Cross-Functional Collaboration for Trauma-Informed Healing
Discussion of trauma is everywhere right now–and for good reason: it deeply affects how we experience this world and how we show up in it.
And conscious leaders know: what affects us personally impacts us professionally, and vice versa.
We need to talk about trauma at work, how it shows up, and what we can do about it.
Understanding Trauma in the Workplace
Trauma, at its core, is the result of experiences that overwhelm existing coping methods.
Most of us have been there: a high-stakes deadline looms, we get harsh feedback that shatters us, there are layoffs, and we’re not sure if we’re next. We experience stress outside of work–health concerns, marital strife, parenting challenges, microaggressions, financial stress, or loss and grieving–and the stress spills over into our professional lives, leaving us exhausted, distracted, unfocused, and our performance suffering.
What’s the typical refrain? “Power through.”
The Harmful Consequences of Powering Through and Constant Survival Mode
Often, we recognize we’re in survival mode, and push ourselves to endure long enough to make it through the hardship. As a short-term solution, pushing through requires us to suppress our needs in order to meet demands and maintain high performance in extraordinary circumstances. Utilizing this strategy as a tool over the long term, however, reinforces maladaptive coping mechanisms, and disregards the emotional and physical costs of stress.
Over time, this will lead to chronic health issues–chronic stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, weakened immune systems, sleep disturbances, heart issues, and, over time, decreased psychological resilience, impaired cognitive functioning, and reduced creativity. Being constantly focused on immediate survival reduces our ability to plan for the future, and resolve the source of our current stress.
When individuals in a team or organization constantly operate this way, the health of the organization falters as well. In survival mode, we tend to seek isolation and self-protection over connection. We prioritize task completion over communication, and communication breaks down. We are less likely to collaborate effectively, seek support, or work creatively. Turnover increases. Trust and morale tank. A culture of urgency and burnout institutionalizes itself, leading to less forward thinking and planning and ineffective resource allocation as an organization, and as a result, the circumstances that led to the overwhelm are embedded into the organizational culture–trauma and survival become just the way things are done around here.
Effective Methods for Resilience – Grow Through What You Go Through
Folks who study resilience and trauma recovery know: Resilience is about adapting to stress, adversity, and trauma in a way that leaves people, processes, and systems stronger.
True resilience involves building robust capacities that manage present stressors effectively and prepares strategically for future challenges. This means actively acknowledging the challenging situations, analyzing the source of the difficulties, seeking help, strategically leveraging resources to prevent future system overwhelm, and enhancing systems and structures to better navigate and mitigate stressors in the future.
And all of this is done in connection and collaboration with others.
The Role of Cross-Functional Collaboration in Trauma-Informed Healing
Cross-functional collaboration isn’t just about getting teams to play nice and work together for the sake of a common goal. It’s also about leveraging the perspectives and skills of everyone in that collaboration to make the system stronger while supporting everyone in it.
And when people come together to achieve goals, there’s a unique opportunity for meta-cognition: analyzing and reflecting on methods and processes to enhance effectiveness and strengthen systems, making sure that they are not overwhelmed–individually and collectively–and finding a conducive way to work for everyone involved.
Cross-functional collaboration disrupts trauma’s isolation and self-protection, and has the potential to create safe, connected spaces where people can show up as their whole, most connected and powerful selves.
And when that happens? The path to healing opens.
Key Elements of Trauma-Informed Cross-Functional Collaboration
1. Trauma thrives in isolation. Healing happens in trusting collaboration.
Responsive empathy is at the heart of trauma-informed collaboration. Regular check-ins, transparent communication, and space for people to articulate and address their needs fosters trust in a real way. When people trust that they matter, their opinions and needs matter, their needs will be met, and they are able to make recommendations for how the collaborative system can be more conducive in the future, we find healing. Empowered action. Effective collaboration. Innovative synergy. And enhanced performance.
2. Diversity strengthens adaptive resilience.
Cross-functional teams harness diverse perspectives and strengths in dynamic collaboration. By valuing each perspective, particularly from those facing challenges, and encouraging problem solving, real-time adjustments make processes more conducive and effective for all participants. This support promotes individual growth, fosters mutual healing, boosts collective resilience, and improves systems, structures, and processes from multiple vantage points.
3. “Healing Circuits” – Feedback Loops for True Resilience
Cross-functional teams serve dual roles in modern workplaces: they enhance efficiency and act as healing circuits that mitigate stress and promote well-being. By acknowledging challenges and continuously improving processes, these teams not only foster growth and effective performance but also create supportive systems that reduce potential overload and overwhelm. In doing so, they cultivate environments where both healing and productivity thrive simultaneously, demonstrating the profound impact of structured, empathetic collaboration on individual and organizational health.
Conclusion
In environments where empathy, diverse perspectives, and collaborative problem-solving are encouraged, organizations can turn everyday interactions into opportunities for healing and development.
This approach doesn’t merely manage trauma—it actively reverses its effects, promoting a healthier, more dynamic and resilient organizational ecosystem. As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of mental health and well-being, the principles of trauma-informed cross-functional collaboration will reveal themselves as essential strategies in the pursuit of not only organizational success but also in cultivating workplaces that are truly healing and empowering.
Trauma-informed cross-functional collaboration is the crucial link that transforms individual effort into collective efficacy, adversity into adaptive problem solving, and trauma into resilience.
Ready to foster increased productivity and healing in your workplace?
Connect with us, and let’s build the future of work—one that’s inclusive, resilient, and ready for the challenges ahead. Join the movement today!
