do you attribute any positive changes?
BL: Over the past few decades our knowledge and understanding of those involved in a trauma has dramatically increased. Before, I believe, generally we had the best of intentions but we just did not understand how to help those involved in a crisis or tragedy. But fortunately our knowledge and understanding has grown significantly and this has changed the way we provide assistance to those involved in tragic incidents. Research by Dr. Coarsey and the role of the Family Assistance Foundation has significantly increased our understanding of how to appropriately interact and help those impacted by a significant life incident.
CVC: Where do you see the greatest challenges going forward as we try to help companies respond from compassion instead of fear of lawsuits and/or questions about increasing liability by employee response?
BL: Although some industries have embraced the principles we have learned through HSR™ Training, there are still many organizations and industries who have little understanding of the impact of their role in a tragedy. There is still a dependence on advice from those who have no understanding of what individuals experience when they are exposed to trauma. We have come so far, but there is still so much opportunity to educate other organizations and industries on the HSR principals.
CVC: Is there anything else you want to say about the need for change?
BL: Change is often uncomfortable and can be hard. Changing our mindset is not always easy, shifting from a defensive position of “protecting the organization” to one of protecting and helping those involved in a tragic incident can make us feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. In any organization it takes effort and time to change a corporate mindset, but through research we have learned that this change is worth it.
I would encourage all of us who are aware of the value of the Human Services Response to spread the knowledge. Develop industry relationships and share what you have learned with your peers. Spread the word.
Raising Compassion Consciousness
The essence of compassion is the desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to protect their well-being.
-Dalai Lama
Experienced leaders from the customer service side of the transportation business can easily relate to Bruce’s responses to my questions. We learned how to help future survivors by listening to victims and families.
It was unfortunate that these strides forward came about as a result of the recognition of the harm that had been done to those involved in previous tragedies.
-Bruce LaLonde, Director, Visit Anchorage
Those who worked for airlines prior to the passing of the legislation in 1996 know that poor treatment of survivors was the result of lack of understanding of their needs. Too often, myths or uneducated opinions held by frightened leaders determined how employees responded to victims and families. Interviews with survivors which helped shape the improvements in post-crisis protocol dispelled these myths.
The belief that every technological accident such as an air crash automatically led to a lawsuit resulted in defensive posturing by the company. Litigation led to additional harm to the survivors. Research by the Foundation has clearly shown that a proactive response by the company mitigates claims and in many cases, lawsuits are never filed.
A second myth pertained to the belief that survivors are automatically angry at the employees of the company when tragedy occurs. Interviews show that helpless and dependent families as well as surviving victims, consciously reach out to the company for help in the first few hours following a traumatic event. Asking for assistance due to proximity of the employees on site and on telephones, most frequently occurs within moments after the crisis. Survivors need practical support, i,e., information, reunification with families and other logistical assistance, not the least of which is contact with other agencies who can assist them.
A third myth that research with survivors has dispelled pertains to who is qualified to help survivors. While having professionals from multiple disciplines included in the company’s plan for response is essential, the original research which forms the basis of the Foundation’s HSR™ models clearly showed the crucial nature of the employee’s role. Survivors who had a positive impression of the airline employees’ response developed significantly less symptoms of the five psychological disorders associated with trauma than those who had a negative impression. While many survivors had positive experiences with clinical (counselors) and EMS personnel during the immediate aftermath of the trauma, these impressions were not correlated with symptoms.
Interviews which supported these findings showed that survivors wanted to believe the company cared about them, and while they may or may not have interacted with outside agencies—this interaction was not as important to their feelings of emotional safety or psychological well-being. Their belief that the company meant no harm to them and cared enough to send their employees to assist them was positively associated with their recovery.
The topic of compassion is not at all religious business; it is important to know it [compassion] is business, it is a question of human survival.
-Dalai Lama
Many years of learning from survivors who the Foundation sees as the most excellent teachers on how to help future victims of similar crises, has shown benefits to the organization, as well the survivors.
The popular thought at the time was to “protect” those impacted by trauma and “protect” the organization.
-Bruce LaLonde
Bruce personally experienced the evolution in emergency management that occurred when leaders realized that protecting the survivors results in protecting the brand—also. Interviews with survivors who have a favorable feeling toward a company’s post-event response reveal a brand preference for that organization. One father whose daughter died on American Flight 11 in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, carried a stack of business cards from employees who helped him and his family in the aftermath, years after the trauma. As technology advanced, these names and telephone numbers were transferred to his cell phone. This is one of many examples where survivors chose to travel with a company where even if something went wrong they knew they would be cared for.
…there are still many organizations and industries who have little understanding of the impact of their role in a tragedy. There is still a dependence on advice from those who have no understanding of what individuals experience when they are exposed to trauma.
-Bruce LaLonde
The words in this quote from Bruce remind me of mistakes that occur daily in non-legislated tragedies. A recurring theme that we hear about far too often pertains to funeral expenses. In many tragedies today, families must file a law suit to recover these final expenses, as just one example. Leaders like Bruce, who are committed to raising compassion consciousness in their organizations know that countless improvements are still needed in areas that seem so obvious. I close with one more relevant quote from Dalai Lama.
You must not hate those who do wrong or harmful things; but with compassion, you must do what you can to stop them—for they are harming themselves, as well as those who suffer from the tragedy.
-Dalai Lama
For more about the Foundation and our programs, please contact Cheri Johnson, cheri.johnson@fafonline.org or visit us at fafonline.org.
