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Blog Everyday Thriving Thrive at Work

I can HEAR you: Practicing Co-Regulation in the Workplace

co-regulation

Humans are social beings, and we are hardwired to connect. We intuitively scan our surroundings for cues of safety and danger. In order to survive, we observe, process, and respond to what is going on in our environment. Being aware of what makes our own nervous system responses, as well as those of others, kick in, can help us build healthier communities.

-Sofie Malm

I recently was involved in a difficult situation at work. The project lead had a lot of ideas that he wanted to implement without taking into consideration the amount of work and effort it would take to set these up. Apart from that, there were loose ends of the project that were not properly communicated leaving the team at a loss on how to navigate the completion of the project. I found myself very upset about this and instead of having a challenging conversation about how I felt about it, I made passive-aggressive comments and felt checked out about the whole project. Fortunately, one of our team members sensed the tension and encouraged us to take a deep breath in and out for a few minutes to practice mindfulness, to take things one task at a time, and offered support if anyone needed any. 

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Have you ever wondered why even though we know what we need to rationally do, we still end up doing the irrational one that could possibly hurt our relationships? Don’t fret because this is more normal than you thought and can be explained by how our brain circuitry works. 

Our brain constantly scans for threats in our environment and this happens subconsciously or what we call neuroception. If it perceives a threat, our autonomic nervous system (ANS) gets activated and prepares our body (increases our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing, and slows down digestion) to respond. According to the Polyvagal Theory (PVT) our body can respond in three ways. These are influenced by the evolutionary structures of the brain. The oldest structure, the reptilian brain, causes us to be immobilized. It’s when we tend to be frozen, numb, or shut down. The next structure or the mammalian brain moves us to mobilization. When this is activated, we feel the adrenaline rush that helps us either stay and fight or run away from the threat. The newest structure, or the neocortex, allows us to stay engaged, connected, safe, calm, and creative in the present moment. 

Imagine these responses on a ladder with the immobilized state at the bottom rung and the engaged state at the highest rung. As we are presented with different experiences, we move up and down the ladder depending on how our brains interpret the situation at hand. Going back to our example, as more demands were given for the project that exceeded the resources available, I found myself moving up and down the mobilized and immobilized state unable to reach the socially engaged state. 

At work, we are faced with different experiences such as an increase in work demand, unclear expectations, and implementation of new systems to name a few, which can be detected as a threat by our nervous system. These provoke different responses in individuals and can cause us to be emotionally dysregulated. This explains why some, me included, may respond in a manner that is not productive for the situation. If this is not managed, it can cause problems in the long run. It can impact productivity and even relationships in the workplace. What do we do now? 

One pathway you can try is called co-regulation.

Co-regulation is the “interactive and dynamic process of mutual emotional regulation, where two individuals seek to help each other actively in order to manage their emotional expression and states.” This is made possible by our mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are specialized brain cells that help us recognize the emotional state of another person. When we embody calmness, our mirror neurons show this message to another person’s mirror neurons which brings them from a state of dysregulation to regulation. 

In the workplace, whenever you feel that there you or your teammates are in the immobilized or fight or flight state, you can practice co-regulation by following the acronym HEAR. As an example, I included what our teammate said to practice co-regulation. 

Hold space

When emotions are very high, we need to give ourselves and others an opportunity to step back, stop what we are doing, and hold space for the emotions that we are feeling. In this step, we want to avoid overidentifying and downplaying our emotions. It is a time to notice what we are feeling and where we are feeling it in our body. We want to pull ourselves in the present so that we can be attuned to our own and other’s emotions without judgement. 

In this step, we can do grounding techniques such as a body scan and different breathing exercises. This can help us be aware of the physical and emotional warning signs of our body. 

“Once you read this, I want everyone to breathe in and breathe out for a few minutes and practice a little bit of mindfulness. Close the tabs that are open if your windows are full.” 

Empathize

Once we have calmed down, we can proceed to the next step which is to empathize. Empathizing can be shown through establishing eye contact to make a person feel seen or creating physical contact if possible. This can be as simple as sitting near the distressed person or just being with them in a video call. In this step, we should also take into consideration the level of comfortability of the person. 

