Tag: ACEC

  • From Loss Of Smell To ‘COVID Toes’: What Experts Are Learning About Symptoms

    Fever, cough and shortness of breath were early on identified as symptoms of COVID-19, but additional symptoms are emerging.

    When the coronavirus pandemic first emerged, public health officials told the world to watch out for its telltale symptoms: fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. But as the virus has spread across the globe, researchers have developed a more nuanced picture of how symptoms of infection can manifest themselves, especially in milder cases.

    We’re getting a “better understanding of how these symptoms express in the general population and not necessarily in hospitalized patients,” which is whom most of the earlier studies from China looked at. “So it’s a bit of a bigger picture,” says Charitini Stavropoulou, an associate professor in health services research at City, University of London in the U.K., who led an analysis of known symptoms in milder cases as part of a collaboration with Oxford University.

    Some of these symptoms, such as loss of smell or taste, are highly distinctive and a strong indicator of infection. Others, like headaches, chills or sore throat, are common to lots of illnesses. So how do you know when a symptom is cause to seek medical advice or testing? We asked doctors and public health and infectious disease researchers for their insights.

    THE STANDARD 3

    Fever: Some patients can experience fevers that last for days, while others might see their temperature go up and down, with peaks often occurring in the evening, says Dr. David Aronoff, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “I think if someone has a fever, regardless of how long it’s lasting, unless they can clearly attribute it to something else, that’s a very reasonable symptom to seek an evaluation for,” he says.

    Stavropoulou’s systematic review of the medical literature found that fever was reported in 82% to 87% of mild to moderate cases.

    Dry cough: Cough was the second most common symptom after fever, though “coughing was not always there,” Stavropoulou notes. “So while we think it’s a main symptom, it appears only two out of three times for patients with COVID-19.”

    That said, cough remains a “very, very common symptom of the pneumonia that the virus can cause,” says Aronoff. Given this fact, “if someone has a new cough or a new shortness of breath that’s cropped up in the last three days or so, they should definitely get tested.”

    Shortness of breath: Stavropoulou’s review found that this symptom occurs more frequently in severe cases “and indeed, in some studies, was a marker of severe disease.” The two largest studies she looked at found that shortness of breath occurred in fewer than 8% of milder cases.

    THE NEW 6 FROM THE CDC:

    Chills/repeated shaking with chills: The chills generally precede a fever, though people don’t always perceive when their temperature has spiked, Aronoff says. Sometimes, those chills can be accompanied by shaking, since shivering is our bodies’ way of generating heat and raising our temperature, he says.

    Muscle pain: Nearly 15% of COVID-19 patients experience muscle pain, according to a report published by the World Health Organization in February that analyzed nearly 56,000 confirmed cases in China. But that’s hardly unique to this disease: Lots of viral infections can cause muscle aches and pains, which can result from an inflammatory response to a virus.

    “I think all of us who have had the winter cold or flu have had experience with muscle pain, headache, sore throat,” notes Aronoff. Given that we’re no longer in the typical cold and flu season, if you’re experiencing muscle pains and other flu-like symptoms, “we know that those can be associated with COVID-19,” he says. “And it is very reasonable to get people thinking, you know, maybe I should get tested.”

    He added: “I would also include new-onset fatigue, out of proportion to what a patient would expect to be experiencing under whatever circumstances they are [in],” as a symptom.

    However, fatigue on its own is not very predictive of disease, because it is also frequently reported by people who don’t test positive, says Claire Steves, a geriatrician and senior lecturer at King’s College London. She’s one of the lead researchers on the COVID Symptom Tracker, an app-based project that has so far recruited 3 million people across the U.K. to log any symptoms — even if they are not feeling sick. Researchers can use data from those who are eventually diagnosed with COVID-19 as an early radar on how symptoms develop in the population. (The COVID Symptom Tracker is now recruiting people in the U.S. to sign up as well.)

    Steves’ research is finding that certain symptoms tend to cluster together in people who test positive. For instance, fitter people in the 20-70 age range who experience loss of smell often also experience fatigue, and they tend to have a milder course of the disease, she says.

    Headache: Headaches are a common experience for many adults. On its own, a headache should probably not be cause for alarm, especially if it behaves like other headaches you’ve experienced, says Aronoff.

