Looking for the Positivity
While many of us are stuck at home feeling the strain of the pandemic, let’s take some time to look for the good.
With so many of us stuck at home during the pandemic, it can be easy to get hung up on everything that is going poorly. Whether we are frustrated with the uncertainty of these times, tired of being cooped up in the house, terrified of losing a job, or — heaven forbid — losing family and community members, all of these negative feelings are natural and healthy. We do not know what the other side of this looks like, and that is unsettling.
As normal as they are, it can be difficult to leave our negative feelings at the door when it is time to show up for work. Negativity appears to cost U.S. companies a substantial sum of money, and so it is natural to want to extinguish it as best we can. We would do well to remind ourselves that these feelings can be productive and have helped us evolve to where we are today. Shutting them down is likely going to be counterproductive at best, and more than likely will backfire. What we can do is acknowledge our negative thoughts and use them to find — and focus on — the good around us.
Current Events — A Glimmer of Hope
The world is complicated, chaotic, and sometimes cruel. But, humans have the wonderful capacity of standing up and doing the right thing. Here are a few moments of positivity for us:
- Distilleries are making hand sanitizer…and giving it out for free
- Workers in Tunisia isolate themselves together in a factory to make masks
- The Portland, OR community is coming together to help one another
- “Caremongering” is trending
- A woman’s note offering supplies was met with another act of kindness
- Professional athletes are paying missing wages for stadium workers
- A baseball uniform manufacturer is making medical gowns & masks
- ‘Spread love’: Calgary acts of kindness during COVID-19 pandemic
- People are making sure neighbors are taken care of
- Clap for carers: applauding the NHS and #clapforcarers
What else is there? What have you seen that can be added to this list?
Listening to our teams
Negative feelings are a healthy part of our emotional selves. Instead of pushing negative feelings away, we need to help our teams manage them. We need to pay attention to these feelings, acknowledge them, and do our best to avoid getting completely stuck — losing sight of the goodness around us.
Peter Bergman, in his HBR article, gives us three steps for working with others to avoid making the situation worse for everyone:
- Understand how others feel and validate their feelings;
- Find a place to agree with them;
- Find out what they are positive about and reinforce it.
When we validate the feelings expressed by our teammates, we show that we are on the same team. Peter’s article highlights the importance of ensuring we avoid creating a defensive environment. Instead, we need to show that we are here with our teammates and understand that they are feeling a certain way.
If we use empathy and kindness to hear what our teams are struggling with, we may find that we agree with their irritations. As Peter points out, he found common ground with his wife once he acknowledge that he, too, was frustrated with how his kids would bicker. At this time, many of us may be grappling with feelings of being uncomfortable or fearful. We can utilize our own discomfort as a starting point to connect with our teams and show that we are human.
Finally, once we have connected with our teammates, Peter notes this is the time to inquire about what is going well. We can then amplify the positive together, and avoid the appearance of being argumentative.
There is a lot going on today. We all have obstacles in our way, but by coming together we can overcome these challenges. And by leading with kindness, empathy, and compassion, we can unite our teams, communities, and families. #safeathome
