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Vol. 3. No. 5
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September/October 2001 |
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Getting Back to Business
by Robert S. Eichler and Judith A. Jaffe
Following the initial shock, denial, grief, and anger after the events beginning September 11, 2001 and continuing over the past several weeks, we may feel that we are in an unfamiliar world with a constant barrage of anxiety and fear.
These feelings stem from a general concern regarding the instability of world order and an erosion of our confidence that we have some level of control over our individual futures. Worries that we cannot trust our neighbors compound fear with a sense of isolation. The feelings of anxiety regarding the world in general may be amplified further by specific worries about our employment or the viability of our business.
To respond effectively to current events we must carefully discern those elements and events over which we have no control from those we do. At that point we may be proactive in our approach to building a new future, full of hope, based on the faith that, with a few exceptions, the people of this world are fundamentally good, and that acts of good will overcome those of evil.
No workplace can be productive where people feel physically or emotionally threatened. Only by addressing these anxieties in ourselves and with our co-workers may we achieve the full productivity and effectiveness required of us. More importantly, overcoming our fear affirms our faith in the world community in a manner that proves no amount of terrorist acts will hold sway.
Safety in the Workplace
Whether before or after September 11, the issue of how well you know and trust your co-workers is a fundamental concept of feeling safe at work. In addition to any organized acts of deliberate terrorism, there are numerous examples of cases of workers "going postal."
The task of creating safe workplaces extends beyond the repercussions of current world events, and is our opportunity to address with increased vigor issues of harassment by insisting on equal treatment of employees irrespective of race, religion, sex, and sexual persuasion. While we cannot protect one hundred percent against unforeseen accidents or events outside of our control, it is possible to create, through formal policy and careful adherence to procedures, a safer workplace community. |
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Our generation has not had to live in the context of material or emotional hardships of wartime. Perhaps we can learn something of how to comport ourselves from the WWII generation. My father, a pilot in the Army Air Force during WWII, recalled an incident
when he was in Columbia awaiting a slated flight back to his base in Panama. He was approached by a civilian gentleman who, upon learning of my father's destination, desired to hitch a ride. This was not an uncommon event. During wartime, there were
many displaced people attempting to move from one place to another, often through the generosity of strangers. While my father was eager to help a truly needy person, he did not feel he had enough experience to assess the stranger's identity or intentions. Fortunately, he had clear AAF policies and protocol that he could employ.
My father offered the stranger a ride in his military aircraft, but explained that he was not able to verify the gentleman's story. He could transport him as his "prisoner" and would turn him over to the MPs once they reached Panama. He knew the MPs would be able to verify the validity of the gentleman's identity documents and establish the true intent of his need to travel. If his story held up, the MPs would release him and he would have made his trip. The stranger considered this arrangement and declined the offer. My dad, ever careful, played by the book.
My dad was willing to help a kindred spirit—if that is what he truly was. But Dad was willing to do so on his terms, in a manner where he remained in control of the situation for his own safety—and to ensure the safety of others. Be kind. Be careful. But establish and follow policies.
In the workplace, particularly in large office settings within multi-company buildings, observing the following security procedures will help to ensure the safety of all employees.
- Wear ID badges clearly displayed.
- Don't hold secure doors open for strangers to enter. Don't be impolite, but play it by the rulebook. Any equally astute person will recognize and appreciate your concern.
- Recognize suspicious behaviors (actions, apparent intentions) and don't let them go unchallenged. Anyone suddenly forceful or belligerent may be crossing over the threshold into "suspicious" behavior and warrants your inquiry. People of good will (and that's almost all of us) will recognize your concern and offer an explanation.
- Report truly suspicious activities to the proper authorities.
These safety measures will, no doubt, become a modus operandi for the future. However, it is important to remember our United States premise that all people are innocent until proven guilty. Do not rush to judgment based on appearances -- not clothing, not color of skin, not religious jewelry, not grooming. Behavior may be suspicious without being unlawful or criminal.
Re-Building the Community
We have become a nation of strangers, yet incredibly interdependent. Since the great migration of the population to our cities during the Industrial Revolution, we have shifted from the familiarity of small communities held together by personal acquaintances to one where such acquaintances are impossible to hold.
