Connecting Vision, Mission, Employee Function, and Safety Throughout the Year Helped Us Weather the Storm

Sometimes I wonder if my employees ever get sick of me talking about how their individual roles are connected to the department’s mission and the greater organizational vision. They have never complained about it or anything. That I know of. It’s just a question that pops up in my head when I hear myself talking about the vision. Maybe I’m the one that gets tired of hearing my own voice over and over again. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I’m jabbering away. Never. It’s more of a monthly to every other month reminder.

I usually link it to a task or a policy. For example, progress notes are due within two business days. If your program is anything like mine, once in a while the team needs a reminder. I don’t just rattle off “Do your progress notes!” No. I see it as an opportunity to connect the task and the policy to the mission, the vision, and their roles as providers of domestic violence services.

We are here to provide a service. That service helps survivors stay safe. Creating safe communities is our mission. The vision is that we grow to provide more of our unique brand of trauma-informed services to as many individuals affected by intimate partner violence as we can. While they focus on the safety of their clients, I focus on theirs. What can I do to create a greater sense of safety in their work environment so that they can excel? When I use the word safety, I mean it in every sense including physical, emotional, psychological, moral, and economic.

Thankfully this approach has worked for me and I truly believe that this has helped us weather the COVID-19 pandemic. When it came time to retreat to our homes and work from there, the mission and vision were ever-present. What can we do to ensure that the families we serve are safe? Each team member knew exactly what they were supposed to do without missing a beat. The data specialist uploaded important files to the cloud. The economic empowerment specialist focused on organizing emergency funds. They all buckled down and created digital folders to access progress notes, monthly reports, and client rosters. It was a sight to behold. Minimal instructions were required during crunch time.

I made sure to check in with each team member individually during that transition week of March 2020 and every week ever since. How are you feeling? What have you been doing for self-care? I created a space where we practice mindfulness as a team.

When I felt stumped (Who hasn’t during these unprecedented times?), I was transparent about it and the team stepped up. I leaned on my team to pull me through with their creative ideas and suggestions. Page, Boysen, and Arya (2019) emphasized that employees that know their role and its connection to the bigger picture are pivotal to cultivating a “powerful” work environment. More importantly, their study highlights that psychological safety nurtures trust, respect, and accountability, key elements of a healthy workforce ready to innovate and withstand any storm.

References

https://www.cbservices.org/images/news/culture-that-thrives.pdf

Previously published on Linkedin.