.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
During the last four months of 2008, 1.9 million U.S. jobs were lost, and unfortunately the losses continue. Locally, employers such as Meredith Corp., Principal Financial Group Inc. and The Des Moines Register announced layoffs. According to an article in the Academy of Management Journal, when businesses close or firms dissolve, “organizational members interpret the ending to be similar to experiencing a serious illness, divorce or the death of a spouse.”

Last summer, many people in Iowa grieved the losses of property, familiar landscapes and daily routines as we cleaned up after the devastating floods. With the state of the economy combined with the natural disasters, a sense of grief is over the top. Loss is about change, and change is all around us.

People experience all kinds of losses, such as in health, finances or divorce, that affect the workplace. Even when changes in our lives are positive (promotions, weddings, births), something is being lost and some level of grief exists. How many leaders have been trained in dealing with grief in the workplace, and why should we care? In our culture, talking about loss and grief has been taboo.

Sex, birth, death and money all have become politically correct topics of discussion in our society. Loss and grief are also a part of our daily lives, but rarely are discussed. It is time for that to change.

We know relatively little about how grief affects the workplace. Therefore, it’s likely that few leaders are well-prepared to deal with the current economic situation in ways that benefit both the organization and the people who work within it. How many leaders even consider grief work as part of their responsibilities? Because work is the place where most of us live out much of our lives, it is important for leaders to be able to understand grief in ways that show compassion, minimize pain and provide an environment that helps people heal.

Author Deborah Morris Coryell says it is the responsibility of leaders to make sure people have the resources they need to deal with loss and grief. She advocates that leaders explore their belief systems about grief and loss in order to face their fears and to become aware of the language used. Is the language used healing language rather than wounding? If we believe that leaders are to help others do their jobs better, understanding grief and loss is an essential skill in building relationships.

As leaders, we need to remember that we can’t build relationships in times of crisis. When a crisis hits, we need to be able to count on our relationships to get us through. As one of the Chassidic masters notes: “While a tree with strong roots can withstand a harsh storm, it can hardly hope to grow them once the storm is on the horizon.” This is the perfect time to develop these skills.

Jann Freed holds the Mark and Kay De Cook Endowed Chair in Leadership and Character Development at Central College in Pella.