Organizational Trauma and Healing

Leading in Times of Trauma: Leading in Times of Trauma: Healing and Building Healing and Building

ResilienceResilience

Shana Hormann, MSW, PhDShana Hormann, MSW, PhD

Pat Vivian, MAPat Vivian, MA

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Definition of CultureDefinition of Culture

Edgar Schein defines culture as:

“The deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organization, that operate unconsciously, and that define in a basic ‘taken for granted’ fashion an organization’s view of itself and its environment.”


The Work Influences CultureThe Work Influences Culture

Creation story and rationale for Creation story and rationale for organization’s existenceorganization’s existence

The “struggle” and formation of individual The “struggle” and formation of individual and collective identitiesand collective identities

Relationship of the organization to societyRelationship of the organization to society

Internal dynamicsInternal dynamics


Individual-Work-Culture Connection

Organizational Culture

The Work Itself

Individuals Attracted to The Work

Intensity


Organizational TraumaOrganizational Trauma

An injury to an organization resulting from a single event or the impact of an accumulation of events.

Severe distress from experiencing a disastrous event outside the range of usual experience.


Sources of Organizational Sources of Organizational TraumaTrauma

Single or cumulative injurious event(s)Single or cumulative injurious event(s)

Origins of organizationOrigins of organization

Redemptive nature of the workRedemptive nature of the work

Empathic nature of the workEmpathic nature of the work

Resulting internal dynamicsResulting internal dynamics

On-going trauma may result from On-going trauma may result from interaction of all of the aboveinteraction of all of the above


Characteristics of a Characteristics of a Traumatized SystemTraumatized System

Closed boundaries between organization Closed boundaries between organization and external environmentand external environment

Centrality of insider relationshipsCentrality of insider relationships

Stress and anxiety contagionStress and anxiety contagion

Loss of hopeLoss of hope


Role of the Leader: Role of the Leader: Building ResilienceBuilding Resilience

Move toward anxiety Move toward anxiety

Recognize and reclaim projectionsRecognize and reclaim projections

Facilitate exploration of underlying Facilitate exploration of underlying tensions, issues, and events. Give time tensions, issues, and events. Give time and space to the resolution of trauma and space to the resolution of trauma and loss. and loss.


Intervening in Organizations Intervening in Organizations with Unresolved Traumawith Unresolved Trauma

Name the trauma and normalize individual Name the trauma and normalize individual and collective responsesand collective responses

Contain the anxiety and allow emotional Contain the anxiety and allow emotional expressionexpression


Understand the experience at the Understand the experience at the organizational levelorganizational level

Make meaning collectivelyMake meaning collectively

Ask for outside help if necessaryAsk for outside help if necessary

Identify priority actionsIdentify priority actions


Intervening in Organizations At Intervening in Organizations At Risk for Cumulative TraumaRisk for Cumulative Trauma

Understand the organization’s identity Understand the organization’s identity and culture and culture

Open system to outside information and Open system to outside information and energyenergy


Build and strengthen relationships with the Build and strengthen relationships with the external environmentexternal environment

Develop a learning organizationDevelop a learning organization

Surface organizational strengthsSurface organizational strengths

Create norms for organizational resilienceCreate norms for organizational resilience

Nurture the organization’s spirit and engage in Nurture the organization’s spirit and engage in renewalrenewal

Thank you!Thank you!

Shana Hormann, MSW, Ph.D. Core Faculty MA in Organizational Psychology Program Antioch University Seattle 206.268.4714 [email protected]

Pat Vivian, M.A. Consultant 206.783.5240 [email protected]

Documents

Organizational Trauma and Healing