    “If somebody is only going to use headache as a trigger to go get tested for COVID[-19], that headache should be something that either is a headache that’s new for them or that is sticking around a bit longer than they are used to,” he says. “Or it’s associated with another symptom that may also be subtle, like fatigue or feeling kind of worn out” — especially if there’s no good reason for the tiredness.

    In fact, Steves says research out of the COVID Symptom Tracker suggests that headache “is an important symptom” seen early on in the course of the disease and it commonly occurs alongside other symptoms.

    Sore throat: “We’re seeing sore throat in COVID-19 patients,” says Aronoff. “But it’s what I would say [is] a minor symptom” — one that’s common to lots of other ailments.

    Loss of taste or smell: This symptom has emerged as a strong indicator of infection — one distinctive enough that it alone should be cause to seek testing, says Dr. Carol Yan, an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at UC San Diego Health.

    If someone is experiencing this symptom, “I would tell them that they should consider self-quarantining themselves and contacting their health care providers,” says Yan. Most people who experience loss of smell or taste also have other symptoms, commonly fever, fatigue and malaise, she says. “But there’s certainly a subset of people that we know have only smell and taste loss and no other symptoms” who ultimately test positive.

    Yan’s research has found that about 7 out of 10 patients reported an acute loss of sense of smell or taste at the time of their diagnosis.

    Similar findings have emerged from the COVID Symptom Tracker. Among fit and healthy people ages 20 to 70, “the loss of sense of smell is a really good marker” of infection, Steves says.

    In fact, this symptom is seen as such a strong indicator of infection that patients at UC San Diego Health are now routinely asked not just if they have a cough or fever but also if they’re experiencing a loss of smell or taste, says Yan. “It’s really being used as a good screening question and in helping triage patients.”

    The good news is that both Yan and Steves have found that people who lose their sense of smell or taste tend to experience a milder course of the disease. Yan says patients generally recover these senses in two to four weeks on average.

    OTHER POTENTIAL RED FLAGS

    Confusion and gastrointestinal issues: Stavropoulou’s review of the medical literature found that, in most studies, gastrointestinal issues were reported in fewer than 10% of mild cases of COVID-19.

    But Steves says emerging data from the COVID Symptom Tracker suggest that problems like diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain tend to be more prominent in the frail elderly — people who are over 70 and need help to get around. Acute confusion also seems to be an important symptom in this group, she says.

    “Older and frailer and more co-morbid people” — those with underlying conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or obesity — “tend to be getting this cluster of abdominal symptoms and delirium symptoms and headache as well,” Steves says.

    She says it’s important for caregivers to recognize that these symptoms in the frail elderly could be indicative of COVID-19, particularly in situations like nursing homes, “because that’s where spread could occur.”

    AND THEN THERE’S THIS…

    “COVID toes” and other skin manifestations: Dermatologists are now reporting that certain skin conditions appear to be emerging as symptoms of infection in milder cases. Among the most common — and striking — is “COVID toes,” a condition resembling chilblains, or pernio, on the feet or toes, says Dr. Esther Freeman, director of global health dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital and director of the international Dermatology COVID-19 Registry. The registry has received more than 400 reports from dermatologists in 21 countries, and a little under half are cases of COVID toes, she says.

    Normally with chilblains, “you would see pink, red or purple lesions on the toes or sometimes on the hands,” Freeman says. “That’s often accompanied by swelling and can also be accompanied by a burning, itching or tender sensation,” she says.

    Chilblains are caused by inflammation in the small blood vessels of the skin, usually in reaction to colder temperatures or damp weather, Freeman says. “So, for example, spending a lot of time outside in wet socks could do it.”

    What’s unusual is that during the coronavirus pandemic, “we’re seeing patients who are living in warm climates or patients who have been sheltering inside and staying warm developing these lesions for the first time,” she says.

    “I have seen more toe consults in the past two weeks than I have in my entire prior career combined,” Freeman says.

    She says some patients develop COVID toes early on, along with other symptoms such as fever or cough. Others develop the condition well after their other symptoms have passed, almost like a post-viral response. And a third category of patients seems to develop COVID toes as the sole symptom.

    Other skin conditions reported include hives and morbilliform, a measles-like rash on the chest, back, arms or legs. Freeman notes that viruses — for example, those that cause measles or chickenpox — often cause rashes, so dermatologists were expecting that with the coronavirus. But the toe manifestations were surprising.

