In a Crisis Give People What They Need & They Will Value You Forever
How will your leadership be remembered during COVID-19? Simon Sinek offers a glimpse of what might be possible. By giving people what they need, they feel empowered to rise above existing challenges, and they will value you forever.
Earlier this week, my team hosted another Belonging at Work Community Call. There, we discussed this idea of giving people what they need by centering those most vulnerable. Why? When we center vulnerable people & communities, we can ensure that no one is left behind.
For a better understanding of the champions that embrace this concept of giving people what they need, please watch this short video of the original #BelongingChampion, Mr. Rogers, who makes a strong case to look for the helpers.
When we find the helpers, we see hope in action. The helpers are often found in communities enduring the harsh realities of COVID-19 – places like hospitals, retirement communities, homeless shelters, food pantries, child welfare agencies, prisons, etc.
In other words, the helpers flock to those most vulnerable. Many of us refer to them as the heroes that don’t always wear capes. We celebrate their sacrifices, and we wonder what more we could do to move up and be helpers in our own organizations.
Leaders, Be the Helpers
So how can we as leaders, visionaries, and change agents show up and serve as helpers in this moment? Similar to the helpers on the frontlines of this pandemic, we must give our most vulnerable stakeholders what they need.
During our conversation earlier this week, we took a beat to first understand and asses our organization’s stakeholders – those we employ, those we serve, and those communities we impact. From there, we identified people who might be the most vulnerable to COVID-19.
If your organization is lucky to have in-house DEI leaders, now is the time to elevate and amplify their expertise. Chances are they will quickly have the information you need to assess the most vulnerable stakeholders in your organization and offer many actions to offer what is needed.
Organizations without such expertise may be sweating a bit at this point. Fear not. The information provided below may help you better assess who within your organization may be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of this global pandemic.
Assessing Vulnerable Populations
COVID-19 has made crystal clear the very real gaps in our social safety net. These gaps complicate key social determinants of health, or the social factors that make it hard for people to be healthy. These gaps also shine a light on just how deep health disparities run.
Research has shown that differences in access to high quality jobs and economic stability, quality education, healthcare, and safe neighborhoods influence our health. Fifty percent of your own social determinants of health can be traced back to your zip code (if you have one).
On our call, we identified five major factors that make it hard for those of us who are most vulnerable to stay healthy. These include:
Structural Racism, or the policies, programs and institutional practices that prioritize the well-being of white people while creating barriers to the well-being of people of color. Accessing healthcare is already a challenge. In a pandemic, here’s what it looks like:
The CDC found 33% of COVID-19 hospitalizations were of Black people, while only 13% of the US population is Black.
Latinx people are dying from COVID-19 at 3X the rate white people in the US.
Navajo Nation, were it a state, would fall at #3 for the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections.
An alarming rise of anti-Asian hate crimes is stoking xenophobic violence in the US.
Housing Insecurity, presents a challenge for individuals who are houseless. Practicing social distancing for over 500,000 people who live on the streets makes it impossible to shelter-in-place.
Food Insecurity. Approximately 14.3 million US households experience food insecurity and cannot “stockpile” nonperishable goods. Aging populations may have apprehension in going to the grocery story amid the panic of COVID-19 spread.
Rural Communities. Long distances from dense urban epicenters serve as a protective factor. Yet if one were to experience COVID-19 symptoms, it would be difficult to access a provider, and telehealth is unreliable given weak broadband connections.
Culturally Responsive Care. People who are not white, straight, able-bodied, cisgender men may endure challenges in receiving culturally responsive healthcare capable of respecting and meeting their specific needs.
Additionally, the systems meant to help us like hospitals, shelters, immigration centers, etc. are likely to fail those of us with intersecting marginalized identities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, ability, etc. This reality makes it even harder to stay healthy.
Strategies to Center the Most Vulnerable
The following questions below, will help customize your own organizational strategies to center and give your most vulnerable stakeholder what they need. Many on our Monday community call were able to use their answers to influence their organization’s responses.
By answering these questions, your organization will be better positioned to give all of your stakeholders what they need:
What is one community you work with disproportionately impacted by COVID-19? Consider the five factors above that make it hard to stay healthy to help you identify at least one specific population.
What is your greatest challenge to centering the needs of this community in your organization’s work? Consider all of the fears, worries or concerns you have, or are likely to hear from colleagues on your leadership team.
Considering this challenge, what is one strategy or action another organization in your industry has taken to attempt to center this particular group. If none exist, what community-based organizations can you outreach to help you inform your own actions?
Now that you have the framework, take action and adapt it to meet your organization’s needs. Remember when you do, you will be better positioned to give all of your stakeholders what they need, and for that they will value you forever.
If you found this content helpful, consider joining our next Belonging at Work Community Call on Monday at 4 pm ET/1 pm PT. The next call will review promising responses to COVID-19, and identifying actions outlined in these responses that our own organizations can take.
