Managers What do you do when your teammate shares their grief? - Lara Hogan

This resource first appeared in issue #49 on 06 Nov 2020 and has tags Becoming A Manager: One-on-ones, Becoming A Manager: Managing Individuals, Becoming A Manager: Other

Managers: What do you do when your teammate shares their grief? - Lara Hogan

Hogan, taking lessons from her mothers pastoral care when she was going up, shares some humane steps you can take if someone unexpectedly shares grief with you over a significant tragedy in their lives. These steps are human for both the team member and you. The steps are:

• Have a handy, simple response ready - Hogan has a few to hand such as “Oh, I’m so sorry” or “That sounds incredibly tough”
• Don’t hop into problem-solving mode, and don’t make this about you. Ask open questions instead. “What would be most useful for you right now?” and the like
• Mirror their energy, use affirming body language - nod, eye contact, lean in.
• Create lots of silence and space - don’t fill silence, let them take their time.
• Consider: what’s your role?
• Following up afterwards