We all confront a stressful life event or personal crisis that distracts us from work at some time. Amy Gallo offers principles to remember during these periods:
Do:
- Determine what type of support you need — at home and at work.
- Tell your colleagues what’s happening so that they feel compassion for your situation.
- Make clear, specific requests of your coworkers and boss so that they know how they can help you.
Don’t:
- Feel you need tell everyone directly — it’s OK to ask close colleagues to explain to others what’s going on.
- Share every detail of your situation; tell coworkers only the details that are pertinent to them.
- Assume that it will be painful to continue working during this time — sometimes going to the office can be a comfort.
Source: Harvard Business Review, November 16, 2017.
There is no right answer when handling crisis situations. Some people might find comfort in coming in to work every day. For others, it might be better to take an official leave of absence. When you push forward and don’t allow yourself to feel the grief, you don’t recover as quickly.
INSIGHTS: Cross training as part of staff training strategies makes supporting these situations easier for the business. Consider having a discussion about this article in a team meeting to learn where the gaps will be if Sally, Jim, or Chris took a leave of absence.