Table 1 | Trauma Informed Communication Strategies for Supervisors

*The following tables were adapted from content from Li et al (2017), Singh et al (2013), and Varghese et al (2018).

Strategy	What it is	How it works
Naming	Making a conscious effort to voice your expectations and intentions.	“I wanted to check in about how the project is progressing. I fully trust you to see this one through. I’d love to hear about where it’s at and if I can support you in any way?”
Benefit of the doubt	Acknowledging that you don’t know what you don’t know. Refraining from making assumptions.	“I noticed the project deadline was missed. Can you help me understand what happened?”
Active listening	Asking open ended questions. Giving space for employees to answer fully	“What do you need from me to do your best work?”
Contextualizing feedback delivery	Share why you are providing constructive feedback.	“I am invested in your success and want you to excel in this role. I noticed you’re struggling to meet assigned deadlines. Can we chat about what support you might need?”

Strategy	What it is	How it works
Sharing information about onboarding plan	Helping to mitigate unknowns by sharing as many details as possible	“In case it’s helpful to get a sense of what your first day and week will look like I’ve created this onboarding document for you.”
Building trust	Naming that you will never judge them. Calling out that you trust them.	“Inevitably things will come up from time to time. I want you to know that I’m always here to support you and I trust you to make good decisions. I hired you because of your good judgment and I’m excited to see it in action.”