< PreviousWhat’s IN and What’s OUT in the Workplace? Eight Trends Leaders Can’t Afford to Miss BY RICK GRIMALDI T hriving in business means adapting to the many dis- ruptions and influences that shape our modern work environment. The way we work is changing fast. Technology is disrupt- ing every sector, while shifting social, political, and environmental factors are shaping a new landscape of work for leaders and employees. Staying up to date on these changes is the key to navigating the chaos, staying successful, and, frankly, staying out of legal hot water. Some of the big trends we’re seeing are driven by COVID-19, and there are legal questions attached to many of them. But legalities are just the beginning. To stay relevant and attract a tal- ented workforce, you’ve got to know which outdated standards and behav- iors no longer belong in today’s work- place. And you’ve got to change them quickly. In other words, to stay suc- cessful in a world in constant flux, lead- ers must know what’s IN and what is decidedly OUT. Then they must trans- form their organization accordingly. For instance: No. 1) IN: A structured, laser-focus on workplace safety. OUT: A “things will be fine” approach to safety. Once a discrete area that many thought only construction companies and chemical plants needed to worry about, the COVID-19 pandemic sud- denly made workplace safety an issue for everyone — in every business regardless of industry. In addition, workplace violence is on the rise. Today’s workers demand and expect that companies put their safety first, and companies are stepping up. A laser focus on safety not only helps companies prevent disability and discrimination claims, and avoid OSHA fines, it sets them up to recruit and retain top talent. No. 2) IN: Flexibility that allows for work-life integration. OUT: Rigid rules about when and how employees work. “Work from home” seems here to stay. Also, the 9-5 workday is being replaced with a more flexible sched- ule that — theoretically — allows better work-life integration. Yet, true work- life integration requires time to enjoy life and de-stress, which is not always easy when the workday bleeds into eve- nings and weekends. There are no easy answers for employees or companies. Yes, work from home can improve employee productivity, creativity, and morale. On the other hand, there’s no substitute for face-to-face interac- tions, and we’re starting to see burnout from those who have been working from home for the past year and don’t know when to close their laptops for the night. Organizations must weigh the trade-offs between what’s good for the company and what’s good for the worker. No. 3) IN: Intentionally shaping multigenerational companies. OUT: Ageism in any form. The most recent census revealed there are 38 million baby boomers, 57 million millennials (Gen Y), and 53 million Gen Xers. Soon, we will add in the 65 million Gen Zers. Youngsters far outnumber the oldsters at work. But at the same time, boomers are still hang- ing on to their place in the workforce. This is a good thing. The most produc- tive and high-performing companies include a nice mix of employees of all age ranges, older employees included. A blend of different ages means you get more diverse perspectives and a synergy that gives you a competitive edge. Younger workers can come up with different ideas and may push for meaningful social and environmental change. But older employees bring a wealth of experience, insight, stability and soft skills that younger people may not have developed yet. No. 4) IN: A zero-tolerance attitude toward sexual harassment. OUT: Apathy around sexual harassment issues; or worse, cover-ups. In the post-#MeToo era, powerful employers and employees are facing new scrutiny about their workplace behaviors and relationships. Everyone should have the memo by now. There should be zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace. 10 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021No. 5) IN: Taking a stand on social and environmental issues. OUT: Myopic focus on profits and shareholder earnings. In recent years, many organizations have come forward to support the Black Lives Matter movement, taken a stand on global human rights issues, or adopted a more environmentally con- scious approach to business. Not only is taking a stand on such issues the right thing to do, it’s what people want. According to a recent study, more than 87% of consumers make purchases based on whether a company’s social beliefs align with their own. And 75% of millennials say they would take a pay cut to work for a socially and environmentally responsible company. No. 6) IN: Psychological safety and connectedness. OUT: Workplace bullies running roughshod. As artificial intelligence (AI) dis- rupts and reshapes businesses, the work left to be performed by humans will be based on collaboration and communication. Employees must feel safe enough to build good trusting rela- tionships that spur innovation. Anyone who dominates, demeans, belittles or bullies others is interfering with this pursuit — and companies will no lon- ger tolerate it. Leaders, create an atmosphere of psychological safety by