Separate the fact from the fear – rise above the noise

Last outing for a while occurred in Auckland on Tuesday, presenting communications help and guidance as part of a panel for The Alternative Board. The event was designed to help small to medium sized businesses work out how they are going to stay viable and get through the current COVID-19 pandemic. I was speaking about communication – the need to plan, plan again, act, rethink and then plan again for what will be a very different normal if, as businesses and organisations, we manage to get through to the other side. Health professionals the world over are working tirelessly to help the sick, develop a vaccine, manage the pandemic and more besides. Our challenge is to sustain our economic activities – working within official advice, instruction and guidance – so that people have jobs, demand is stimulated when shutdowns and capacity reductions have ceased. The big job as the after-effects move into 2021 will be to rebuild trust – smoothing the confidence curve pictured below – so people are willing to ‘begin again’, physically and mentally. It will be a different world and will need human creativity, collaboration and compassion to rebuild.Video extract above for your information – if you need help, contact me and we can work out a remote consultation or training session – whatever would help you most. And remember – whenever possible, separate the facts from the fear.​Wherever you are in the world, stay safe, stay informed and stay kind.