Chances are if you feel like screaming in this COVID-19 world so does your colleague, client, neighbor and loved one.
Who can blame us? It’s hard to swallow the staggering news about novel coronavirus, unemployment, stock market drops and more. We’re worried about our health, our families, our livelihoods and our future. The last thing we need right now is another slogan that sugarcoats our situation.
Of course, we’re all in this together. It goes without saying that we’re here to help. It’s a no-brainer that we are deeply concerned about these troubling times. Yes, we know we need to pivot. I’ll scream if I have to hear another one of these over-used phrases.
Instead, show me you understand my new reality and you care enough to do something about it. Here are a few of my suggestions:
Look for the humor
Find a way to connect with people through a shared chuckle. We have enough bad news to last a lifetime. What can you say or do to make me smile? As Erma Bombeck once said, “When humor goes, there goes civilization.”
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Now, more than ever, we need to embrace our shared vulnerability. When we proverbially remove our “masks” (the facades, not the ones required for social distancing), others will feel safe to let us in.
Tell me what’s in it for me
Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about me. How will you solve my concern? Why should I believe you care? When you adequately address these questions, people will listen.
I’d love to hear from you. Which companies and nonprofit organizations are getting it right in this new reality and which ones are making you scream?