How to Address Team Concerns During a Crisis

In light of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, I think it’s important that we, as leaders and colleagues, acknowledge the emotional toll such events can have on people. Whether employees are directly from the region or have family, friends, or cultural ties, they may be carrying invisible burdens: fear, grief, anger, helplessness. And in multinational teams, it’s even more important to foster empathy over division, support over silence, and humanity over politics. As someone with all my family and friends in the region, the current situation weighs heavily on me — both personally and professionally. In navigating this difficult time, I’ve found a few actions particularly helpful, and I believe they can support others too: • Create Safe Spaces: Open, judgment-free environments can make a big difference. Hosting listening circles or drop-in sessions within Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) offers employees a place to process, connect, or simply be heard. Let’s remember — ERGs shouldn’t only be for celebrations and social events. In times of crisis, they can be a powerful source of comfort and solidarity. Even something as simple as a “Coffee and Camaraderie” session can foster meaningful, healing conversations. • Be mindful of assumptions: Avoid generalizations about people based on their nationality or background. Each person’s experience is unique. • Offer flexibility: Some employees may need time off, lighter workloads, or mental health support. Compassion is powerful. • Lead with empathy: Even a simple “How are you doing with everything going on?” can open the door to support. • Provide resources: Ensure employees know how to access EAPs, counseling, or support lines — and signal that it’s okay to use them. This is not about taking sides. It’s about recognizing our shared humanity and being present for one another — especially when the world feels heavy. Let’s choose compassion. #Leadership #Empathy #GlobalTeams #MentalHealthAtWork #MiddleEast #Inclusion

dear leadership teams with employees in southern california, the fires across our region have grown 50x more widespread, leaving devastation in their wake. two of my former colleagues have already lost their homes, and countless others are navigating unimaginable uncertainty. this is not just a news headline — it’s a lived experience for many of our employees, colleagues, and neighbors. if you’re having a performance management conversation with an employee whose neighbor’s house is on fire, or if you’re asking someone to lead a discussion while they’re preparing to evacuate, it’s important to remember: they won’t be fully present. their minds are understandably elsewhere. with LAUSD schools closed today (nation’s 2nd largest school district), and universities also shutting down, many employees are juggling work, full-time caregiving, and crisis preparation. parents, including teachers, across Los Angeles are understandably nervous about the safety of their children and families. what started as a local issue has now become a national issue, as families and loved ones across the country await updates and resources. what does this mean in coaching your leaders and their their people managers? this is the time to pause, lead with care, and think about the whole person—not just their role. i’ve penciled together a top 10 empathy checklist for managers during crises to help leaders show the flexibility and compassion their teams need right now. Empathy Checklist for Managers During Crises 1️⃣ Acknowledge the Crisis. Recognize the situation’s impact on your employees and validate their feelings. 2️⃣ Check In Individually. Schedule one-on-one conversations to ask how team members are doing 3️⃣ Be Flexible with Deadlines. Adjust timelines and expectations to reduce stress for affected employees. 4️⃣ Support Working Parents. Offer flexibility to help parents balance work and childcare during school and university closures. 5️⃣ Pause Non-Essential Feedback. Delay performance reviews or tough conversations until stability returns. 6️⃣ Provide Mental Health Resources. Share Employee Assistance Program (EAP) details or other support options. 7️⃣ Simplify Workloads. Reassess tasks and redistribute if needed to avoid overwhelming employees. 8️⃣Communicate Clearly and Often. Keep your team informed and maintain open lines of communication. 9️⃣ Create Safe Spaces. Allow team members to express concerns without judgment. 🔟 Show Gratitude and Compassion. Acknowledge their efforts and offer words of encouragement during this time. this is a moment for deep thoughtful leadership. by cascading empathy together, we can make a real difference in the lives of our teams and our customers. if you have ideas or best practices for leading through crises, i’d love to hear them. let’s share, learn, and lead together.

In 2011, the Amazon Appstore failed on launch and Jeff Bezos was furious. It was my fault, and I handled one aspect of recovery so poorly that one of my engineers quit. I still regret it 14 years later. Please learn from my mistake. The main lesson is that when you are leading through a crisis, it can feel like it is all about you. It isn’t. It is about: 1) Solving the problem 2) Guiding your team through it The product issue was that there were some pretty simple bugs, and we solved those problem well enough that I was eventually promoted. Where I failed was in guiding my team through the crisis. My leadership miss was that I neglected to encourage and support the engineer who had written the bad code. He did a great job stepping up and supporting the effort to fix the problem, but shortly afterward, he resigned. During the crisis, I failed to make clear to him that we did not blame him for the launch failure despite the bugs. I imagine that left room for him to think we blamed him or that he didn’t belong. It is also possible that others did blame him directly and that I was too caught up in the crisis to realize it. Both instances were my responsibility as the leader of the team. His resignation taught me a valuable lesson about leading through a crisis: No matter how bad the situation is, your team must be your first priority. If you make them feel safe, they will move heaven and earth to fix the problem. If you don’t, they may still fix the problem, but the team itself will never be the same. As a leader, here is how you can give them what they need: 1) Take the blame and do not allow others to be blamed. In some bug cases after this we did not release the name of the engineer outside the team in order to protect them from judgment or blame. 2) Separate fixing the problem from figuring out why it happened. Once the problem is fixed, you can focus on root-causing. This lowers the risk of searching for answers getting confused with searching for someone to blame. 3) Realize that anyone involved in the problem already feels bad. High performers know when they have fallen short and let their team down. As a leader you have to show them the path to growth and success after the crisis. They do not need to be beaten up on- they have taken care of that themselves. 4) See crises and problems as growth opportunities, not personal flaws. Your team comes with you in a crisis whether you like it or not, so you might as well come out stronger on the other side. As a leader, the responsibility for a crisis is yours in two ways: The problem itself and the effect it has on the future of the team. Don’t get too caught up in the first to think about the second. Readers- Has your team survived a crisis? How did you handle it?

Nonprofit executives - I've spent 20+ years working in transformational change environments & crisis moments. Here are 3 things that can help you and your team right now: 1 >> Keep Communications at the Table Your heads of external AND internal communications are vital members of any crisis or critical strategy conversations. Often, decisions are made without these leaders in the room and they are brought in too late to contribute their expertise about how best to position challenging information, share meaningful updates, and respond to tough questions. This will make it harder for everyone in the long run. Do yourself the favor and keep communications at the table - as a contributing, strategic member - from the beginning. 2 >> Provide a Proactive Channel for Questions Your team is probably pretty shaken right now. They have questions. And while you may not be able to answer them all right now, it's important to acknowledge them and work toward answers where possible. Provide a proactive way for folks to submit questions (e.g., an email address they can reach out to, a form on your intranet, designated team members throughout the org) and then find a consistent way to provide meaningful responses (e.g., all-staff meetings + a standing document on the intranet that is routinely updated). 3 >> Help Everyone Understand Their Role You and your executive team may be working through scenario planning, major donor outreach, and many other emergent needs. Your team needs to hear how they can play an important role, too. Is there specialized support or research that can be gathered? Should they focus on continuing to provide great service to your community and donors? Help them know how and where to focus their energy - and when that may need to change. Don't assume that they will know to keep following the playbook that was laid out prior to the crisis or big change. What other practical tips do you have for nonprofit executives operating in transformational change or crisis environments? Share in the comments. #nonprofit #leadership #management #ChangeLeadership --- I'm Veronica - I help CEOs and Department Heads at established nonprofits create strategic clarity and lead change well. On LinkedIn, I write about practical approaches to improving the ways we think, plan, and work.