encouraging candor, avoiding blame and allowing people to deliver bad news without fear of your reaction. Spell out expec- tations of how co-workers should inter- act, implement mandatory training and set up channels for reporting bullying. And thoroughly investigate all claims. No. 7) IN: Diversity, inclusion ... and METAClusion. OUT: Overlooking people of color, women, LGBTQ and disabled employees. Consider a few facts: • For the first time, beginning in 2019, the majority of American hires in their prime — ages 25-54 — were people of color. • Also, for the first time in 2019, women made up the majority of the college-educated workforce. And the 66 million working women today are expected to grow to 92 million by 2050. • Though immigrants make up just 18% of the workforce older than 25 in the U.S. today, they obtain 28% of high-quality patents. They’re also more likely to be recognized as Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, medi- cine and physiology. We know diversity and inclusion are important. But organizations that want to thrive go further: They work toward what DEI expert Tristan Hig- gins calls metaclusivity. In other words, they cultivate a true sense of belonging. Feeling that they belong is what gets people engaged and allows them to do their best work. No. 8) IN: Bringing mental health issues out of the closet. OUT: A hands-off approach to employee emotional well-being. After years of staying out of per- sonal lives, more companies are asking, “How are you doing, really?” Thanks to COVID, many employees have moved past stress and into trauma territory. Companies are realizing that their psychological well-being impacts engagement, productivity, and every aspect of culture. Do everything you can to promote employee well-being, both physical and mental. Design benefits, career tracks and work arrangements with an eye toward meeting the needs of employees at different stages of life. And destig- matize mental health issues. It has to be okay to ask for help. Your ability to flex is what will make your business successful in the future. Disrupt yourself now by letting go of what’s out and embracing the trends that make our modern work environ- ment more productive, more inclusive and more profitable. | AC&F | 11 Rick Grimaldi is a workplace trends expert and the author of “FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace.” Grimaldi’s unique perspective comes from his diverse career in high-ranking public-service positions, as a human resources and labor relations professional for an international hi-tech company, and presently in private practice as a partner with Fisher Phillips LLP. For more on this subject, check out Grimaldi’s interview with Wharton on Sirius XM Radio at rickgrimaldi.com. SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Design benefits, career tracks, and work arrangements with an eye toward meeting the needs of employees at different stages of life.Engineering a Sustainable Experience The New Non-Negotiable of the Post-COVID-19 Attendee T he COVID-19 pandemic imparted a number of impor- tant reminders regarding our interdependence. Undergo- ing a crisis of a global scale, people everywhere received a firsthand les- son on how their actions and choices were affecting their local community. Community means not only neighbors and locals, but also nearby businesses and the nature that surrounds us. And when a few weeks of reduced action resulted in signs of environmental reprieve — blue-again skies, newly unobstructed views of starry night con- stellations — that lesson of ecological interdependence became one people wouldn’t forget. A renewed environmental aware- ness is showing up across many aspects of our lives. A recent study by BCG reported 70% of people feel a greater responsibility to the environment after the pandemic, and 95% are actively con- sidering how their actions are affect- ing the twin crisis of climate change. More than ever, talent wants to work for sustainable and socially responsible employers. Consumers want to frequent environmentally aware vendors, and are often willing to pay more for products that come at a lesser social and ecologi- cal cost. Similarly, attendees want to see their social and environmental efforts reflected in the meetings and confer- ence communities with whom they join forces. There’s a new post-COVID standard, and it’s one that planners and organizers need to understand. GOING BEYOND INTENTION It’s easy to see the value in ‘going green’ — more participation, greater attendee satisfaction, and an increased likelihood of seeing repeat attendees. Even in their excitement, organizers need to do their best to avoid making promises they can’t keep. Greenwashing refers to the too-often used marketing tactic of stamping a Corporate Sustain- ability Certificate sticker on an event flyer or home page and using it as a way to attract an audience rather than engi- neering a truly sustainable experience. In the end, this is a strategy that always backfires; attendees are too smart to be fooled, and people are getting in the habit of checking everything twice. The truth is that the engineering of a sustainable experience is much