    While data are still emerging, Freeman says that in her opinion, dermatologic symptoms, such as COVID toes, should be considered as criteria for testing. But if you’re having these symptoms, she says, “Please don’t panic. Most of our patients who are developing these COVID toes are doing extremely well and are able to recover fully at home.”

    “I think it’s also important to know that the purple lesions will go away on their own,” she adds.

    Author: Maria Goody

    The information from this article appears on NPR

  • Do Great Leaders Work Hard or Work Smart?

    The answer is – Yes.

    As leaders we invest a tremendous amount in our work, and there are two ways that we can approach it. We can work harder than everyone else, and we can work just as smart as we work hard. Both are equally important. 

    Those who are in a position to assess other leaders will usually take note of a leader who is putting in 30% or 40% more hours than their colleagues, while showing the same results.  These leaders are typically the subject of conversations that call into question exactly what they are doing with all those hours.  

    Working hard without working smart does you no favors.  So, do both.      

    Let’s examine what it looks like to work smart.  When you work smart you are continually looking for efficiencies and the kind of simplicities that help you get things done effectively and efficiently.  It means you are building a vast and varied network of resources and people that you can call on to help you accomplish the three or four dozen things you need to achieve each day.  And to reciprocate as you find as many ways as you can to help these good people accomplish what they need to in return. 

    Smart means understanding the nuances that help leaders in your organization and your industry be successful.  The leadership competencies that we call organizational savvy and leadership agility go a long way toward describing this leadership quality.  I lean on these two competencies most often, as I coach leaders to be their most productive.  Within our organizations, we spend our time determining which levers to pull, who we can lean on, which approach works best in the culture, and those that don’t.  

    How We Achieve is as Important as What We Achieve  

    When we’re presented with challenges to resolve, we have two things that we need to focus on.  We are expected to deliver on what it is we need to deliver.  And, just as important, we are responsible for cultivating relationships with those we partner with along the way.  The reason the relationships are so meaningful is that the people we get to work with are the ones that help us get things done. Pretty simple.  The other reason they’re important is that we are going to be working with those same people tomorrow, and next week and next year.  It helps if we enjoy working with each other.   

    So the relationships we establish and enhance are as much of a commodity as the deliverables we achieve.  As we go about delivering on our goals, it’s vital to demonstrate our organizational savvy and focus on both what we deliver and how we deliver.  We need to be constantly aware of how we build relationships, sharpen our leadership intelligence, and cultivate our leadership brand.

    John Wooden
    “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”

    Author: Scott F. Burns

    Visit his website:  leadership-scottfburns.com

  • Is Your Business Ready for the Post-Shutdown ‘New Normal’?

    If you lived through the trauma of 9-11, you know that the way we do some things –such as travel – changed forever. The reality of doing business post-COVID-19 will be no different, and its reach will be far more impactful.

    Unlike the sudden shutdown, reopening may happen gradually and with various caveats, such as wearing masks, moving work spaces further apart and checking employee temperatures at the beginning of the work day. Regardless of what government and health guidelines require or suggest, now is the time to prepare for doing business in the new world of coronavirus, which likely will be with us for many months – or perhaps years – to come.

    As you plan for re-entry, evaluate your current practices during the shutdown and consider which are applicable when you re-open. Create workflows that consider the following questions:

    Questions to Ask Yourself and Team

    1) What changes have the virus forced upon you?
    2) What processes are you doing differently? Which are working? Why? Which are not working? Why not?
    3) How is the virus and shutdown affecting each product or service? Are there special considerations for some and not others?
    4) How are you communicating with employees? Is it the same? Different? Better? Worse?
    5) How are you keeping your team engaged and motivated?
    6) What is causing your and your team’s stress? How are you handling it?
    7) What innovations has your team developed during the crisis that could be implemented post-shutdown?
    8) How well have you – and team members – handled change? Have new “stars” emerged who showed greater leadership?
    9) Has remote working been a positive experience? Should you continue it at some level in
    the future?
    10) Has providing flex-time hours been a positive experience? Should you continue it?

    Working through these questions and developing new “rules” for each scenario will help you anticipate your business life in the future. Depending on the size and type of business, you may need to consider different procedures for each division, department or individual employees.

