Leading in Times of Trauma:

Healing and Building

Resilience

Shana Hormann, MSW, PhD

Pat Vivian, MA
 Definition of Culture

Edgar Schein defines culture as:

“The deeper level of basic assumptions and

beliefs that are shared by members of an
organization, that operate unconsciously,
and that define in a basic ‘taken for granted’
fashion an organization’s view of itself and
its environment.”

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

The Work Influences Culture

Creation story and rationale for

organization’s existence
The “struggle” and formation of individual
and collective identities
Relationship of the organization to society
Internal dynamics

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

 Individual-Work-Culture
Connection
Organizational Individuals
Culture Attracted to
The Work
Intensity

The Work
Itself

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Organizational Trauma

An injury to an organization
resulting from a single event or the
impact of an accumulation of events.
Severe distress from experiencing
a disastrous event outside the range
of usual experience.

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Sources of Organizational
Trauma
Single or cumulative injurious event(s)
Origins of organization
Redemptive nature of the work
Empathic nature of the work
Resulting internal dynamics
On-going trauma may result from
interaction of all of the above

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Characteristics of a
Traumatized System
Closed boundaries between organization
and external environment

Centrality of insider relationships

Stress and anxiety contagion

Loss of hope
Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007
 Role of the Leader:
Building Resilience
Move toward anxiety

Recognize and reclaim projections

Facilitate exploration of underlying

tensions, issues, and events. Give time
and space to the resolution of trauma
and loss.
Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007
Intervening in Organizations
with Unresolved Trauma

Name the trauma and normalize individual

and collective responses

Contain the anxiety and allow emotional

expression

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Understand the experience at the
organizational level

Make meaning collectively

Ask for outside help if necessary

Identify priority actions

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Intervening in Organizations At
Risk for Cumulative Trauma

Understand the organization’s identity

and culture

Open system to outside information and

energy

Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007

Build and strengthen relationships with the
external environment

Develop a learning organization

Surface organizational strengths

Create norms for organizational resilience

Nurture the organization’s spirit and engage in

renewal
Shana Hormann and Pat Vivian September 2007
 Thank you!

Shana Hormann, MSW, Ph.D. Pat Vivian, M.A.

Core Faculty Consultant
MA in 206.783.5240
Organizational Psychology Program
Antioch p.vivian@att.ne
University Seattle t
206.268.4714
shormann@antiochseattle.edu