A free tool for challenging times: The Grief Cycle
We use the grief cycle a lot in our work and have seen how it helps people and organisations navigate through periods of change.
First introduced by Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross fifty years ago, it feels more relevant now than ever. As an article in the Harvard Business Review has pointed out – we are currently grieving both for the world that feels changed, the loss of normalcy, the fear of economic downturn, the loss of connection – and sadly for some of us this also means the loss of loved ones and colleagues.
Any change creates grief and we continue to experiencing change of a different intensity and at different speeds.
We have used the grief cycle to help teams recognise their emotions about change and to move through the grieving process.
Try the following:
How are you feeling right now? What’s showing up for you as you look at the cycle? How quickly are you moving through the cycle?
Bring your staff, volunteers, Board or beneficiaries together in a safe space to identify were they are on the cycle. Just naming the emotion helps and quite often different people are at different stages of the cycle meaning they can share what’s worked for them and help each other out.
Think carefully about any areas where you can create certainty for your organisation and team. Even small things can make a big difference. And creating a shared list of all the questions that are troubling your staff but you can’t yet answer can give comfort.
For those who are stuck, work with colleagues to identify the things that have helped in the past. While none of us have faced an experience quite like this before, we have all coped with major life events. What helped you get your bearings after a house move or the birth of a baby? Or to settle into a new job, school or university? The skills you learnt then will provide you with a solid foundation now.
Recognise that progress does not always follow a straight line – often people and teams ricochet up and down the bottom of the curve between experiment, depression and frustration. This is a particular risk right now as the adrenaline of the first wave of change subsides and your team might be exhausted and unable to move on. It’s good to note that the next stage is decision – what decisions could you take today that would provide some further certainty to you or your team?
Acknowledging and naming the grieving process that all organisations are going through right now will enable leaders to navigate their staff through the challenges ahead. As a result, teams that are open, confident, responsive and emotionally agile, rather than fixed and fearful, will be able to maintain the resilience needed to emerge from this crisis.
We hope you find this tool useful for you, your teams and organisation. Do drop us a line at hello@lucentconsultancy.co.uk or send a tweet to @lucentuk to let us know how you have used this tool.
