" PANDAMIC MIND PARALYSIS"

PANDEMIC MIND "PARALYSIS" Why is there so much conflict and decent in our Society at the moment about the best way to overcome and Conquer COVID?? Why do our Political Leaders have so much trouble uniting our community to accept the best way to overcome the Pandemic? Clearly there is an abundance of information being presented, virtually every minute, that through Immunization COVID can be conquered. Is it a matter of Intelligence IQ or Emotional Intelligence EQ that is the problem?? It may appear that this is the case. Yet recent research indicates that the majority of PhD s reject Immunization. Why? https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/americans-with-phds-are-most-reluctant-to-get-vaccinated-against-covid/ar-AANjRHh. Immunization, Mandates, Lockdowns or Adverse reactions you name it, sectors of our community are becoming more and more polarized; and there is more & more tribalism. There is conflict galore. From a psychosocial perspective it comes down to two Factors Survival and Cognitive Dissonance. Under normal circumstances we have fairly flexible Mental Frameworks, that allows us to measure and predict the world. Information is modified rejected or accepted based on our mental framework. Under normal circumstances these Frameworks or filters are flexible and open to reasonable debate and may be modified, to take in new information. However, under a National Disaster scenario like the current Pandemic, Mental Frameworks are not so flexible and tends to reject any new information that conflicts with perceptions of the need to survive; survival Instinct. Very much tied up to the fight flight fear response; very emotional and not subject to reason especially when feelings of victimization are inflamed by shaming or attacks of any kind.

Our political Leaders, their political advisors , advisory boards and advice from relevant Peak Body representatives are of course human, and are also subject to the current national survival phenomenon of polarized societal cognitive dissonance. In the end the decisions play out in such away, that either unite or divide the people in the war against the Pandemic. What do Political Leaders need to do more of in order to unite society in this battle??

?From a psychosocial perspective, listening takes into account and addresses a?communications phenomena called assimilation- a core element within cognitive dissonance- in people, groups and sectors?and is embodied in the perpetuation of the tendency for victimization, negativity?or threat- denial. The phenomena of assimilation, well known to?anthropologists, are particularly powerful in sub cultures and takes on tribal?qualities. It is not restricted to the general population and can be found in?corporate board rooms, senior executive teams and within teams of?government political advisors. The phenomena of assimilation and the?interconnection of productive or regressive roles are related to the well-known?small group dynamic of “group think”.?Ignoring the influence of assimilation can lead political parties to the?opposition bench and corporations bankrupt.?What is assimilation??When individuals or groups develop belief in relation to themselves and the?world, that belief then becomes a mental filter or schema for new information.?Information that challenges the existing schema too much is rejected.?

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Therefore, for example if the groups within the general population, through experience or stories, develop the belief that the world or nation is a gloomy and dangerous place –victim mentality- they will reject success stories communicated by leaders unless the schema is embraced and transformed. Leaders with credibility understand this phenomena and listening prowess as defined, forms part of their interpersonal skill repertoire. Listening prowess and issues regarding assimilation in some ways are often seen as common knowledge, but these psychosocial factors and how they play out politicly is complex. That is, when a leader is faced with decent, criticism, conflict and team pressure it would be very easy to slip away from the leader’s defined organizational role and regress back to psychological roles that helped cope during personality formation, such as family roles or roles developed during secondary or university education. An example of these unhelpful roles for a leader would be that of a placater, rescuer, appeaser, self defacer or avoidant procrastinator. These roles shut down leaders and their team’s spontaneity, creativity, vitality and inspiration. I have especially noticed through my coaching of departmental political advisers and corporate executive teams, that the political landscape is particularly challenging through the gamesman of detractors or competitors, which aim to subvert the leader’s capacity to lead by targeting and eliciting the leader’s regressive roles. However, successful leaders through the learned skill of active systemic listening are able to maintain awareness and responsiveness to constituents and their teams. Listening helps spontaneity which in turn reduces the risk of regressive roles or interpersonal traps set by opponents. Leaders then are able to maintain confidence, assertion, vitality and belief of conviction in the way they go about maintaining morale and achieving unity.

Sir Winston Churchill brought Nations together through his great capacity to resonate with the people and through unity and inspiration overcome incredible adversity.?