The last months have brought an increased intensity in conversations. Perhaps it's the election or maybe the holidays, but there seems to be a heightened sense of uncertainty and worry amongst many. I have had journalists contact us seeking commentary about what the future holds for company’s DEI initiatives and leaders are struggling to know how to have difficult conversations about current events. Burnout is still a risk for many employees and the idea of moral injury has found its way back to the front of our minds.

As we consider all these complexities, it is more important than ever for organizations and leaders to lean into their core values and principles. Name them, proclaim them, and live them. Despite changes, which are certain to occur, we know that research continues to demonstrate the desire employees and leaders have for ensuring workplaces build on equity, inclusion, and respect. Customers and employees seek organizations that support higher levels of transparency and sustainability. Organizations operate on a larger scale than any one issue and their commitment to what is important does not need to falter.

As we consider the New Year, a reassessment is always timely. If employees are experiencing any level of moral injury, it can be effectively addressed by recognizing the psychological and emotional impacts employees are feeling and creating supportive environments where individuals feel safe, heard, and empowered to heal. As you step into this challenging terrain, know we are available to support you. It's not easy leading these conversations in the workplace and we are happy to offer tools, coaching and assistance.

Sincerely,

Laurie Cure, CEO

RECOVERING FROM MORAL INJURY

Our current environment, on many fronts, is challenging who we are as people. We are being confronted with situations that challenge our values, raise questions of ethical integrity and are bringing us to the forefront of our own boundaries. From politics to artificial intelligence, there is no shortage of circumstances that lead to feelings of distress or disillusionment. But sometimes, the resulting distress it causes can be serious. At its most intense, this experience can be described as moral injury.

What is Moral Injury?

Moral injury refers to painful emotions, behavioral changes, difficulty connecting with others, and sometimes spiritual crisis. Many people may feel distress after a potentially morally injurious event, but most feel better over time. However, those who continue to struggle emotionally or spiritually long after the event—impacting their relationships, work, school, or other daily activities—may be experiencing moral injury.

A term originally coined to capture the psychological effects of war on combat veterans, more recently, moral injury has been expanded to include health care workers and can also extend to political events like a presidential election. This is especially true if people feel the outcome clashes with their ethical or moral values or they perceive the process as divisive, unethical, harmful to vulnerable groups, or feel that they have no control over the direction of the future. Such moral injury can manifest as a sense of betrayal, a loss of trust in organizations and institutions, and personal or collective disillusionment.

These effects may be amplified by public dialogue and media coverage, which often highlight polarizing viewpoints making them feel disconnected and potentially increasing their distress. 

How Can a Person Recover from Moral Injury?

Moving forward from a sense of moral injury can be challenging, but it is possible through intentional steps. The following are strategies that may help in processing these feelings and focusing on a positive outlook and constructive paths forward:

Process and Acknowledge Your Emotions

• Self-Reflection and Acceptance: It can be beneficial for individuals to acknowledge the events or actions that led to their moral injury and validate their feelings without judgment. Accepting feelings of loss or frustration is healthy and can prevent long-term stress. Journaling or discussing these feelings with trusted friends or family can be helpful.
• Practice Mindfulness: Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or spending time outdoors can ground you and help you manage stress.
• Focus on what is in your control: it is natural to want to put attention on all aspects of the situation and problem, but it is known that our anxiety and frustration increases when we spend our time on those things over which we have no agency. Instead, take actions in the spaces where you have control and move aggressively in those areas.

Stay Engaged in Your Values

• Gain clarity in exactly what and how your values are being challenged. The more we understand the core of our experience, the better we can manage it. 
• Rebuild Meaning and Purpose: Engage in activities that align with your values, such as volunteering, advocacy, or creative expression. This can help restore a sense of purpose and reinforce your values in positive, constructive ways.
• Stay Consistent, But Be Flexible: Values-based engagement is a journey. Remain committed to your core beliefs but be open to new information and evolving perspectives that might refine your understanding or broaden your values.