    Once you have evaluated your situation and developed your plan for the various scenarios, you may want to consider reopening your business in phases on a priority basis. Here is one possible re-entry schedule:

    3 Phases to Work Through

     Phase One: Return employees onsite who aren’t able to effectively or efficiently work remotely because they don’t have all the necessary tools or need to be more
    closely managed.

     Phase Two: Employees working well from home are returned onsite as needed and work on a flexible schedule.

     Phase Three: Employees working extremely well at home can continue working remotely longer, or they may never need to come into the office daily.

    While this unplanned shutdown has been painful and will require us to work differently, it is providing an opportunity to reassess business practices and make changes that will create a more positive company culture. With the right changes, your team can become more productive, and your business can become more profitable.

    For More Information

    About the Author: Shelley Smith is a company culture curator, author and president of Premier Rapport www.premierrapport.com. Culture isn’t built in a day; it’s built every day.

  • How To Survive A Toxic Workplace And Shift The Company Culture Before It’s Too Late

    Executives often understand the importance of goals and solid business strategies. However, many fall short in understanding, embracing and shifting the culture to meet or exceed those goals.

    In the following white paper and the accompanying book, How To Shift Your Company Culture, I address and layout the methods I designed through my years of working in corporate America and in my business with clients.

    The white paper includes all my methods, processes, survey explanation and client results. For most businesses, employees are the largest line item in the budget and the number one differentiator in the business over competitors. The company culture can make or break the overall success (profitability) of an organization. The culture is made up of its people, those people are the culture.

    I hope leaders use this white paper to help teams shift their companies’ culture in the direction they envision to achieve their goals. As my tagline says, Culture Matters.

    Shelley D. Smith is the CEO of Premier Rapport, Inc. and also a best-selling author, consultant and highly sought-after speaker.

    Her experiences over the past 35+ years have earned her a reputation as “The Culture Curator.”

    Forward thinking organizations use her I.M.P.A.C.T. Leadership Model to help them shape the culture they’ve envisioned, increase profitability, decrease employee turnover and retain top talent.

    If you’re like other business leaders who still believe in the people and the mission of your organization, I’m sure you’ll find all the information written by Shelley D. Smith to be helpful.

    To access this comprehensive overview of how to remove the contaminants that pollute peace of mind, productivity and profits, visit the title below:

    How To Survive A Toxic Workplace And Shift The Company Culture Before It’s Too Late.

    Shelley D. Smith encourages everyone that she can answer any questions that arise while reading the book.

    Shelley can be reached at shelley@premierrapport.com.

  • Why are “they” acting this way? Psychological Tips in the “New Normal”

    The future isn’t predictable right now. We are living in a time of transition and many of us are reeling from the rapid changes occurring. In the roundtable forums I facilitate for business owners and executives, the participants talk about the various responses they observe from employees – some are in denial, others angry, still others depressed and some happy to be working virtually. 

    One CEO of a manufacturing operation expressed concern last week in our meeting because his once engaged workforce seems to be going through the motions and making “mindless” mistakes along the way. “They don’t want to be accountable,” he added. His view is that employees should feel fortunate they have a job when so many people don’t. When he asks some of his key managers what the pulse of the organization is, they report that some of the employees think he’s fortunate because they are showing up.

    Some things aren’t predictable. Human behavior often is. What is the psychology of people’s responses to the pandemic and its effects? How can understanding it help you be a better leader? Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ Stages of Grief offers us a good model to help better understand some of the internal changes that we and others may be experiencing. 

    Kubler-Ross was a Swiss psychiatrist that worked with many dying patients. She based her model on her observations of how the patients and their families responded to grief; she outlines five stages in her now classic book, On Death and Dying. These are:

    Stage 1: Denial of the situation – can involve avoidance, confusion, shock or fear

    Stage 2: Anger with what’s happening or those seen as responsible – can involve frustration, irritation, anxiety or insubordination

    Stage 3: Bargaining or struggling to find the meaning of what is occurring – can involve an urgency to make a deal to resolve things, regret, or guilt

    Stage 4: Depression – can involve feeling overwhelmed, helpless, hostility or isolated

    Stage 5: Acceptance – can involve calmness or feeling at peace, exploring options, curiosity about what might come next or increased comfort with the unknown.

