How to Talk to Your Team About Distressing News Events

When a news event captures our collective global attention, how should we as leaders and managers address it? Your employees need you to step up right now. But it can be hard to know what to do or what to say. If you’re finding yourself at a loss, the author offers three simple steps: 1) Check in with your direct reports. A simple question at the beginning of a one-on-one meeting such as, “Have you been following the news? Do you know anyone affected?” can reveal an unexpected connection that someone might not have thought they could share. 2) Make space to talk during a meeting. Once you acknowledge the elephant in the room, you release some of the tension and allow people to focus once again on their work. Your goal is to be compassionate and understanding. 3) Give people the opportunity to take action. Research ways to help that are in line with your organization’s values, and provide credible sources for employees to get involved.