When destabilizing events occur, how do you find a way forward?

Why traditional EAP services are often not enough.

Critical incidences require a level and duration of support that traditional business environments don’t understand or have patience for. Yet, this is exactly why some organizations not only recover but go on to thrive, whilst others don’t, in the wake of disruptive events.

Bringing specialized expertise to the workplace beyond temporary EAP response measures following an unexpected event, sends a strong message about the commitment the organization has to its people- that their well-being matters, not just in the short term. Proactive and collective support brought to the workplace v passive off-site help increases the likelihood that those who need it the most will get it, serving as a protective mechanism for engagement.

Traditional organizational eco-systems are dismissive of acknowledging the need for support that promotes an environment of denial and ‘toughing it out’, leaving employees to mask their struggles and slowly decompensate. When employees feel part of a community participating in collective options for support with their peers, it removes stigma by legitimizing and reinforcing the understanding that getting help is strength in action. It’s a sign of professional maturity and responsibility for the preservation of skill sets.

Often, EAP providers sent to organizations are selected based on availability, not specialized expertise. This is critical if the crisis you’re managing includes death, trauma or the intersection of both. Most therapists and coaches are not trained to work with death and loss or trauma informed practices. These are competency areas requiring advanced certifications.

Koden Consulting Services has the necessary expertise for helping leaders, teams and staff asking ‘what now’ and 'how do I do this' following a destabilizing situation. Grief counselors and EAP crisis intervention specialists are not equipped to guide you in managing the longer-term, operational and behavioral impact that does significant damage to organizations over the course of time. We are.

Going it alone without seeking the right kind of help results in bad decision-making based on inaccurate assumptions and a ruinous misalignment with employees.

Conventional wisdom, aka ‘wishful thinking’, assumes that people and organizations will muddle through and eventually get back to normal on their own.

No, they won’t, but they will maladapt.

​Why? Because the 'normal' that existed before the event didn’t include the possibility of what just occurred. The aftermath of a destabilizing event is often complex and multilayered. People have been changed by this event and need help accommodating that change and what it means going forward.

When leadership tries to create a facsimile of what was as a way of ‘getting back to normal’, it doesn’t relate to what your employees are experiencing, leaving them frustrated, resentful and disengaged. It's why key talent leaves. It's why leaders feel like fish out of water. It's why businesses go under. It’s why you need help.