    Although the stages appear linear, people don’t necessarily go through all of them or in the same order. Productivity tends to remain high when a person is in denial and begins to dip if anger sets in. In the bargaining stage, productivity goes down as the person attempts to make deals or exchanges to resolve things and get back to normal. Many organizations furloughing employees may witness the bargaining stage as employees plead to do x, y, and z in order to keep working. Depression is tough to address as it can range from mild and situational to severe and long-term. Depressed people aren’t productive and have a hard time concentrating. At the acceptance stage, people are more willing to accept the “new normal” and even participate in visioning the future.

    Take some time to be aware of your own internal response to the crisis. Is it clouding how you communicate and engage with others? If you identified the stage you are in and you are working with someone in a different one, how will you communicate differently? In my next blog, I will discuss some communication strategies to help you enhance your communication during this potentially stressful time.

    Written by Mary Key, Ph.D.

  • Parents Who Lead in Pandemic Times

    As April, the cruelest month, comes to a close in this terribly disruptive pandemic time, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for all the support given to me and my co-author Alyssa Westring in last month’s launch of our book, Parents Who Lead.  

    We are deeply gratified to see how this book has been of use to so many working families at a time when they urgently need the help it offers. We never imagined the book would arrive at a moment when the physical boundaries that used to separate work and family life have been obliterated, when working parents are struggling to guide their children’s schooling at home, and when everyone is anxious about the profound uncertainties of our new world order. 

    Parents Who Lead has relevance these days in ways we could not foresee. Our evidence-based guidance – for how to take practical steps to focus on what matters most, on who matters most, and on experimenting with new ways to live and work that are sustainable because they serve both personal and collective interests – is resonating with working parents and their employers in this strange episode of our history.

    There are lots of practical articles, fascinating podcasts, and media coverage about the book here. One of my favorites is this special edition of my SiriusXM Wharton Business Radio show, featuring the Wharton alumni who were subjects for the book. Below are a few of the pieces that draw on Parents Who Lead and directly address our newly-upended world:

    Read

    • Harvard Business Review– How Working Parents Can Support One Another.
    • Bloomberg – Be the Coronavirus Boss Working Parents Need.
    • Business Insider – To Raise Children Who Are Resilient and Optimistic, Parents Can Use Discussing Coronavirus as an Opportunity. Here’s How to Get Started.

    Listen

    More Free Resources

    Our book helps people gain a greater sense of purpose, control, and connection. Here’s the first chapter, a study guide to ignite conversation about the big ideas, and a 1-pager composed in response to inquiries about how to use the book for teams and organizations.

    Since the pandemic, my Wharton classes, book talks, and speaking engagements have migrated to the virtual realm, making it in some ways easier for people to be part of the conversation. My online courses on Coursera and LinkedIn Learning (free for premium subscribers) are more popular now because of a newly-urgent interest in leading with values. While our SiriusXM studio on the Penn campus has been shuttered, my weekly show, Work and Life, on air since 2014, had been on hiatus, but we’re back now, recording from home, with fresh episodes that bring expertise to help us face the work and life challenges of a changed world. Free podcast versions are here.

    Question Everything

    I’m exploring potential research avenues on creating harmony between work and the rest of life as we move toward recovery from the pandemic and want to know what’s on your mind. So, what’s the most important question you would want me to address? Write to me with your ideas: friedman@wharton.upenn.edu

    Let’s stay socially connected, while we ache for the end of physical separation, 

    Written By:
    Stew Friedman
    TotalLeadership.org

  • “Moment of Grace: Resiliency” Video by John Baldoni

    The Association of Corporate Executive Coaches (ACEC) have always remained focused on supporting their members and their endeavors. Especially if a member has an important message to pass on or teach, just as John Baldoni decides to share in this video.

    By promoting the inspirational work by their members all while providing a professionally exclusive platform for Corporate Coaches to grow a network for expanding clientele. Considering this, ACEC member John Baldoni applies his experience as a Coach to share a brief message about strength and overcoming adversity.

    Altogether, Baldoni quickly explains the meaning behind a well-respected Japanese Saying, “Fall down 7 times get up 8 times” in order to illustrate for his viewers how this thought dives deep into a concept called Resiliency. John is ultimately reminding everyone that it is the toughest of times that determine who we truly are.

