{"id":82045,"date":"2025-04-24T13:39:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T11:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/?p=82045"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:13:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:13:25","slug":"wenn-ploetzlich-ein-teammitglied-fehlt-zeit-raum-zum-trauern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/when-a-team-member-is-suddenly-gone-time-and-space-to-grieve\/","title":{"rendered":"When a Team Member Is Suddenly Gone \u2013 Time & Space to Grieve"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe sudden loss of a team member is something we wouldn't wish on anyone. Sadly, we went through this ourselves when a young colleague passed away unexpectedly. From a \u201cperfectly ordinary\u201d flu. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

I myself sent him home, saying: \u201cGet some rest, you don't look well. Take some time off.\u201d A few days later came the last WhatsApp message: \u201cI'm really, really sick. Taking this week off.\u201d The following week, no message, no reply to our questions about how he was doing. A day later, still nothing. The team grew uneasy, which prompted us to reach out to his emergency contacts. Hours later, we knew for certain. Sadly, it was too late.<\/p>

For us, it was a moment of shock and paralysis, yet I had to act: a team meeting, conversations, emotional check-ins, contact with his parents, informing every employee personally. While I was writing my letter of condolence to his parents, the team was already putting together photos for our small memorial corner. It was clear that we as a team needed a place to remember and to grieve. A burning candle, photos, words of condolence from the team, and fresh flowers.<\/p>

At the same time, it was our job to inform our clients, adjust schedules, and set new priorities. To us, a team member is not an interchangeable resource that is simply replaced in some engine room. As a company with a strong sense of team spirit, we also deliberately make room for grief.<\/p>

Our team meetings were marked by conversation and reflection. It was important to reconstruct together what had happened: who made which decision when, and who gave which advice? We were united by the feeling that the sudden loss of our colleague had hit us incredibly hard. He was not only smart and highly gifted but also an outstanding musician. Yet he never put himself in the spotlight, even though his work would always have deserved it. Wherever he saw a need for action, he made improvements on his own initiative.<\/p>

Grief united us as a team. Fresh flowers and a burning candle were always there. Nobody had to point it out; everyone took care of it in silent mourning. \u00a0<\/p>

The funeral itself showed once again how important it is for family, friends, and companions to stand together and shape the farewell together. His loved ones were full of love, despite their broken hearts. Everyone spoke, everyone said goodbye in their own way. We shared photos and stories, we took comfort in talking to one another, drinking his favorite drink, and remembering him.<\/p>

We ourselves only had a short time together. Four months in which we were just beginning to get to know someone, discover possibilities, and plan a future. \u00a0<\/p>

I am sharing this story with you because I hope it helps you understand grief better, allow it \u2013 and give others that space too. Grief takes time. And yes, there can be room for it within a team, too.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Still, I would like to briefly sum up what I have learned from this loss.<\/strong><\/p>

  • When someone on the team is ill, always refer them to a doctor and ask them to go.<\/li>
  • Always ask them to inform their contacts, so that no one is ever alone while ill but is being \u201cmonitored.\u201d It's perfectly okay for someone to look after you, bring you love and tea, or, if need be, escalate and call an ambulance!<\/li>
  • As an organization, collect emergency contacts and use them. That's exactly what they are for!<\/li>
  • Stay in touch with your team!<\/li><\/ul>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    In the event of a death<\/strong><\/p>

    • A death is a matter for leadership, full stop. Contact the family. Everything else can wait.<\/li>
    • Inform team members promptly.<\/li>
    • Create a shared space for conversation where everyone can ask questions and share their feelings.<\/li>
    • Allow everyone to grieve. That includes time off or reduced working hours so that everyone can grieve in peace.<\/li>
    • Within 24 hours, set up a central place of remembrance (candle, photos, flowers) and tend to it lovingly.<\/li>
    • Collect shared thoughts and anecdotes, ideally in open conversation circles. Write your condolences together as a team. It's about engaging with the person. What made them so lovable? What set them apart? What wasn't so obvious?<\/li>
    • Contact the family. Talk about how you perceived the situation, and honor the person, their quirks, and their achievements.<\/li>
    • Question yourselves and your actions. How did things unfold? What could we do differently? How do we want to handle similar situations in the future?<\/li>
    • Plan a period of mourning during which, for example, a candle is always burning and the flowers are always fresh. For us, it was 60 days.<\/li>
    • Make sure team members are not forgotten and that remembrance remains part of everyday work.<\/li>
    • Plan a shared farewell gathering or ceremony in which everyone can take part, if possible \u2013 no matter where they are in their own grief.<\/li><\/ul>

      \u00a0<\/p>

      I myself have come to understand that even a minor flu can have consequences. That I am responsible for myself. That I will get vaccinated to train my immune system, and that I will always keep my friends and family informed.<\/p>

      Yes, responsibility for our health lies in our own hands. But a nudge from outside never hurts. So go to the doctor and get regular checkups. Don't skip exercise. And if you're sick and notice it isn't getting better, don't hope for a miracle cure \u2013 act, for yourself and your loved ones.<\/p>

      Rest in peace, dear Kjell.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The sudden loss of a team member is something we wouldn't wish on anyone. Sadly, we went through this ourselves when a young colleague passed away unexpectedly. From a \u201cperfectly ordinary\u201d flu. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":82071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[243],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[307],"class_list":["post-82045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kommunikation"],"acf":[],"authors":[{"term_id":307,"user_id":17,"is_guest":0,"slug":"andrewinzersz","display_name":"Andr\u00e9 Winzer","avatar_url":"http:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/cropped-Andre-w_1920px-96x96.jpg","author_category":"","first_name":"Andr\u00e9","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":"The formal head of the company, but generally happier to dive headfirst into new challenges. His switch is set to \u201cmain\u201d, his range of action preferably to \u201csimultaneous\u201d. He passionately analyzes & interprets business models. His workshops and talks revolve around the theme of \u201cPreparing for Tomorrow\u201d. He likes to show that business models can easily be transferred to other industries."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82045"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schaltzeit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=82045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}