Apart from establishing contact, this is where we can express our observations about the behaviors that we were seeing and the tension we were feeling. It is also helpful to ask for feedback if what you were observing and sensing were correct. 

“I know things have been very busy and tense for the past couple of weeks especially now that our tasks and projects are piling up.” 

Actively Listen

When your teammates are giving feedback and expressing their emotions, thoughts, and concerns, practice active listening. Make sure that as you hear them out, there are no distractions present. To ensure that you understood them, try to use your own words to explain what they just shared. This gives them a signal that you are attuned to what they are feeling and saying. This gives them a sense of validation which increases their feelings of safety. 

“I completely understand this and I appreciate you opening up to me. I also would love to comment this vulnerability. It’s been a very tough few weeks for everyone especially for your unit. I really understand where you are coming from. If I feel kept in the dark for tasks that I need to do, I would also feel the same way” 

Reflect feelings and perspectives

As the team enters the socially engaged state, it is important to remind each and everyone that it’s normal to feel upset, that things at work may sometimes feel like a threat to us. What’s important is that we are able to notice when our emotional states and resulting behaviors are going against our own values and hurting our relationships and productivity in the process. When we notice, we are able to pull one another into a regulated state. After all, we are working towards a common goal. 

After our teammate practiced HEAR, I felt safe and more comfortable to have the challenging conversation I was avoiding. I was able to express where the pain point was coming from, what values were being violated that caused me to be uneasy about the progress of the project. To date, we are working on fixing the pain points that we are facing and are more open in airing out similar concerns in upcoming projects. 

We spend a third of our lives at work and spend at least eight hours a day, five times a week with our workmates. We can leverage our collective power to rewire our brains so that despite challenges, we are able to maintain a regulated state that can enhance not only our own productivity but also develop positive and meaningful relationships with our colleagues as well. 

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Blog Everyday Thriving Thrive at Work Wellbeing Practices

Teaming to Thrive

Teaming to Thrive

By now it has become quite evident that the only way forward is to adapt to

a new reality where there is no “normal.” We have been turbulently oscillating like particles in a snow globe, adjusting to change and disruption at every turn. This is felt by organizations and workplaces everywhere. We are facing a massive evolution and we need to pay attention to what it’s teaching us that will enable us to survive and even thrive. One of the most important learnings has been that we cannot afford to sacrifice human wellbeing, particularly in the workplace where chronic stress has been at a crisis level even prior to the pandemic (World Health Organization, 2019). The pandemic has amplified this crisis to a tipping point that can no longer be ignored. Harvard Business Review (What Covid Has Done to Our Well-being, February 2021) reports from a worldwide survey conducted in 46 countries that 85% of respondents (mostly knowledge workers) said their general wellbeing has declined since the start of the pandemic while 89% indicated a decline in their workplace wellbeing. 

Many workplaces worldwide have been realizing the value of taking action on the mental health and wellbeing needs of their employees. We can see this shifting consciousness as a positive transformation that can emerge from this crisis. However, deep change requires commitment to culture-building initiatives that foster workplace conditions where people can feel safe, supported, and inspired to grow. An important aspect of cultivating a wellbeing culture is by being intentional about teaming practices.

Being part of a caring and supportive team buffers employees from chronic stress and burnout by making people feel safe to connect, contribute, be creative, and even to be challenged.

When Google conducted Project Aristotle in 2016, a research on what makes a sustainable high performing team, they found that the most critical factor in determining team success was psychological safety (The New York Times, February 2016).

Harvard organizational scientist Amy Edmondson describes psychological safety as “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”

Administrative Science Quarterly, 1999

Safety in our social environment primes our nervous system to be calm, open, and receptive to others as opposed to being defensive, rigid, and hostile. 

Team leaders and managers play an essential role in modeling and initiating skillful teaming practices. However, each team member has the opportunity to effect change toward building a safe and compassionate team culture. We cannot leave successful teaming to chance, especially in these times of remote work when so many are feeling the strain of social isolation. Having meaningful connections, feeling that you matter, and participating in shared goals can nurture our wellbeing. What is good for our wellbeing also translates into productivity with less “efforting” and struggle.  It’s about harnessing the power of human interconnection and it’s what has enabled the human race to survive and continue to thrive as a species.               