    The most inspiring takeaway from John’s brief time actually speaking is the number of high level concepts being introduced. The most unforgettable expressions, timeless quotes or even ancient proverbs often reveal similar advice. For instance, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

    In addition, Teddy Roosevelt has a much lengthier explanation surrounding this concept where he concludes that “a man should not be judged by his victories, but people should ask themselves what can be learned from how he carried himself after suffering the worst defeat.” This is merely a summarized interpretation of the lesson to be learned.

    John Baldoni is a certified ACEC Member for his many skill-sets and career achievements, among many other reasons. Perhaps, some of the most actionable advice John can provide his clients consists of effectively communicating powerful messages that can energize others to recognize just how many more lessons can be learned from him speaking for less than a minute. It is often agreed upon that those who speak the most have the least to say. Baldoni calmly expresses his point, then allows for it to sink in on us and upon deeper reflection, we have all already learned more about ourselves and the world around us.

    This is exactly why the Association of Corporate Executive Coaches (ACEC) has become such a valuable group to partner with. The level of quality you have the potential to align with is extraordinary. Not only will the genuine support you receive from fellow Coaches inspire you to focus more than you already had before on the continued growth for your clients, but it will also leave you feeling satisfaction from all the amazing people you have become an extension of and vice versa.

    Thanks to John Baldoni for this inspirational reminder!

    John Baldoni
    john@johnbaldoni.com
    734.995.9992
    www.johnbaldoni.com

    • 2018 Trust Across America Lifetime Achievement Honoree
    • 2020 Global Gurus Top 30 
    • Member of Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches
    • Inc.com Top 50 Leadership Expert
    • Inc.com Top 100 Leadership Speaker
    • Author of 14 books published in 10 languages

  • COVID-19 Terminology

    COVID-19 Terminology
    All of our vocabularies have been extended with the emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus so AFM has worked on defining some of these new words for you:

    • Asymptomatic: Someone who is showing no signs or symptoms of COVID-19. This does not mean they are not infected
    • Community spread: When the source of someone’s coronavirus infection is unknown and travel is not a factor
    • Contact tracing: The process of identifying, assessing and managing people who have been exposed to COVID-19 to prevent the spread
    • COVID-19: The name of the disease that the novel coronavirus causes. It stands for “COronaVIrus Disease 2019.”
    • Flattening the curve: An attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent a dramatic increase of infected individuals to not overwhelm the health care system
    • Incubation time: The amount of time it takes an infected person to start showing symptoms. For COVID-19, this is between two days and two weeks, with an average of five days
    • Isolation: A strict 7-10 day period of no contact for people who are sick until they have been symptom-free for at least 72 hours
    • PCR testing: A testing protocol to identify if you’ve contracted the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This test works by identifying the virus’ DNA through a process called PCR, or polymerase chain reaction. The PCR test looks for telltale markers distinct to this viral strain. The sample can be obtained through a throat or nasal swab.
    • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): The medical-grade gear health care workers and first-responders wear to protect themselves from getting infected. This includes goggles, face shields, gowns, gloves and masks or N-95 respirators
    • Physical (or social) distancing: Keeping physical distance from others to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19
    • Quarantine: A 14-day period of distancing for people who are not sick, but may have been in contact with someone who was
    • SARS-CoV-2: The official name for the 2019 novel coronavirus virus
    • Safer at home order: The next step in Governor Polis’s plan to “open” the Colorado economy. Polis has detailed a phased approach to re-opening non-essential businesses, restaurants, schools and more with social distancing at 60% – 65%. Check it out here.
    • Shelter-in-place (stay-at-home) order: While this can vary, generally you should stay home except for essential duties like shopping for groceries or prescriptions and minimize contact with others. In Colorado, the recommendation for social distancing was 75% – 80%.
    • Telehealth/virtual visits: Telehealth, or a virtual visit, is a visit type that is done virtually via a computer, phone or tablet
    • Viral shedding: The period of time after the virus has replicated in the host and is being emitted

  • How To Persuade People to Change Their Behavior

    Our innate anti-persuasion radar raises our defenses, so we avoid or ignore the message or, even worse, counter-argue, conjuring up all the reasons why what someone else suggested is a bad idea. Sure, the governor said to stay home but they’re overreacting.  Maybe the virus is bad in some part of the country, but I don’t know a single person whose gotten it.  And besides, many people who get it are fine anyway, so what’s the big deal?  Like an overzealous high school debater, they poke and prod and raise objections until the persuasive power of the message crumbles.

