COVID-19 LESSONS FOR TODAY.
This blog, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, outlines strategic solutions for today’s business environment.
COVID-19 Testing Your Positivity
In this COVID-19 environment, how many social media posts, webinars, and news articles have offered you tips to lower your stress? For example, limit the time you spend listening to the news, take a break, go for a walk.
Have you ever thought, “That sounds great. How do I do that? I have the best of intentions, I put my phone down for 5-minutes, and I am back on it, again.” Or something similar?
Through every adversity in my life, I have been told to think positive and believe in myself. I always thought, “That sounds great. How do I do that?” The online learning program I AM WHO I SAY I AM is exactly how to do that!
Mischa Martineau
COVID-19: How To Protect Yourself From Yourself
COVID-19 external Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), includes masks, gowns, goggles, and gloves. What is your protection from the internal resistance to take care of yourself? I AM WHO I SAY I AM is a proprietary Personal-Professional Empowerment (PPE) training and coaching program that I developed, for myself, as the living answer to “It sounds great, how do I do it?”
COVID-19 Interdependence:
Connecting the Micro-ME with the Macro-WE
Ironically, COVID-19’s self-isolation demonstrates our capability for interdependence. It is the WE that is mission critical to stay safe. How many WE-s does it take? And what exactly do WE need to be doing, or not doing?
Unless an individual believes in his or her capability to make a significant impact, The WE does not include ME. “It does not matter what I do, it is not going to hurt, or help the mission for everyone to stay safe.”
The psychological pivot between other-imposed and self-imposed isolation, is based on belief, and measured by choice. The point at which one’s beliefs pivot to question the greater good, for self or whole, there is a protest to define what is, or is not, mission critical to stay safe, and re-open economies.
When Mission Critical Is Destroyed By Self-Critical
The development of a vaccine is one of the mission critical components to meet the COVID-19 challenge. Where are our global human resources? Who is on the team, and who should be, but is not?
High performance teams operate in an environment of continuous constructive criticism to close the gap between progress and achievement. For some, their career lives are a process of testing one’s capabilities, regressing at times, and progressing to the “next level”.
For others, the tyranny of self-criticism cuts-off progress and to the extreme, kills the mission. It is the tube without the test. The team assembles the framework (the tube) and the individual cannot perform their part of the test.
The most powerful system for success is our belief system.
Mischa Martineau
Online Social Distancing Is Thought Distancing
Physical social distancing is measured by 6-feet apart. Online social distancing is measured by participation – it could be that 6-seconds of silence on a webinar when the host asks if anyone has input for the group.
Are you part of the global resources that are mission critical and not available? Does your fear of speaking in public, translate to fear of speaking online?
When have you heard the host say, “We encourage you to turn on your video, it does not matter what you look like, we need your input?” The group chat is – you are a valuable member of this group, and your self-chat (more like chatter), is “That sounds good, how do I do that?”
Or “That does not sound good, and I am never going to that!”
COVID-19 Watchwords Are Vigilance And Resilience – There Is More To It
Perseverance – without it, there is no bouncing back.
Mischa Martineau
In my experience, perseverance is a critical component of resilience. The capability to be resilient, to bounce back, from COVID-19 (or any other) adversities; comes from persevering through the torrents of socio-economic hardships. Unless one survives (literally) an event, or series of events, there is no bouncing back. Without the coping skills to persevere, vigilance and resilience have no foundation.
Testing Your Positivity.
Let us start by answering the question, what is positivity?
Positivity is a creative energy with the power to transform people and situations. It is a multi-dimensional experience. In this context, you would say, “As a leader, she exudes positivity. Our team has an energy that is bringing out the best in everyone!”
From a one-dimensional perspective, we might say, “She is a positive person” – meaning she looks at the “bright side” of situations, or favorable outcomes.
If the word positive is a synonym for certain, then, we might say, “She is positive that her role is insignificant. It does not matter if she is on the team.”
The Nature of Positivity
Positivity is not an on-off switch – either we are positive, or we are not. It is like a transistor, in a transistor radio. The critical component that amplifies the sound or connects the channel frequencies (AM or FM), depending on the need.
Positivity amplifies communication and connects human energy to mobilize and overcome challenges. It is the broad band for exponentially greater outcomes.
The highest level of positivity is generated by ROI:
- Realism
- Optimism
- Infinite-ism
The realism of a data-driven, agile response to current conditions with a measurable plan for ME.
The optimism to operate with absolute belief that WE shall overcome.
The infinite-ism to believe in an intervention beyond imagination. IT IS bigger than US.
Putting Yourself To The Test
On your device, right now, what time is it? In this precise moment, define the COVID-19 condition affecting your life the most. Choose one of these areas:
- Health & Wellness
- Relationships
- Income
What is the measurable impact of this painful condition, and what is your key performance indicator? If your pain is over-working to meet the excessive demands of the business, perhaps the measurement is the number of hours of sleep you are getting.
What do you imagine is possible? Perhaps you are too tired for imagination. Are you open to suspending your beliefs in meditation, to allow an intervention beyond your understanding?
When your mind is machinating at the intersection of pain and possibility, get empowered to create your reality with “This is who I AM in the face of COVID-19”.
When you ask yourself, it sounds great, how do I do that? Check out details of the I AM WHO I SAY I AM online learning program. It is the mental technology that activates the power of your imagination and engineers your personal and professional growth!
Mischa Martineau