harder said than done. With every good inten- tion, organizers will only know that they’ve succeed in their green goals — whether that’s a net-zero emissions con- ference or a plastic-free event — once the meeting or conference is over. Sustain- able operations is a long-term goal that organizers and meeting professionals can work toward. Until then, below are a number of places to begin to have the best chance at hosting a truly green event. VENUE BEFORE EVERYTHING A venue is one of the most important considerations for meetings and confer- ence professionals. The sustainable val- ues and greens solutions, or lack thereof, that are put into practice by the venue will determine a large part of the confer- ence footprint. When selecting a venue, you’re selecting a water source, energy expenditure, employment strategy, sup- ply chain and, often, catering team. And those are choices you can’t unmake once the conference is in action. When selecting a venue, prioritize the spaces with solid sustainability cre- dentials. Venues can undergo high-level 12 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 BY TARA MILBURN Sustainable practices have remained atop the list of priorities for meeting planners despite the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. IMEX GROUPaudits to sign off on their practices, from their ecological footprint to their employee working conditions. Sustain- ability and socially responsible accredita- tions can help organizers understand that not only does the venue have their eye turned toward ethical operations, they’ve also gone to the trouble, and opted-in to the transparency, of undergoing an exten- sive audit to sign off on their practices. If there’s a lack of accredited venues in the area, organizers can look for a number of key indicators regarding the venue’s environmental performance. Things such as on-site waste manage- ment, low-energy lighting, community involvement and staff training informa- tion will provide some peace of mind that the venue is working in line with the conference’s values. A PROACTIVE APPROACH Before the event begins, organizers can brief their suppliers on their sus- tainability aims. Sorting through propos- als and contracts is the perfect time to bring clear sustainability requirements into the conversation. There are more than enough vendors who have made a full switch toward environmentally and socially responsible operations, so approaching suppliers with a sense of necessity is the best way to find the right working relationship. The practices of your supplier will make a big difference in the overall environmental impact of the event. Organizers need not hesitate to ask for proof of sustainability claims; the companies that are operating in alignment with green values won’t hesi- tate to offer a look into their practices and credentials with full transparency. Another great pre-meeting step is to add a carbon offset fee to your registra- tion process. Market activity has proved time and time again that sustainability is something for which people are willing to pay. Meetings and conferences are no different; consumers are appeased when they know they’re putting money toward the sustainability of the event, even if it means a higher price tag. The fee can be optional, but it should be a prominent part of the registration pro- cess, explaining to attendees that the carbon offset fee will go toward mini- mizing the event’s footprint by contrib- uting to an existing initiative — planting trees, inviting in renewables, etc. DIGITAL AND/OR SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS (NOTHING IN-BETWEEN) When possible, organizers should use digital communications rather than printed materials. That includes confer- ence flyers, directories, itineraries and event decorations. Ceiling-hung ban- ners can be replaced with digital signage, speaker materials can be distributed through a mobile app, and LED screens can direct people through the event without needing posters or programs. A classic hallmark of the in-person event experience is the things we get to bring home. Thoughtful gift bags and swag packs have long been an important part of attendee offerings, and they con- tinue to be a crucial aspect of bridging the gap between in-person and virtual attend- ees. Individual gifts make an impact, and event organizers can use thoughtful conference swag to connect and unite the separated audiences. Whether you’re seated in the front row or watching the speaker from your living room, every attendee will have a thoughtful, physi- cal takeaway. The gift gesture gives the event and the brand a lasting impression, regardless of whether the participation took place in person or online. When it does come time to put something in the hands of attendees, make sure it’s in line with the environ- mental and social standards that were reflected throughout the rest of the event. Organizers have long known the value of offering relevant, branded gifts at the beginning or end of the confer- ence experience; it’s a personal touch and a meaningful takeaway. But those gifts can’t undo the hard-won progress toward hosting a greener gathering. People love the swag