Managing Fear, Confusion and Stress Among Employees

Managing Fear, Confusion and Stress
Among Employees
Presidential Inauguration Mindset.AI Report

On January 6, when pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and
interrupted Congress’ attempts to certify Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, many busi-
nesses ground to a halt. Both leaders and employees dropped what they were doing to open
laptops, take to social media and follow broadcasts as the tragic scene unfolded.

Millions of Americans experienced a tsunami of emotions. And as we near Inauguration
Day, Wednesday, January 20, emotions continue to run high, according to new analysis
from Peppercomm. If organizations are not prepared to handle this new wave of stress
and communicate with staff effectively, employees could be left distracted, tense and even
in conflict with co-workers.

On January 12, we used our proprietary Mindset.AI tool, which utilizes artificial intelligence
and natural language processing to analyze millions of pieces of digital content to identify
the emotional states of Americans. Overall, we found levels of fear, confusion and stress on
the rise after falling slightly immediately after the Capitol riot. In fact, the level of fear on
January 12 was even higher than it was during the riot, as Americans were consuming the
news that extremists may be planning armed protests in D.C. and all 50 state capitols.

                2021 US GEN POP MINDSET.AI TRACKER (01.02.21-1.12.21)

When we examined the data based on self-identified supporters of Trump and Biden, we
saw more troublesome trends. Among Biden backers, we continued to see high levels of
fear and confusion. In fact, confusion peaked during the riot and has remained at roughly
the same level. Stress also remained significantly higher than normal.

           2021 BIDEN SUPPORTERS MINDSET.AI TRACKER (01.02.21-1.12.21)

Interestingly, we saw markedly different patterns among Trump supporters. During and
in the immediate aftermath of the riot, their levels of fear, confusion and stress remained
relatively low. They began to rise on January 10, and by January 12, as the House prepared
articles of impeachment against Trump, they were increasing in classic hockey-stick fash-
ion. The level of fear among Trump supporters was significantly higher than that of Biden
supporters, with no signs of abating.

           2021 TRUMP SUPPORTERS MINDSET.AI TRACKER (01.02.21-1.12.21)

Empathy and Communications: Supporting Employees During this Difficult Time

Using this data and analysis as a guide, we offer the following best practices to support
internal communicators and other leaders as they help employees manage work and life
through this difficult period in our country’s history.

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1. Remember the human side of work. When challenging societal events occur, they happen ev-
erywhere – including at work. In fact, one of the key shifts that we saw in 2020 was a real meld-
ing of our personal and professional lives and a recognition by employers to look at the complete
life experience of employees, not just the “employee experience.” As we near inauguration Day,
with emotions running higher than usual, employees are once again looking for organizations to
take control and communicate in simple human language that speaks directly to their needs and
demonstrates clear empathy and compassion.

2. Ask, don’t assume. Listen to employees (pulse surveys, actual dialogue, etc.) to understand
how they feel and what they need, and ensure diverse opinions and voices are represented.
And lean on the wisdom of your Employee Resource Groups if you have them. ERGs are in the
perfect position to help you listen, gather intel and share information. Their leaders are
passionate and have the real knowledge of what their co-workers are experiencing and
feeling.

3. Be prepared. It’s not too late to do some quick scenario planning. Based on your intel
gathering and general spidey senses, what are you hearing and feeling? Will employees be
totally out of commission next week and glued to their screens? Will they want to take time to
join in demonstrations? Or do they just need time and space to process and deal? Will they
pressure leadership to take a stand? What’s the worst possible fallout for your organization
and how will you respond? As you prepare, remember that cross-enterprise collaboration has
never been more important. Whether you’re an HR professional or an internal or external
communicator, it’s important to join forces, as well as involve other important functions
(division leads, IT, legal, etc.), in your planning.

4. Be vocal and visible. Don’t let silence create the narrative for your organization – and
certainly don’t wait until January 21 to communicate with employees. After the Capital riot, it
was shocking and disappointing to hear how few organizations engaged with employees. Be
proactive today with your workforce (even those outside the U.S. can benefit from hearing
your POV): acknowledge the challenging climate and shared angst; remind employees that
their needs matter and to lean on managers and leadership if they have concerns; continue to
describe how the organization will support its employees and where to go for resources and
information; and re-iterate the company’s internal and external communication policies.

5. Look for opportunities to unite. As you’re communicating with employees, don’t just focus on
the here and now. Double down on the company’s vision for the future, where employees can
play a critical role and all the ways in which they can find common ground and unite. You
don’t need fancy messaging or a longform video – but you do need to get to employees
quickly and to offer some hope (and some help). They need to hear from you now. They need
to know you care.

6. Create circles of understanding. Consider holding, over the coming week or weeks, Tough
Topic Circles (there are a bunch of named options out there) with facilitators. In this model,
participants typically sit together in a circle (now six feet apart or virtual) to break down
barriers and discuss an important issue or topic. These conversations are designed to ensure
all voices and ideas are surfaced and heard and the discussion is honest and safe. The
facilitator sets the ground rules at the beginning and enforces throughout. COVID-19 may
make it more difficult to hold physical circle-of-trust conversations, but the premise can be
easily applied in a virtual environment — as long as there is an openness and willingness to
engage in a meaningful and respectful.
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7. Remain true to your values. As you communicate with your workforce over the next week
and beyond, remind employees why it is critical to remain true to your core values and
purpose. Leaders should also remind people the importance of keeping discourse in the
workplace respectful. Set clear expectations for behavior that reflect what you already stand
for as a company.

8. Prioritize health and wellbeing. In addition to acknowledging these feelings and reminding
employees about the importance of maintaining mutual respect, give staff a way to deal with
their feelings. For example, encourage employees to use the resources available to them, such
as your employee assistance program (EAP).

9. Lean on people managers. Provide your managers with simple talking points so they are pre-
pared to have meaningful conversations with employees. It’s important they take the time to check
in and really listen to understand how their direct reports are doing. Check on your managers’ well-
being, too, while you’re at it. For these managers, extra support and guidance are essential if they
are to remain resilient and motivate their teams.

10. Embrace vulnerability and build resilience. Work in parallel paths: as you think about
handling the current situation and supporting employees through a difficult period, also think
about how you can form deeper connections with your employees for the long term. At Pepper-
comm, for example, every single employee is trained in stand-up comedy, but it’s not just for the
laughs. This “tool” enables us to “read the room,” think on our feet, build bonds with people, de-
velop trust, embrace vulnerability and build resilience. And when you build resilient employees,
you build resilient businesses – which has never been more important as we leapfrog from what
seems to be one crisis to another. According to Silja Litvin, psychologist and CEO and founder of
PsycApps Digital Mental Health, “Emotional fitness is our best armor against all of life’s challeng-
es.”

The next week promises to be one of the most volatile times the United States has ever
faced, and emotions are running very high. The steps you take now to empower your em-
ployees to survive and thrive will be remembered well after the turmoil has abated. The
way you lead during diff cult times will determine how you are judged in good times and
will help to create a more resilient, productive and loyal workforce.

For more information please contact:

Ann Barlow
Senior Partner & West Coast President
925-200-6539
abarlow@peppercomm.com

Courtney Ellul
Partner & Senior Vice President
44 (0) 7765773333
cellul@peppercomm.com

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