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I am noticing in my personal and professional realms that a number of people who were doing OK are hitting the wall now emotionally and in terms of anxiety and stress. I think those of us who lead organizations need to be really, really vigilant about this right now.
I don't have data & it's just a theory. But it seems like many folks were able to hold it together & they sort of thought by mid-summer the country would be on a better trajectory ... & the reality of that not being the case is taking hold for folks. And it feels like a big blow.
Lines between work and "life" are different now. We as leaders need 2 recognize that -- & act differently ourselves. Ask more questions. Give people more grace. Share our own pain: I lost my uncle to COVID in April. It was/is really tough. Others on our staff have had losses, too
And it's tough because we both need to make sure our organizations are OK and meeting our missions but also recognize when we're asking too much, when people need to step back, when we need to say project A is vitally important but actually project B can wait.
And we need also and I'd say especially to recognize the huge emotional toll of these times on people of color on our staffs -- for all the reasons we all know all too well.
And then there are the parents of little ones! The sinking realization for many, in many geographies, that in-person school won't be a thing for a while. Or that it will be but it will be every other week or some other incredibly challenging arrangement.
It's all so tough. I don't have any sense that I am getting any of the above right in terms of our response .. but I am grateful for the way many of my colleaues at @CEPData are working to try to. And I know I am thinking about it all a lot.