that comes with meetings and conferences, but not if it comes at a cost to people or to the planet. Choosing a sustainable vendor is a crucial part of corporate gifting. Luckily, there are some vendors on the market who make it easy to offer beau- tiful, branded takeaways without stray- ing from sustainability standards. Having taken these steps and held a successful conference, organizers should look back on their initiatives, audit their process, calculate their footprint, and identify areas for improvement. There’s no need to get this process completely right on the first try, but it’s important to have an eye turned toward sustainable practices, making sure we’re moving forward toward those goals with each event. Organizers will not only be well- rewarded by attendees, they’ll be able to know they’re doing all they can to set the tone for a new, improved and more envi- ronmentally neutral normal. | AC&F | 13 Tara Milburn is the founder and CEO of Ethical Swag, a sustainable branding company that makes it easy for meeting and conference professionals to offer personalized promotional products that they can stand behind. A certified B-Corporation, Ethical Swag has been audited to the highest global standard for sustainability. SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES There are more than enough vendors who have made a full switch toward environmentally and socially responsible operations.Avoid Technology Tricks Focus Tech on What Really Matters to Your Virtual Event Attendees BY ADAM RIGGS T hink about the last in-person conference or trade show you attended. What stands out the most in your memory as having had the most value? Was it the physical structure of the building, or the people you met and interacted with? I would bet that for most people, it’s the latter. While we all cherish those experi- ences, there is no indication that vir- tual and hybrid conferences, and trade shows are going away in the foresee- able future. After a completely virtual experience in 2021, SXSW has already announced that its 2022 super show will feature robust virtual offerings for those who can’t — or prefer not to — make the trip to Austin early next year. What became a necessity due to the pandemic has become integral to many events for many different reasons. For every virtual event challenge, it seems like a new technology platform pops up to address it. Each claims to provide the best online experience for attendees. For example, many new technologies now promise to replicate the aspects of an in-person event down to the layout of the building or trade show floor. While these platforms are undoubtedly flashy, 3-D rendered envi- ronments, augmented reality product demonstrations and digital avatars may not address the primary value that people get from attending in-person events — to feel connected to col- leagues and industry leaders, and build their network. If you are planning a virtual confer- ence or trade show, consider instead how you can leverage technology to re- create the in-person experiences that attendees find the most valuable. It’s not that a 3-D rendered environment is inherently bad, but if you’re not pro- viding a meaningful way for attendees to interact in a way that they would in-person, then the experience is more sizzle than steak. For example, are your virtual attendees able to interact with speakers, network with lead generation or new business objectives in mind, and engage with industry colleagues? After Mark Zuckerberg sat down with “Wired” magazine’s Casey Newton earlier this summer to talk about the “metaverse” and the future of virtual spaces, the tech world has been buzzing about the next big innovation from the Facebook CEO. While the idea of being able to leverage technology to all but tele- port into virtual space is cool, it is a ways off. Conference and trade show planners, you, should first focus on the fundamen- tals and ensure that your virtual event facilitates connection and communica- tion first and foremost. Here are a few things to consider when designing a conference with your attendees in mind: CONDUCT A PRE-EVENT ATTENDEE SURVEY The best way to be sure that you are delivering an experience that meets the expectations of your attendees is to ask them directly what is important to them. Sending out a pre-event survey to registered attendees and other contacts gives you the opportunity to ask your audience what they value. Consider 14 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 MICHAEL BROWN Technology — with all the accompanying bells and whistles — should be used properly to ensure virtual meeting attendees feel included at your event.asking questions like, “What is your preferred round table conversation size?” or “What do you hope to gain from this event?” Even going so far as to ask what social media channels they turn to for professional insight and information can help build a framework for a more engaging event. By understanding what is important to your attendees, you can allocate the appropriate amount of resources to build experiences that help further those goals. If you are planning a hybrid event, data from your survey can help you know if your