Of course, we have networks of friendships, but the pillars of our life infrastructure are supported by strangers. The food we serve at our tables is farmed, packaged, transported, delivered, and prepared by a string of people we can't begin to know. Our intimacy has been replaced with transactional relationships, sometimes supported with contractual ties and government agency oversight to ensure the safety and propriety of various businesses.
One of the natural responses to finding ourselves in a sea of uncertainty is to reach for personal lifelines. From this response, we learn two tenets of a safer workplace:- Your community is wherever you are, whomever you are with. Get to know your coworkers.
- Communities are inclusive. Take steps to include people who are otherwise "eating lunch alone" at their desks. Invite others to join in employer-sponsored activities.
Deliberately applied, community-building activities strengthen the workplace and reduce the sense of mistrust.
Re-Thinking Work
Grief counselors attending to employees find that oftentimes they do not discuss their grief, but instead focus on their relationship to work and career.
This reaction is evidenced in the media interviews with people who survived the World Trade Center attack. Some said they would never again work in a high-rise building, others expressed concern about their companies' ability to re-build its business; and still others questioned the amount of time they spend at work and away from their families.
In the early 1970s, Studs Turkel told us how people felt about their jobs. In his book Working, based on a collection of taped interviews with workers in a wide variety of jobs, Turkel captured the feelings of the time. "Work," he said, " is about daily meaning as well as daily bread. For recognition as well as cash; for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying… We have a right to ask of work that it include meaning, recognition, astonishment, and life." Work was life.
But today, perhaps through circumstances not of their choosing, workers are seeking a dimension beyond Turkel's observations – a life after work. In addition to looking for safety in the workplace and asking for clear and honest communication about the future outlook for their company and their employment status, employees are seeking a greater connection between working, livelihood, and life.
Work should permit and promote for each individual his or her required level of family and community involvement. This becomes a balance of income and time to enjoy it. In the wake of September 11, as many people re-evaluate this equation, fewer are now willing to tolerate a work place that robs them of life's dignity and meaning.
A Living and A Life
While a workday routine may provide a respite from feelings of instability in the world, for some of us routine tasks are made more difficult if we work for a company that has experienced a downturn, or has just faced a lay-off. Although the factors that contribute to these business decisions may not necessarily be linked to the aftermath of September 11, the fear of the unknown and anxiety about the future are the same.
Emotional realities can feed off of each other and easily become overwhelming. If you, unfortunately, are looking for that new job, investing some time in local community affairs on a volunteer basis can keep you connected with society, provide a community in which to participate, and provide tangible evidence that you are skilled, your contributions are valued, and you can make a difference. Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
This is not a time to hunker down and close up, leading to seclusion and depression. This is a time to wake up, include and support each other.
Additional Reading:
The inciting moments of September 11, 2001 introduced a fundamental shift in our approach to safety, community, work and life. The titles below are not sound-bites for quick-fix activities, but more lengthy reading towards a thoughtful reconstruction of our models for making sense of work, life, and ourselves.
Cowan, John. The Common Table: Reflections and Meditations on Community and Spirituality in the Workplace. New York: HarperBusiness, 1993.
Rayman, Paula M. Beyond the Bottom Line: The Search for Dignity at Work. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001.
Whyte, David. Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity. New York: Riverhead Books, 2001.
About the authors: Robert S. Eichler is an expert in managed care operations and systems, assisting SMG clients in tracking information flow, designing effective resource allocation, functionally analyzing system applications and evaluating system strategies. His talents in system analysis, conversion and operations re-engineering are combined with an ability to communicate technical concepts in layman's language. He is co-author of the chapters on claims and coordination of benefits in The Managed Health Care Handbook. Most recently, Mr. Eichler has served clients in the area of organizational redevelopment and training.
Judith A. Jaffe is Director of Corporate Intelligence & Information at VHPG and SMG, where she focuses on managed care research, competitive intelligence, industry trends, marketing strategy, e-commerce and health plan Web site information architecture design. Ms. Jaffe is editor of The Managed Care Insider print and e-newsletters.
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