Limit Exposure to Stressful News

• Take Breaks from Media: Limit your news intake if it increases stress. Set boundaries for checking updates or social media, allowing yourself space to recharge. 
• Understand the manipulation: It has been known for years that social media algorithms are designed to psychologically induce emotional responses. In 2022, the term “Angertainment” was coined to describe the increasing efforts of news agencies to spur anger and other heightened emotions. In this state, we are more at risk of unconscious bias and will seek out resolution in any way possible.  Being aware of this impact can help to bring attention to your own emotions and when they are being manipulated for others gain. 
• Engage with Balanced Information: Seek out diverse perspectives to help foster understanding and reduce feelings of divisiveness. This aids in reducing bias and bringing integration to your values and the actions of the world. 

Engage in Respectful Dialogue

• Build Bridges: Engage with people who may have different views in respectful, open-minded conversations. These exchanges can promote understanding and help bridge divides.
• Focus on Shared Values: Identify common goals, like community well-being or environmental sustainability, to foster collaboration despite differences. Despite the perceived polarization of many of the issues we are experiencing, there is often a strong core of shared values that is present for us all. 

Prioritize Self-Care and Well-being

• Reconnect with Hobbies: Spending time on personal interests can help distract from stress and bring joy.
• Physical Activity: Exercise is a great outlet for relieving stress, boosting mood, and building resilience.

Reaffirm Your Purpose and Goals

• Set Personal Goals: Use this time to clarify what’s most important to you and how you can embody those values in everyday life.
• Consider Broader Education: Staying informed on the political process, technology changes, ethical challenges in various industries or social responsibility needs can support a deeper understanding and can provide clarity and increase a sense of agency for future engagement.

These strategies offer constructive ways to cope, reduce stress, and stay hopeful, building a positive foundation for future efforts and civic engagement. If employees are experiencing any level of moral injury, it can be effectively addressed by recognizing the psychological and emotional impacts employees are feeling and creating supportive environments where individuals feel safe, heard, and empowered to heal. We have extensive experience helping organizations and leaders walk through these challenges. We are happy to offer tools, coaching and assistance. However, sometimes more injury can be more serious than our interventions are able to address, if you or your employees continue to feel distressed about the event that has caused moral injury, you are encouraged to talk with a mental health provider who can determine the best treatment options.

Additional Resources

Psychology Today - Who is Vulnerable to Moral Injury

KevinMD - Physicians aren’t ‘burning out.’ They’re suffering from moral injury

KevinMD - I will not sell my soul to modern medicine: Curing physician moral injury

Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families - Moral Injury

WOMEN IN MEDICINE

100% OF LEADERS WHO ATTENDED THE WOMEN IN MEDICINE PROGRAM SAID THEY ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO LEAD

Research tells us that organizations that promote women to leadership roles are more profitable. Yet globally, the proportion of women in senior management roles grew to only 32% in 2022, and that is the highest number ever recorded. And, although some strides have been made in gender equality in the workplace, women still often face microaggressions and stereotypes that can be difficult to overcome. This adds to the complexities women face when leading at a high level.

Our Women in Medicine program is uniquely designed to facilitate dialog and shared experiences for women leaders in healthcare environments. Through this program, participants will gain new insights, build valuable relationships, and hone the skills necessary to navigate the challenges posed by their organizational culture and the accelerated rate of change in healthcare.

Participants gain clarity and discernment through:

• Leadership assessments
• Individual coaching sessions
• Mentorship opportunities
• Guest speakers
• Experiential onsite facilitated group sessions

Women in Medicine is designed to meet individual leadership growth and development needs while supporting respective career goals. Our experienced consultants lead this work and weave their experiences with physician and provider leaders into every aspect of learning.

The small cohort of women physician and providers within the organization will engage in this 8-month development program. The small cohort format is intentional to support deep, meaningful mentorship and growth for physician and provider leaders. Participants will:

• Explore their personal journeys and challenge the mental models that shape them.
• Expand perspectives and elevate their ability to influence.
• Enhance relationship awareness with intentional focus on agency and allyship.
• Increase effectiveness in negotiation, managing conflict, navigating disruption, challenging traditional pathways, shaping culture, and leading change.
• Enhance their network of support and resources.

