Some of the employees ran for cover, others went to a window as if to jump out and help the obviously dangerous situation, while others simply remained immobilised at their desks.
As shocking as the booming gunshots, ear-piercing police sirens, and the rapid thrumming of the helicopters was; the agile employees ofWorkplace Inc.continued working, subconsciously digesting what had just happened.
A week later, the CEO called everyone to an impromptu team meeting. After thanking everyone for attending, he opened the table, “Look, I know you all have access to wellness resources by virtue of working here; and I’m glad you use them when you need to. But I’d like to open the space for us to speak about and process what happened last week.”
At this, even the normally boisterous finance officer was silent and shifting in his seat.
“Your mental health is important to me,” continued the CEO as he met each person’s gaze, “And I’ll be the first to admit that there are challenges in balancing the needs of this business with your mental health needs. But I’d like to try; especially after realising how unsettled I’ve become since the shooting last week. So, how can I help?”
The usually quiet IT girl raised her voice and asked, “Do we have to speak about it though?”
Momentarily taken aback, the CEO smiled gently and responded, “Of course not. I’ve done a little research and writing or drawing can be effective with regard to processing the event.” Sensing the team’s assent to this, the CEO handed out white A4 notebooks, pens, pencils, and colour markers. “I chose white covers so that you can personalise it however you’d like. For today’s meeting, we’ll spend the rest of the allocated time expressing on paper what you felt last week and how it’s been impacting you since,” instructed the CEO, “Is that alright?”
Everyone nodded and proceeded to put pen to paper.
Some of the employees took off like they were in a sprint, others started off slow as if it was a marathon, and then there were some who looked like the whistle that was meant to start the race glued them to the spot before realising some time later that they were supposed to be running too. Despite the time it took to get started, the CEO saw that each of his team members took part in the activity and he kept silent and started to draw.
Fifteen minutes into the activity, the finance officer started sniffling. This triggered something in the room as the IT girl began whimpering, the usually composed PR head had tears rolling down her face, and the rest of the team started expressing their emotions in their own ways. The CEO’s pragmatic mind automatically sent a silent prayer of gratitude for the foresight to make two boxes of tissues available in this session. But before he could say anything, the finance officer spoke, “I was so scared - everything was so loud and overwhelming. Even though I knew I wasn’t in danger, I was horrified at the fact something so gruesome was happening right on our doorstep.”
“I don’t know - I’m used to robberies and shootings happening because of the area I live in. But even I was shocked - I never thought something like that would happen here. It was extremely disorienting,” admitted the youngest member of the team.
Emboldened by her colleagues speaking up, the IT girl forced her words out through her sobs, “I…I…fro…froze. It…it was so surreal! I walk to work most…most mornings, and I thought it was supposed to be sa…safe here. But now I feel like a ba…a ball of anxiety! I’ve found myself on edge even at…at home. It’s awful,” she tapered off as she grabbed her eighteenth tissue.
Knowing that there wasn’t enough time to tackle all of these things and restore the mental health of his team back to default in one sitting, the CEO closed the meeting, “Thank you for willingly sharing your experiences. I myself was extremely shaken up, and to be honest, I still am. This is only the beginning of this journey, and I’m encouraged that we get to do part of it as a team. We’ll meet for one hour every week for the next month and once we’ve gotten everything out, I’ll bring in some resources to help us cope and get back to life in a way that doesn’t involve living in fear.”
The mixed expressions of fear, the unknown, hope, and resolve told the CEO that while it might take a lot of intention and resources from Workplace Inc., having a mentally healthy team would be well worth it for the business, and for the people working in it.
