When someone on your team faces loss, good intentions aren't enough

Every year, roughly 1 in 10 of your team members will face major loss—the death of a family member, divorce, serious illness, or significant life transition. When it happens, you're suddenly responsible for supporting them through their most vulnerable moment while maintaining team performance.

Many leaders handle this through instinct and guesswork. You say what feels right, adjust work as best you can, and hope it's enough.

But grief isn't just emotional—it's neurobiological. Research shows it creates measurable cognitive impairment lasting 6-12 months: compromised decision-making, reduced processing speed, and decision fatigue that hits 40% faster than normal.

Without understanding what's actually happening, well-intentioned support often makes things worse.