Women in Medicine requires participants to show up with courage and vulnerability. Our participants have shared that what they have learned in this program has significantly impacted the professional and personal aspects of their lives.

If you’d like to learn more, CLICK HERE for an obligation-free consultation, or call: 970-279-3330.

COACHING

Coaching can enhance employee performance, improve workplace culture, and increase employee retention. A global survey from The International Coaching Federation found that over 70% of coachees benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. Our experienced consultants provide immersive life-transforming coaching. Coaching is highly progressive and is a pivotal strategy in achieving breakthrough outcomes.

Professional development through coaching offers significant benefits across the workforce, including:

• Higher levels of engagement, commitment, and retention
• Effective succession planning
• Stronger employee/leader relationships
• Increased productivity, resilience, and wellness
• Heightened creativity and innovation

Individual and group coaching focuses on developing high-performance leaders and improving leadership competencies such as self-awareness, presence, listening, trust building, and managing goals and accountability. These skills enable leaders to transform engagement and performance for themselves and their teams.

The International Coaching Federation's study* also found that:

• 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence.
• 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment in coaching and more.

Innovative Connections offers four coaching programs that can be custom-tailored to meet your needs.

Our individual and group coaching focuses both on developing high-performance leaders as well as improving leadership performance. We help transform your leaders for your organizational success. Coaching is personal and requires an individualized approach. The relationship the leader and the coach develop is crucial to the success of the engagement. Our trained, certified, and accredited coaches have expertise across many industries with experiences and knowledge they share to help leaders define and move toward their goals, ultimately elevating their business and leadership impact.

Professional Development Coaching
Each coaching program is personalized to support your leaders on their growth and development journey.
• 6 months of one-on-one coaching sessions
• Hogan personality and leadership competency assessments
• Leadership-coach triad conversations
• Assignments to practice new skills

Performance Coaching
When performance falters, coaching can be a key intervention to reach clarity that a change is needed. A coach helps the individual and their leader agree on goals for improvement, then guides them toward achieving these goals.
• 6 months of one-on-one coaching sessions (frequency determined by the coach, coachee, and coachee’s leader)
• Hogan personality & leadership competency assessments
• Leadership-coach triad conversations
• Assignments to practice new skills

Group/Team Coaching
Coaching in a team setting offers the opportunity to enhance each individual and their collective capacity whether the team is newly forming or is facing new challenges.
• Monthly group coaching sessions (six to twelve months)
• Leadership competency assessment for each individual
• Assigned accountability partners
• Assignments to practice new skills
• Introduction to emotional and cultural intelligence

The Conscious Coach Signature Program
The Conscious Coach is designed to develop a team of skilled internal coaches that can be deployed throughout the organization to support existing and emerging leaders. The program's format will be customized for your needs:
• Cohorts of up to 20 participants
• Orientation session, pre-work, and assessments
• Onsite and/or virtual group workshops
• Time to immerse in learning through the real-life, day-to-day application of coaching skills

We would love to connect you with a coach that can help you achieve your goals, CLICK HERE for an obligation-free consultation, or call: 970-279-3330.

Learn more about our coaching services

*International Coaching Federation article

SELF-DISCOVERY—THE LIFELINE

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MEET OUR TEAM

Our organizational effectiveness consultants have helped clients from diverse industries work through tough challenges and walk the path to greater personal and organizational success.

We'd love to help you too! CLICK HERE for an obligation-free consultation, or call: 970-279-3330.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER AND OUR CLIENTS

We believe every voice holds value and everyone should be empowered to bring their full and authentic self to work. We celebrate diversity and feel a deep responsibility to move organizations from good intentions to meaningful action around equity and inclusion. We approach this work with intentional awareness, curiosity, and respect. As consultants and coaches, we recognize our ability to influence individual behavior and organizational culture, and we aim to always create safe and inclusive environments that encourage our clients to learn, grow, connect, and innovate.

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