    So if telling people to do doesn’t work, what does? Rather than trying to persuade people, getting them to persuade themselves is often more effective.  Here are three ways to do that.

    1. Highlight a gap. 

    You can increase people’s sense of freedom and control by pointing out a disconnect between their thoughts and actions, or between what they might recommend for others versus do themselves.

    Take staying at home. For young people who might resist, ask what they would suggest an elderly grandparent or a younger brother or sister do. Would they want them out, interacting with possibly infected people?  If not, why do they think it’s safe for them to do so?

    People strive for internal consistency. They want their attitudes and actions to line up.  Highlighting misalignment encourages them to resolve the disconnect.

    Health officials in Thailand used this approach in anti-smoking campaign.  Rather than telling smokers their habit was bad, they had little kids come up to smokers on the street and ask them for a light.  Not surprisingly, the smokers told the kids no. Many even lectured the little boys and girls about the dangers of smoking. But before turning to walk away, the kids handed the smokers a note that said, “You worry about me … But why not about yourself?” At the bottom was a toll-free number smokers could call to get help.  Calls to that line jumped more than 60% during the campaign.

    2. Pose questions.

    Another way to allow for agency is to ask questions rather than make statements.  Public health messaging tries to be direct: “Junk food makes you fat.” “Drunk driving is murder.” “Keep sheltering in place.” But being so forceful can make people feel threatened. The same content can be phrased in terms of a question: “Do you think junk food is good for you?” If someone’s answer is no, they’re now in a tough spot. By encouraging them to articulate their opinion, they’ve had to put a stake in the ground — to admit that those things aren’t good for them. And once they’ve done that, it becomes harder to keep justify the bad behaviors.

    Questions shift the listener’s role. Rather than counter-arguing or thinking about all the reasons they disagree, they’re sorting through their answer to your query and their feelings or opinions on the matter.  And this shift increases buy-in. It encourages people to commit to the conclusion, because while people might not want to follow someone else’s lead, they’re more than happy to follow their own.  The answer to the question isn’t just any answer; it’s theiranswer, reflecting their own personal thoughts, beliefs, and preferences. That makes it more likely to drive action.

    In the case of this crisis, questions like “How bad would it be if your loved ones got sick?” could prove more effective than directives in driving commitment to long-term or intermittent social distancing and vigilant hygiene practices.

    3. Ask for less. 

    The third approach is to reduce the size of the ask.

    A doctor was dealing with an obese trucker who was drinking three liters of Mountain Dew a day.  She wanted to ask him to quit cold turkey, but knew that would probably fail, so she tried something else. She asked him to go from three liters a day to two.  He grumbled, but after a few weeks, was able to make the switch.  Then, on the next visit, she asked him to cut down to one liter a day. Finally, after he was able to do that, only then did she suggest cutting the soda out entirely. The trucker still drinks a can of Mountain Dew once in a while, but he’s lost more than 25 pounds.

    Especially in times of crisis, health organizations want big change right away. Everyone should continue to stay at home, by themselves, for two more months.  But asks this big often get rejected.  They’re so different from what people are doing currently that they fall into what scientists call “the region of rejection” and get ignored.

    A better approach is to dial down the initial request. Ask for less initially, and then ask for more. Take a big ask and break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Government officials responding to the pandemic are already doing this to some extent by setting initial end dates for social distancing measures, then extending them. But there might be more opportunities, for example when experts allow for some restrictions to be lifted — say, on small gatherings — but insist that others, such as concerts or sporting events, continue to be banned.

    Whether we’re encouraging people to socially distance, shop only once a week, thoroughly wash hands and wear face masks, or change behavior more broadly, too often we default to a particular approach: Pushing.  We assume that if we just remind people again or give them more facts, figures, or reasons, they’ll come around.  But, as recent backlash against the Covid-19 -related restrictions suggests, this doesn’t always work over the long term, especially when your demands have no fixed end date.

    If we instead understand the key barriers preventing change, such as reactance, and employ tactics designed to overcome them, we can change anything.


    Author:

    Jonah Berger is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author, most recently, of The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind (Simon & Schuster, 2020).

  • Global Spirited Leadership

    I’ve been thinking a lot about all the changes we have been making during this time, as I am sure we all are, and most often I find myself asking if any of these changes are here to stay?

