Empower your employees, Strengthen your business
If there’s one thing that working with trauma survivors has taught me, it’s that most of us, in our most challenging moments, need someone who can communicate to us:
I see you. I hear you. I believe you.
Hearing those messages doesn’t just benefit us when we’re in the throes of trauma; it is necessary for our everyday ability to heal and thrive.
Trauma in its many forms- from an acute experience like a car accident to experiencing systemic racism every day- can be internalized and leave us feeling less than, not enough, less worthy. Trauma can try to strip us of our humanity, and the loss of control we experience can be overwhelming.
When I train folks to adopt a trauma-informed approach to their work, I’m not asking my audience to become trauma experts or trauma therapists. I’m there to help demystify trauma and its individual and collective impact and remind us of the very simple and powerful things we can all do in our respective roles and industries to create more trauma-informed spaces. I remind us that if we can simply communicate, “I see you. I hear you. I believe you.” we can plant a seed that can grow into transformative healing.
We don’t always know everything about our colleagues’ backgrounds and personal histories. Trauma-informed doesn’t mean knowing everything; it’s about how we hold what we don’t know. We don’t need to know the details of everyone’s pain (past or present) to know that a trauma-informed workplace benefits everyone.
In the last two blogs of our series on creating trauma-informed workplaces, we discussed the importance of connection: “I see you” and clarity: “I hear you.” We close this series with a focus on empowerment: “I believe (in) you.”
In our blog on clarity, we shared the importance of feedback in supporting our growth and the growth of our employees. We need to create regular channels for feedback and support. Feedback is integral to strengthening our organizations and empowering our employees, but we need to be explicit about this goal. Many folks have had feedback experiences that felt punitive and may be entering into those discussions with uncertainty and fear. It can be helpful to frame the conversation proactively by learning what long- and short-term goals your employees have and what goals you have for them. When I’ve had to deliver challenging feedback, I state explicitly, “I know this is a hard moment of growth, and I am bringing this to you because I believe so much in you.”
As leaders, it is crucial that we develop a shared understanding of empowerment and what empowerment within our organization looks like in action. Many organizations and businesses- in every industry- promote employees into management positions if they are exemplary performers. This can be empowering as long as it is done intentionally. We want to set new leaders up for success by ensuring they have the training and support that will allow them to feel a sense of mastery and confidence when they step into a leadership role. I recently heard of an organization that doesn’t offer management training to new managers until an issue arises- so when it is provided, it feels punitive rather than empowering.
Employees should be given opportunities for professional development, including leadership and management training, if they are interested. By investing in our employees' learning and growth, we are investing in the sustainability of our organization. Rather than wait to offer training until someone has already been promoted to manage other employees, offer those learning opportunities early and often. Not every employee wants to manage others. Learn about their goals at the organization and in the long term and see what professional development opportunities may better fit their interests. I’ve hired folks to work in violence prevention with longer-term aspirations of working in other industries like law and human resources. When I found workshops and webinars that spoke to those interests, I encouraged them to go because I am invested in their growth, not just their current position. I had a much higher retention rate because I invested in the person overall rather than just as an employee. It also benefits the movement to have people in law and human resources who have a passion and a background in gender-based violence prevention and response.
We can empower our employees by providing clear and regular feedback to support their growth in the company and their career growth. We also need to recognize their strengths and provide positive reinforcement that helps them feel their capabilities so that they can develop more autonomy and find opportunities to be innovative and creative. Suppose we can center empowerment as a core value within our organization. In that case, we can create more sustainable organizations/businesses, and for those of us in mission-driven fields, we can create a stronger movement as a whole.
At JT Consulting, everything begins with connection. We foster trust through consistent and transparent communication, providing predictability and clarity. Our goal is to empower our clients to build on the foundation of the work we do together. We provide a final report with identified next steps that always includes the unique strengths we see in the organization to communicate that not only do they have the road map, they also have the skills to carry out the work we began and to continue to grow stronger.
We see our clients. We hear them. And we believe in them.
If you are looking for a consultant to support your work, let’s talk about how a partnership with JT Consulting can benefit your workplace.
