‘’In times of trauma, we look to our leaders to support us.’’ – Katharine Manning.

Katharine Manning has over 25 years of experience training and consulting on trauma and victimization. She is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: 5 Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job. As a senior attorney advisor with the Justice Department, for 15 years she counselled on victim rights in high-profile cases like the Boston Marathon bombing, the South Carolina AME church shooting, the Madoff investment fraud, and the case against Olympic Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

In this episode, Katharine and Aoife discuss overcoming trauma at work, the psychological impacts of trauma and how best to practice empathy at work. Katharine and Aoife also explore trauma in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, looking at how everyone is simultaneously navigating through various levels of trauma and hardship right now. Key points covered in the episode include:

- An insight into Katharine’s professional background.

- How the Me Too movement inspired Katharine.

- What is trauma?

- How to become an empathetic listener.

- The LASER method - 5 steps to responding to trauma at work.

- The key to communicating effectively.

- Coping with the traumatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- The effects of institutional betrayal and breaches of trust.

- Psychological safety in the workplace.

- Vulnerability in leadership.

- The significance of talking the talk and walking the walk as a leader.

- The importance of putting employee-friendly policies in place.

- Ensuring staff are aware of support & resources available to them.

- How to encourage your team to support one another.

Now, President of Blackbird, Manning helps organisations prepare for and respond to the challenges they face involving clients and employees in trauma. She has trained thousands of individuals on compliance with their responsibilities to victims, and she teaches a course on victim rights at American University. Before her government service, Manning was an attorney in private practice representing Fortune 500 companies in class actions, insurance, and media cases.

Connect with Katharine Manning:

http://www.katharinemanning.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-manning/

http://twitter.com/kl_manning

http://www.instagram.com/empatheticworkplace/

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien:

http://www.happieratwork.ie

http://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien

http://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ

http://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie

http://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast

Resources:

Book Recommendation:

The Empathetic Workplace by Katharine Manning

http://www.katharinemanning.com/my-book/