Lessons I’m Learning and That I Hope We All Learn
This is a later post in the day than usual because I've had a challenging time landing on what to write about. Not because there's nothing to say but because I wanted the message to really meet your needs based on the situations we're all facing. I landed on a topic, and I think I'm happy with this theme because it lets me share several different ideas in one blog.
So here's what I've already started to learn...
I can still find joy in the little things every day
It's good that it's spring here so we can get outside and that the time changed before the worst of this started in this part of the world or we may all be a bit more stir crazy.
Though we were not prepared for this crisis, we are lucky that our technology platforms have advanced so significantly in the past decade. Thank goodness for FBLive and Zoom and a lot of other tools right now.
My almost 16-year old could be happy just playing X-box all day with a little face to face interaction and regular feedings of SkinnyPop and Klondike Bars.
It really wasn't a time issue with getting all my to-dos done. Some of them...I just don't really want to do at all even when I have time.
Though I hate why it happened, I like what's happening around getting together virtually with old friends that I don't get to see anymore. Amazingly, we can quickly put together a last minute happy hour because none of us have work trips or external family commitments.
People can pull together and help each other and not worry about differences.
How you deliver the messages to teams matters more sometimes than what you say.
Most of the parents who work outside the home are now even more thankful for the teaching population.
Though everyone needs to have an initial reactive mode, there needs to be a quick pivot to...how do we really want these to work in this temporary "new normal" and what do we want the post-virus "normal" to look like. If we don't plan for it, it will just happen, and it may not be the best answer we could have come up with.
Here's what I'm hoping that I/we will take away from this experience:
We see the value in face to face interactions BUT recognize that a lot of things can be done very effectively and efficiently virtually.
We do better if we work as a team vs. individually.
Individuals and organizations who lead with heart for their people and their customers win.
We need to cut back on the over-scheduling so we can appreciate the simple things in life.
We need to prepare when things are calm and assume the worst case scenario could happen.
My ask for all of us: For every action or communication we're making during this crisis (and ideally afterwards), pause and reflect..."How do I inject the right amount of "heart" into this," particularly if it's something that will impact individuals negatively. This challenging time is the opportunity for all of us to demonstrate that we are leaders - regardless of any title we carry. Leaders inspire others to keep moving forward when things are difficult. They demonstrate the right balance of realistic optimism. They make the difficult calls after appropriate analysis and reflection but they do it with respect for the individuals. They show their human side.
What lessons have you started to learn? What do you hope that we learn as individuals and communities of people?
Thank you to all of you on the front lines. You have a really hard job to do, and I appreciate you for what you are doing and the risks you are taking for all of us.