Lock Down In the Northern Hemisphere

Covid 19 ravages continue and it's hurting people and economies. I wonder what the impact would have been had it begin in October leading into late-afternoon darkness?

Check out this episode! It's a piece of simple understanding!

Our Responses to The Pandemic

If you or someone you know has been "knocked sideways" by the events that have accompanied the Pandemic, you might find some ideas here that you recognise.
This is the first of 3 phases and gives us some idea of what's going on and what we might do to remedy it.

Check out this episode! It's a piece of simple understanding!

Reach Out. Get in Touch

One of a series of 1 minute clips made in the UK during the course of the Corvid 19 Lock Down

Check out this episode! It's a piece of simple understanding!

A 3 Phase Approach To Coming To Terms with The Pandemic

The individual feelings we have about the pandemic and its impacts on us are just that-they are individual. There's nothing to be gained by pressurising yourself or anyone else by suggesting that  "Hey, you should be doing better by now!"

We've prepared a series of clips where we use the general themes in the Kubler Ross model to explain what might be happening:

And whereas the above goes some way to explaining our responses to change, loss and/or bad news, we need to agree that it is seldom a linear process. We have used a 3 Stage Approach to both describing behaviours associated with each stage, together with some ideas for approaching the challenges and the opportunities that exist as we move through the phases.

We make an important point:

 "It's okay to backslide: it doesn't mean you've failed, it's the most natural of things to happen so please don't assume that you've failed because you've had a bad day!"

And there's another, related one:

"Practice being kind to yourself!"

Here Are Our 3 Clips

Stage 1 - Survival! (5:25 Mins)

Frozen, stuck, angry, unforgiving, lethargic, guilty. All words with powerful associations and ones that feature heavily as we come to terms with the initial shock.
We discuss this and provide what we hope are some helpful observations in this, the first of our 3 clipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f09YKxowO-w&t=1s

Stage 2 - Acceptance (7:35 Mins)

At this point we're beginning to come to terms with the new reality and are making some healthy adjustments that are good for our well being.

We expand on this theme in our second clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHq-MCKx4ys

Stage 3 - Growth and Thriving (16 Mins)

Here we've built on the strength areas we talked about in our clip "Stage 2 Acceptance" and they are having a positive impact on our lives and provide us with a sense of security, purpose and direction as we move forward.
This is the longest of our clips as it reaches out into the possible whilst ensuring that we remind ourselves that we all of us have a bad day from time to time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAIOs4AJV98&t=10s

We hope you find these helpful: please feel free to pass it on to others!

It's Okay Not To Feel Okay and Here's Why

There are occasions when we don't feel okay and these can be tough on us, especially if we hold the view that "It's my job to be okay!"That view can be formed from a number of sources and stock phrases we hear repeated time and time over. They can leave us on a lonely, cold and desolate place!

• Don't be such a cry-baby
• That's it, turn the water works on
• Big boys don't cry!
• Man up!
• Grow a pair!
• Snowflake!
• Millennial 
• Having a bad day are we?
• You think you've got problems?
• Time of the month?
• Drama queen!

You know the sort of thing, it's damaging and every time it happens it places the problem with the person who is experiencing a challenging time. My view is that it leaves a dangerous imprint, one that reinforces the view that "It's better to say nothing than reveal a weakness"

Here's a clip we produced to challenge some of the assumptions and it feels completely appropriate in the current Covid 19 situation.

It's based on the Kubler Ross Change Model, one that deals with loss, challenge and change.

Connecting Why Bother

So, who remembers this image? I can't remember not knowing it and its "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," axiom.

On reflection, my life might had been a lot easier if I'd have applied it a little more often: however that's another article!

Ad Hominem Rules-Not Okay!

Across all media platforms it seems that it increasingly okay to attack the person instead of engaging in discussion about their idea(s) and that this is a legitimate way of dealing with dissent and difference. It isn't and it's dangerous.

It's dangerous because on a large political scale the personal attack becomes an integral part of a crazed pantomime. One in which an opposing narrative is a mere vehicle to deliver its author to a mocking tirade of cheap insults and lies to entertain one side whilst destroying the credibility of the other. "Say it long enough and loud enough and they'll believe anything!"

On a personal level, in our relationships and in the workplace, there are those who would rather keep silent about their best ideas than subject themselves to

• Ridicule
• Humiliation
• Rejection
• Abuse
• Defamation

Please note, the above "Infamous Five", is neither exhaustive nor prescriptive, feel free to expand! My point is that is you seek to take away someone's voice you have effectively broken them, so don't expect too much from them.

So, what would he know?

Logician and philosopher Bertrand Russell had a few ideas about thinking, I guess it goes with the job. His view of our progress (sic) was informed by the movements between the forces of tyranny and anarchy and the importance of questioning assumptions and beliefs.

In 1951, he set out the following "Ten Commandments". At that point in our history the world was in the emergent grip of opposing forces; powerful Eastern and Western blocs, each increasingly capable of inflicting terrible damage on the other. We have made little if any progress.

Here they are.

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your spouse or your children, endeavour to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusionary.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

They seem to sit comfortably across our work based, social and personal relationships and in so doing they carry risk. We maybe too often accept transient, comfortable capitulation by choosing to shy away from challenge because however good our intentions might be, our perceived will be frowned upon.

Much of our work is about creating thinking, discussion and dialogue: it takes place with work-place teams and individuals at a variety of positions within the organisation. I'm very tempted to produce Russell's Ten Commandments at one of our events with the question "So, how are we doing with these?"

.....I'll let you know how I get on!