Team Morale Helps Survivors of Suicide
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The prompt for this round of the FEDforum is team morale.This week, hear from Survivors of Blue Suicide Foundation (SBS).
Survivors of Blue Suicide (SBS) Foundation just held its very first surviving co-worker retreat for colleagues who lost an officer to suicide. Although team morale often refers to job satisfaction, optimism, and attitudes displayed in an employee’s work environment, team morale is also essential among survivors while attending retreats.
As survivors step off the bus at the retreat, their faces etched with hesitation and concern; they are individuals, not a team. They privately feel like they are carrying the world’s weight on their shoulders. Some chose to be there; others were sent by their departments. Whatever the case may be, some felt stuck. But as time passes and they get to know one another, they establish a bond, and before long, they function as a “team.”
Together, they listen to each other’s stories. In realizing they are not the only one’s suffering in silence, they develop a connection. They understand the traumatic loss of an officer to suicide is common, and others out there truly understand what they are going through. When they participate in activities, they cheer each other on and offer encouragement to succeed.
They are emotionally and physically supporting each other. They no longer see themselves as an individual standing alone on an island. They are now a member of a group.
As the weekend progresses, they become more confident in themselves and others. The morale of the team has significantly changed. For the first time in a long time, they feel supported and understood despite their apprehension and hesitation. Even if given the option of breaking into two teams or remaining together, they unanimously voted to remain one. Together, they laugh and cry.
As they board the bus to go home, they help each other with luggage, laughing and joking. They make plans to return the following year. They request a virtual session to stay connected, and they hug each other goodbye.
At the beginning of the retreat, one person exited the bus. At the end, a different one boarded.
One attendee said, “I didn’t realize how much I needed this. It is nice to know that others out there understand and who get it. I haven’t laughed or cried this much in years. I truly felt supported.”
Their outlook changed because they came together as a team, and they now have hope. This retreat demonstrated that positive team morale is not only affected by external forces but also from within an individual.
Are you interested in attending a retreat? Visit SBS’s website for more information.
This column from Survivors of Blue Suicide Foundation (SBS) is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDagent audience.
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