September 11, 2002:
Continuing the Dialog, Working Through the Healing Process
A Conversation with Dr. Yael Danieli
by Catherine L. Carlozzi
As an article in
The Wall Street Journal recently observed, last September's terrorist attacks "occurred in the workplace, drastically altering the office environments of workers across the nation." After months of coping with trauma, assimilating new realities, and trying to re-center and go forward, companies across the country—particularly in New York City—have more recently been wrestling with the issue of how to mark the first anniversary of this watershed event.
"Anniversaries, by definition, are occasions to review the past year and what you have or have not taken care of," says Dr. Yael Danieli, a New York-based clinical psychologist who is one of the world's foremost authorities on trauma and the care of survivors and victims. A founding director of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dr. Danieli has served as a consultant to the United Nations and a variety of world governments and their agencies.
The Ayers Report used the occasion of this anniversary to ask Dr. Danieli to assess how businesses have responded to employees' needs over the past year and provide advice on how to continue addressing those needs as we go forward. Following are excerpts from that interview.
AR: In the months since September 11, have businesses responded to the event and its aftermath in the way you would've expected?
YD: Yes, and in ways I was afraid to anticipate. The responses have been varied, as expected—especially in the willingness to allow employees and leadership to talk about September 11 and their personal responses to it. There's evidence of what I call the "conspiracy of silence" or "trauma after the trauma." Many victims say that being shut out, not being listened to, or having their concerns misinterpreted is more hurtful than the trauma itself.
Americans tend to like quick fixes. We want to immediately clean up, rebuild, and move on. There were calls fairly soon after the event to return to business as usual—and of course there is no back to normal after a catastrophe such as September 11.
Healing needs time. You can't rush it. If you had a broken leg and I pushed you to run a marathon in two weeks, everyone would think I was mad. But somehow, that is expected after such trauma. It's unwise and detrimental, particularly when it's culturally reinforced. We need to go through a process to heal in an optimal fashion. If we go through the
right process, healing will be based on genuine, solid foundations and productivity can return perhaps even to better-than-previous levels.
AR: What does the healing process involve?
YD: Dialog, in all directions. In the organizations I've worked with, I've asked—or asked the organization to ask—employees to list their needs and concerns. The articulation, even if difficult sometimes, and the resulting dialog contribute in the long run to camaraderie, better relationships, and improved productivity. Working through this process humanizes the company and makes employees feel better about their work and workplace.
Closer to September 11, employees wanted to have their physical safety taken care of. So we did evacuation exercises. It was about more than knowing which route to take to safety. The exercises gave them a chance to articulate and, therefore, integrate their fears and feelings about safety, which people found supportive.
Emotional security, on the other hand, has to do with a sense that your needs and opinions count. It involves trusting. That's why open dialog is so important. The better, safer, and more supported and respected one feels, the better the output. Honesty really pays, and people really appreciate it.
AR: We've had so many other things to cope with lately: war, anthrax, the ongoing threat of terrorism, instability in the Middle East, the reluctant economy. And at a time when you say we need to build honesty and trust, we're dealing with a wave of corporate scandal and a resulting crisis in shareholder confidence. What has the impact of all this been on top of September 11?
YD: It's certainly heightened people's sense of insecurity and instability in their jobs, and that has been difficult. It's contributed to people's fear of asking for more or taking risks. It all contributes to the generalized sense of depression and lack of security since September 11.
We have a failure both of security and securities. That's a very meaningful play on words. The failure of securities—of confidence in the markets—in many ways reflects deeper fears regarding security, because it includes our feelings about government and leadership at all levels. The demoralization has been further compounded by the crisis in the Catholic Church and infringement of civil liberties. Whom can we trust? Whose judgment can we rely on? Do we have direction and is it meaningful?
AR: Right now managers—who are juggling with the pressure to return to productivity and the need to be sensitive to employees' concerns in this complex, difficult time—seem to have the hardest job.
YD: Every leader in the army knows that the best way to build camaraderie and cohesiveness is to be there with and listen to everyone. Business leaders should have the same wisdom. If you create a dialog, the leadership shouldn't be alone. People appreciate thoughtfulness and kindness and give much more when they feel appreciated.
At one of the companies I've been working with since September, a senior executive finally admitted that he had lost close family members immediately before and after September 11. He'd been through hell but was trying to do what he thought was right by playing the tough leader. When he opened up, it humanized the organization. The moment emotion opens up, real concern opens up. By accepting that his needs counted, he could acknowledge that other people's needs counted. He could respond to them and they to him.
Instead of feeling vacuous and artificial, employees began coming up with creative ideas. They decided everyone should get together for coffee and donuts on Monday mornings to catch up after the weekend. They even came in a half-hour early so it wouldn't compete with company work time. Parents began comparing notes on how to talk to their children about what was happening. They decided to invite security experts to come in and talk. They discovered that a place of work can feel good again.
AR: This is obviously part of establishing a new normal. Are we making progress there?
YD: We can redefine normal only when we accept that what was normal before no longer is. This is a long-term process. Some organizations simply never gave it a chance. You won't hear employees complain to leadership at those companies, but there's an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and a sense of not belonging—which is not good for productivity.
The new normality must incorporate uncertainty—a greater level of comfort with, openness to, tolerance of, and readiness for ANYTHING. That can be hard to cope with, particularly in business. It means accepting that nothing will ever be the same again. This may feel bad, but it's realistic.
Also, we need to understand that September 11 was a terrible loss—not just in terms of lost life, but in terms of a lost way of life and so many dimensions of security. And most of us have not taken the time to even begin the process of grieving.
AR: The expectation is that there will continue to be a ripple effect from September 11 that will trigger delayed reactions. You talk in your work about how people who have experienced a major traumatic event are affected for the rest of their lives. Even for those who are seemingly unaffected, environmental factors, life changes, or other things can trigger the original incident with its full impact at a later time. What advice do you have for businesses and HR professionals in dealing with this anniversary, when feelings may be reawakened?
YD: Companies need to create a "holding environment" in which people can share their feelings or do whatever else it is they need to do. Handled the right way, they may help some people tap into the grieving process. It's important to take the time to grieve, and for most people, grieving together is far better than grieving alone.
Many people don't feel a year has gone by. They aren't ready for an anniversary or commemorative rituals. They're afraid to deal with their emotions. In part, it's guilt. They're afraid they'll forget the people who died and render them to oblivion, which would make them like the terrorists.
AR: What specifically do we need to do as we go forward?
YD: Continue to talk, listen, and invite a dialog—and accept what people talk about. We need to take time to accurately diagnose, soothe, and heal those who are wounded, those who exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. They have to be emotionally fit to work.
People need to understand the importance of accepting help when it's needed without feeling ashamed. This is really important. PTSD is treatable to some extent. I say "to some extent" because some reactions to current trauma may actually interact with reactivated reactions to previous trauma. It can be quite complex. Sometimes simple counseling helps—just identifying what's going on—and sometimes longer-term care is called for. But care must be given by experts specifically trained to deal with trauma.
Organizations should continue to avail people of such services in confidential terms. If people aren't encouraged to talk and to experience their symptoms psychologically, it will contribute to physical symptoms, missed work, and, ultimately, lower productivity.
Reprinted with permission of The Ayers Group, Inc., from Ayers Report Fall 2002
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