Effective teaming needs consistency and doesn’t happen overnight. But the yields far outweigh the investment. Whether your team is just taking first steps or farther along in the journey, we encourage you to try these teaming practices as a way of fortifying individual and collective wellbeing.  

1. Integrate Mindfulness to Strengthen Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation

Building psychologically safe teams requires that each member learns to take responsibility for managing their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Trust and healthy risk-taking can only flourish if we know that people around us have the ability to interact skillfully and compassionately. Mindfulness creates the space, the pause, so that we can step back and become aware of what is happening within and outside of us. By practicing mindfulness we empower ourselves to engage in a wise response instead of giving in to an urge that might hurt others and ourselves. 

  • Minute to Arrive- Give a minute of silence at the start of each meeting for everyone to take a few breaths and be fully present. This helps calm the mind and set the atmosphere for mindful communication. (Source: SIYLY Adaptive Resilience Team Practices)
  • Midpoint Check-In- A mid-point check-in introduces a pause in the middle of a meeting to reflect on how the conversation is going. It can be guided by questions such as, “How am I feeling about this?”, “Are we listening to everyone?”, “What perspective are we missing?”, “What’s getting in the way of us moving forward?” (Source: SIYLY Adaptive Resilience Team Practices)
  • Set team norms for being present by closing emails and chats, silencing phones/notifications, making eye contact and listening actively during meetings. 

2. Building Empathy 

Empathy enables us to connect with and respect the feelings and perspectives of others. Having differences and misunderstandings will always be part of our team experience. Empathy gives us the capacity to bridge these differences by understanding and validating where the other person is coming from. 

  • Appreciations and Acknowledgements- Set aside a few minutes during a meeting during which team members are invited to acknowledge or appreciate someone in the team.
  • Opening Check-In- Do a round to check-in at the beginning of each meeting by having each person share responses to prompts such as, “How are you arriving to this meeting?” “What is something that gives you hope/strength?”, “How do you need to feel supported right now?” 
  • Check Assumptions- Remote work settings can present challenges in communication because we have less information to accurately perceive each other’s tone, emotions, and intentions. When a text message or e-mail makes you feel uncomfortable or agitated, suspend judgment, and take a moment to directly connect with the person through a quick call or video chat.

3. Strengthen Team Bonds

By taking time to share moments of connection, we build the trust and belief that team members have each other’s best interests in mind. With this comes honesty and vulnerability. As ropes of connection become stronger, people gradually become more willing to lower their waterlines.  Remote work does not have to hinder teams from experiencing creative and enjoyable ways to connect online. 

  • Wellbeing Buddy- Team members can pair-up to support each other on their wellbeing aspirations by checking-in with each other on their self-care practices, sharing resources, and simply providing space for compassionate listening. Buddies can be rotated every couple of months.  
  • Hang-outs- Create spaces for team members to interact without an agenda. This can be through a 15-minute hang-out time before a meeting, a virtual group lunch, or coffee break. Hang-outs could also be a time to share hobbies and recreational interests.

4. Getting Better at Having Difficult Conversations

Effective teaming requires honesty and courage to have difficult conversations. When team members experience positive outcomes from approaching instead of avoiding difficult conversations, psychological safety is reinforced and team members become more confident in their ability to manage these situations in the future.  

  • Rehearse Difficult Conversations- Teams can proactively discuss and establish a skillful process for having difficult conversations without waiting for problems to occur. Create a mock scenario and have team members contribute to the team’s “best practices” for managing a difficult conversation. These best practices can then become the team’s ground rules for when actual situations arise.    
  • Anchor on Common Ground- Help team members work through disagreements by shifting the perspective to what they have in common, what their best intentions are, and what they both want to achieve.  

Cultivating a workplace culture that is psychologically safe is nuanced–it isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are existing workplace structures, hierarchies, personalities and other factors to consider. And it is also not an impossible goal.

Contact us to get started on cultivating psychological safety in your workplace.