It will be soon nearly 3 months that we see corona everywhere. You turn on TV…corona. You listen to radio …. corona. You come to work …. corona. I´m starting to have a feeling that if I open my fridge in the morning, corona will jump on me even from there. It´s too much. You listen everywhere the negatives, media are bringing fear between people. Why do we not hear and read more about positives? Like: oh, there are already 1.178.989 people recovered. So, from all 3.620.522 cases are 32,57% already healthy, and only 6,93% has died worldwide1. That´s more positively impressive than to listen about big number of infected.
Positive information is more motivating the people, for those who fight in front line and for those who live in fear box as well. How do many people feel if they have no clue when this horrible pandemic will end and in the same time they don´t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Even strong personalities will become thinking bit more negative.
The system works in the same way also in daily working life. Manager has to explain to his team the goal, the way how to reach it and to act in supportive way to his team. Stress is also helping at the beginning. But you can´t stress people too much. At the beginning stress is giving you higher adrenalin to reach the goals, but nobody can stand it for too long. Either the person will burn out or his behaviour will change to walking neurotic.
I am afraid after people are listening only to all the negatives about corona, it can end with many neurotics. They need to hear more positives as well. All of us should focus on positive information and avoid the focus on negavites. People are like the infantrymen who have to follow the line. You have to keep them motivated for the fight. They need the positive thinking manager, they need clear instructions and to see the light at the tunnel, the goal. And if they do so, they need to hear it that they did a good job.
It was wonderful how Italian people tried to say thanks to doctors. It was wonderful how they were singing in one time while had open windows to support each other. But it had a logic reason. They had so may infected, doctors needed some human support. It´s the same like anybody of us in hard times at work wait for clapping on shoulder that we did a good job.
But here I have one more note. From my perspective it´s very important one. Why doctors only? Why they are those who are appreciated and others not? I am not saying that doctors should not have our respect, opposite is true. I know they are those who are facing the risk really the most closely and this needs big respect, which they also have. I appreciate what they do. But all of them did Hippocratic oath, so it is also bit expected from them. They are really the frontline fighters. But what about truck drivers? Those, who are transporting the medical equipments or transporting food between countries. Everybody look at them like they are dirty or infected, have bad conditions while transport, they have to travel into infected areas. Why nobody is clapping to them? What about salesmen? Sitting by cash desk, selling the food to people? Or what about cleaning women? They are also in huge daily risk, especially if are cleaning in hospitals.
They all are in my eyes the infantrymen. Maybe you don´t see them, but it doesn´t mean they are not there. Nothing would work also without them. In my eyes all in team needs to get same respect and same clap on shoulder if they do a good job. Not just the manager, not just the front line fighters. No matter if it is president of the company, or just a cleaning woman, all are needed, all have special place. Manager is frontline figher, but he needs strong infantrymen, and this you build as a strong team by positive motivation and appreciation. And then in big fights like corona fight, you can rely on them.
1 www.worldometers.info/coronavirus. Status up to 4/5/2020