in-person and virtual attendees have different priorities. Start early and gather as much information as you can. PRIORITIZE NETWORKING Networking can mean a lot of dif- ferent things. Networking is making a connection with a colleague, selling/ demonstrating a product, or generating a new business lead. Whatever it means for your event attendees, effective and engaging networking between both in- person and virtual attendees should be at the top of your list of priorities. Aim to cultivate an experience that makes your attendees feel like more than just a number. A great way to do this is to look at technology that enables the direct and immediate exchange of information. At the beginning of your event, encourage your attendees to make a virtual business card or badge that is accessible from every page of your event platform. This encourages them to exchange information after a productive conversation just like they would on the convention floor. Another question to consider is how many virtual rooms you will need to make your conference or trade show run smoothly. Do you need a room for each vendor and speaker? How many rooms should you have for open networking and chit-chat? How can you make sure a steady stream of attendees are in each room throughout the day? As you and your planning team answer these ques- tions, look at technology that is custom- izable to the needs of your event. Like an in-person conference, there should be a balance between downtime, network- ing, and attending events and sessions. Creating spaces where conversation happens naturally will increase event engagement and encourage attendee retention year after year. USE LIVE VIDEO What sets your virtual conference or trade show apart from a webinar is the ability to engage with your audi- ence and peers face-to-face. While it may look cool, text chatting between online avatars and product repre- sentatives can feel just as impersonal for your attendees as chatting with a customer support bot online. It can weaken engagement and doesn’t add a lot of value to your event. Instead, opt for a live-video-based model, where attendees can join a virtual room, hear from exhibitors firsthand and ask ques- tions in real time. Although there may be a greater cost involved in live video versus having each exhibitor provide a pre- recorded demo, it provides a unique experience to your attendees that they cannot get elsewhere online. If you are running a hybrid event, this style of presentation allows your online attendees to feel like they are stand- ing right in front of the booth with the in-person guests. Make it your goal to design an experience that is as similar as possible for your in-person attend- ees as your virtual ones. DON’T LET TECHNOLOGY REPLACE HUMAN CONNECTION If your team chooses to invest in the bells and whistles that many virtual platforms offer — like augmented reality and 3-D renderings — instead of prioritizing technology that connects your attendees, you risk losing more than just revenue. If your attendees feel like their priorities were not met or that your virtual experience was not engaging, you risk that they may not choose to attend your event the following year in any format. Ask your audience what they are looking to gain by attending your event. Seek out technology that is customiz- able and that meets their needs. Then, after your event, collect feedback to see if you effectively accomplished what you set out to achieve. Instead of using technology to try and re-create every single physical aspect of an in-person event with as much flash as possible, focus instead on using tech to create a new, equally as valuable, hybrid experi- ence and enable the things that attend- ees care about most. | AC&F | 15 Adam Riggs is Frameable’s chief executive officer, and an experienced executive and investor in e-commerce, finance and media companies. Prior to Frameable, Riggs was a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the Treasury Department and a subject-matter expert at the State Department on a variety of open data and knowledge management challenges. SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Make it your goal to design an experience that is as similar as possible for your in-person attendees as your virtual ones. Survival Skills Is Your Organization Resilient Enough to Manage the Next Disruption? BY DIANA HENDEL, PHARM.D. AND MARK GOULSTON, M.D. E ventually, a major crisis will impact your company. It’s not a matter of “if” but of “when.” And while COVID-19 is the most obvi- ous disruptor, it’s certainly not the last. We all face a new era of uncertainty, volatility and disruption. Organiza- tions are rocked by techno- logical shake-ups, shifting consumer habits and politi- cal and social unrest, not to mention internal upheavals like harassment, violence, scandal and more. The most resilient organi- zations are those that prepare to deal with traumatic events. Organizations that will stand the test of time are those that put a plan in place to deal with the kinds of disasters that could create traumatic stress in their people and destabilize their culture. What does such a plan look like? While it varies and