    The only thing that we know for certain with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic, is that we can’t be certain of anything! I am, however, sure that as with all things: this, too, shall pass. But what will our world look like when it is over? If it is ever over. What will be the new “normal”?

    Until a short few months ago, it would be considered rude to refuse a handshake upon meeting. In many European cultures, that handshake was accompanied with one or more kisses as standard practice. In addition to all those polite and intentional “contacts”, think for a second about how many accidental contacts you encountered in a day through either not thinking before touching someone else while chatting or through a lack of spatial awareness, accidentally invading another person’s space. And I am certain that very few people washed their hands every 20 minutes for 20 seconds at a time.

    It didn’t take very long at all, just a couple of weeks, for “social distancing”, self-isolation, obsessive and thorough hand-washing, and maintaining a 6 foot gap between anyone else in public became the new standard; and, by all accounts, this behaviour change has been effective at doing what it was supposed to do and we are starting to see the flattening of the curve. With the rate of infection slowing, I find myself starting to wonder how many of these new habits will remain the social norm. What habits will stick and which will be forgotten?

    I predict we will see that many businesses and schools will permanently adopt some of those temporary measures that have been implemented during this time without seeming to have had a negative effect on productivity. Most notably, I think we will continue the practice of fewer face-to-face meetings, likely fewer meetings in general, less travel, more distance learning opportunities, and a greater acceptance of working from home. We are finally using the technology that has been improving over the last few decades in a way that makes sense for business and learning institutions.

    Moving away from businesses and schools, I expect we will also see lasting changes in our personal lifestyles. Which direction will it go? Many people set a weight loss goal at the beginning of the year, but now we are joking about the “Covid 19 [lbs gained during our social isolation]”. The trend has shifted towards comfort foods 

    and increased alcohol consumption. When life returns to “normal” will we continue to prioritize our comfort habits picked up during a crisis, or will we resume striving for a healthier lifestyle? What habits have you adopted during this time, and do you feel they were taken up as a temporary coping mechanism, or have your priorities changed long term? Will those habits be hard to break?

    We are starting to hear that social distancing may be the way of the future, at least in the near future. I personally dislike the term “social distancing” as it suggests a social disconnect that I am not feeling during this time. I prefer to think of it as “spatial or physical distancing”. It is my hope that, out of all the behaviour changes we have adopted during this pandemic, that “social distancing” fades quickly. We can maintain a healthy physical distance, yet strengthen and nurture those close social connections. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I must admit I have, somewhat, welcomed the peace and quiet of this period, but I have also realized how much I miss and crave the joy and fun of really connecting with people for longer than a 30 minute Zoom meeting. 

    Here is what I hope we have learned and continue to practice long after the world “reopens”:

    o Increased empathy: tough decisions have had to be made across a wide variety of industries over the last month, and I am happy to observe that the majority of these decisions have been executed with greater understanding, transparency and kindness than I was used to seeing in the past.

    o Renewed appreciation of family: and I include this in the wider sense of a shift from “Me” to “We”. Our blinkers have been removed, and we are now more aware of the health of the community as a whole – we want them to be safe and well.

    o Respect of people’s space and time: we are “seeing” each other with greater clarity than before. Currently we are being more intentionally aware just in case the other person has the “virus”, but I hope this will stick in a more meaningful way of “ I see you and I am aware of you and I want to give you as much space as you want”. Maybe we will even see fewer car accidents from our heightened awareness and decreased need to rush everywhere.

    o Showing appreciation: I am filled with hope when I hear the outburst of community applause each evening in appreciation of all our healthcare and essential workers, buildings lit up with hearts or messages of community and love, neighbours coming together to play music together from their balconies or doorsteps. I sincerely hope that this appreciation of others continues long-term.

    So, what are your thoughts on all this? Will the “Covid-bump” permanently replace hugs, handshakes, and kisses? Will we continue to be more respectful of people’s space? Throughout this crisis, what is the ONE habit, realization, or behaviour change that has meant the most to you and will you commit to nurturing that in our post-Covid world? 

    I’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Author:

    Schedule Call
    Cellene Hoogenkamp – Global Spirited Leadership 601 Union Street, Suite 2600 Seattle, Washington 98101 United States +12068298217