is too comprehensive to describe here, there are a few “must haves” of resilient organizations. Get a firm grasp on the difference between trauma and stress. While stress upsets our balance in the moment, we still maintain a feeling of control over our lives. Most of us deal with routine stress daily and are able to manage it. Trauma, on the other hand, overwhelms our self-protective structure and sends us scrambling for survival. It leaves us vulnerable, helpless, groundless. It shat- ters our sense of safety and security and changes how we look at the world. Unad- dressed, it can result in long-term harm. Launch a Rapid Response Pro- cess the moment a crisis occurs. You might think of this as a “Code Blue.” It’s a standardized, preplanned approach for dealing with disruption. Getting one in place helps everyone know exactly what to do so decisions can be made quickly, efficiently, and with a focus on safety. Here are the components to focus on: • Gather your Rapid Response Team. Appoint people to this team before a cri- sis happens and make sure they know their roles. It should include all senior leaders and leaders of key functions, such as operations/logistics, security, finance, HR, communica- tions/PR facilities, etc. • Allow the leader in charge to delegate. You need a central commander to manage response activities, such as assigning personnel, deploying equipment, obtain- ing additional resources, etc. This leader must be fully present, visible and available. • Have the team report to the command center. This is a pre-determined location — physical and/or virtual — for monitoring and reacting to events. You should also select a code word that puts the Rapid Response Pro- cess into action. • Gather relevant informa- tion. In a crisis, it’s critical to centralize information, facts and data. What’s known? What isn’t known? The goal is to organize and coordinate response activities, ensuring that the most pressing needs are met and that resources are properly allocated. • Promote a unifying message. It is vital to deliberately shape and dis- seminate a message of unity. Make sure your message is one of “we are all in it together.” This helps people transcend the impulse to split into factions. “Name, claim, and frame trauma” from the onset. This helps everyone understand what is happen- ing to individuals and to the group. It gives us the language to talk about it so that everyone is on the same page. It helps people say, “Aha, this is why I am feeling so bad!” And it gives everyone permission to finally seek real help. 16 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 VIEWPOINT DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMKnow the “red flags” of trauma- tized employees. When people are traumatized, they experience the “fight, flight, freeze” survival response. This is the body’s natural response to danger that enables us to defend ourselves or flee to safety, or freeze, as a means of sur- vival. Fight, flight, freeze can manifest in different ways. Some people might become hostile, belligerent, aggressive, or otherwise “difficult” — often seem- ingly without adequate cause. Others might cling to their “competence zone,” blindly doing what they’ve always done even though it no longer works. People dig in and resist change. Or they may insist they are “fine,” even when it is clear they are struggling. Meanwhile, leaders may behave in distinctively un-leaderly ways as well. They might hide out in their office instead of jumping into action, or else make rash, knee-jerk decisions when they were previously known for level- headed steadiness. Get super focused on commu- nication. (Think: “VITAL.”) In times of crisis, employees need frequent, real-time, transparent communication more than ever. The acronym VITAL will help you remember the tenets around communicating in the after- math of trauma: • Visible. Leaders must be highly visible and take the lead in communi- cation. Don’t hide behind a spokesper- son. Communicate quickly and clearly to reduce ambiguity. • “In it Together.” Double down on messages connected to team building, camaraderie and purpose. Acknowl- edge fears and worries as normal. Let people know what to expect. • Transparent. Align leadership in how they see the external environ- ment and make sure everyone agrees on what “success” looks like so messages are cascaded consistently. Don’t cre- ate voids by waiting to communicate. Tackle rumors head on. Share bad news the minute you have it. • Accessible. Use all modalities — video, email, intranet, text, town halls, etc. — to convey messages from the senior leader. Have a central reposi- tory/FAQ where people can get info and ask questions between regular communication sessions. • Listening. Ask questions and leave room for inquiry. When listening, stop talking. Resist the temptation to just listen for what you want to hear. Your job is to hear and deal with the hard stuff too. • Leverage the power of the 4th F. You already know about the Fight/ Flight/Freeze response. You may not know about the lesser-known “fourth F.” This stands for friend. It represents the bonding that occurs in response to trauma due to the presence of oxytocin — the “love” hormone that fuels friend- ships. This hormone causes people to bond in the aftermath of trauma. If leaders can leverage this camaraderie early on, it can bring the entire organi- zation together. However, if they fail to do this, the fourth F can work against your organization as individuals bond with like-minded coworkers and split into factions. People begin to question other’s motives and take sides. This division can lead to deep polarization. Use “both/and” to stop post- trauma polarization. When a trau- matic event occurs, opposing views can divide the organization. People believe the right course of action is either “A” or “B.” They see themselves as right and the other side as wrong. Leaders succumb to pressure and choose one option over the other — say, Choice A. When the down- sides of that action appear, they reverse courses and go to the other extreme. Naturally, the downsides of Choice B then appear ... and leaders swing back to Choice A. With every swing of the pen- dulum, division deepens. This is incred- ibly damaging to your culture. A “BOTH/AND” mindset helps us manage polarization. Instead of approaching issues with an either/ or mentality, organizations can lever- age both sides of these polarities with a both/and approach. The idea is to maximize the effects of both sides and minimize the downsides of each. For example, in a crisis, effective leaders can BOTH take charge AND build con- sensus. They can be direct and candid AND diplomatic and tactful. It actually is possible to recover and go on to thrive in the aftermath of trauma. But it’s a process — and the process starts long before the disrup- tive event occurs. Don’t be caught unprepared. When trauma shows up at your front door, the sooner you take action, the sooner you can make things right — and the sooner your employees can be on the road to healing. | AC&F | 17 Diana Hendel, Pharm.D., and Mark Goulston, M.D., are the authors of “Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side” and “Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD.” Hendel is an executive coach and leadership consultant, and former hospital CEO. Goulston is a board-certified psychiatrist, former assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA-NPI, and a former FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer. SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES The most resilient organizations ... prepare to deal with traumatic events. PLANNERTIPS themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 202118W e live in a time when people are obsessed with exercise, eat- ing well, maintaining their mental and physical health — and avoiding COVID-19, the disease that has caused a global pandemic. Though conferences, conventions and other gatherings bring many personal ben- efits, they can seem a little out of step with these values. “Meetings are notoriously unhealthy,” says Kristina Tarantino, CMP, of MeetingHealthy.com. “They typically involve sitting for long stretches in windowless rooms. The food is [sometimes] high in fat and sugar. Packed agendas don’t allow people much time to work out. Travel is hard on the body, and jet lag can be compounded by an overall lack of sleep thanks to early morning meetings and evening receptions.” Associations can’t overcome all of these problems, but they can help attendees feel more physically and men- tally fit by adding dedicated health and wellness programming to their agen- das — something that’s been a growing trend for many years. What follows is a series of examples from associations that have included these services at live and virtual events with good success. ACTIVE MEETINGS FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE Wellness has long been a major issue in the medical community. “Medical providers spend all day long taking care of everybody else, and then at the end of the day, they don’t have time to take care of themselves,” says Karen Bradley Burnett, CEM, vice president, meetings and business development for the American Acad- emy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). The organization wanted to do some- thing to encourage its members to live healthier lives. Adding wellness programs at events was also a way to help the organization meet its goals. “You’re always looking for new and innovative activities to have at a con- ference because continuing medical education (CME) will get them there, but it won’t keep them coming back,” Burnett says. She thought attendees, who tend to be younger and extremely high energy, would appreciate fun activities that would also provide them with a chance to get moving throughout the event. AAPA started by offering morning fitness classes in 2018. They sold out, so in 2019, they added more sessions and a wider range of options, includ- ing cardio kickboxing, yoga and piyo, 19 SEPTEMBER 2021 ASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Plugging Healthy Activities Into Events is a Plus By Sophia Bennett themeetingmagazines.com The Public Library Association offered a small wellness component for the first time at its January 2020 meeting. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONNext >