Some thoughts to internalize at the time of COVID-19

The other day, a colleague in my industry texted me, “Hey Rasheed - how are you? We are absolutely living in a very interesting time. Hope all is well with you and family.” I take this message as the perfect example of effective communication, which is more important than anything else at this critical time. She wanted her message to be seen in an outcome frame; moving away from the blame frame she could have been trapped in as she decided to face the challenge. 

The rays of hope are visible at the end of the dark tunnel. The sun will shine again and pour it abundant energy on all of us. It is the time to reaffirm our hopes. It is the time to reiterate faith in the power of human being. It is absolutely necessary for us to trust the science, and become even more grateful to the universe, the Almighty in deeper sense. We will get through this challenging time as well. 

Here are some thoughts to make our lives better at unprecedented times: 

Health is Wealth - Coronavirus outspread reminds us to focus on a culture of healthy living. It inspired people to start giving value to health when they have it. Take care of your health, practice hygiene, exercise regularly, eat good food, and relax. You have anything, only if you do have your health. 

Prevention is better than Cure - It's easier to stop something happening in the first place than to repair the damage after it has happened. It’s better to prevent disease rather than trying to find cures after they occur. It is better to stop something bad from happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened. 

Selfless-Safety – The outbreak of Coronavirus taught us safety of others has become more important that self-safety. Give priority to the safety of the vulnerable ones at your home or in the community than your own safety. 

Preserve your Wealth – At a crisis time, experts say that the epidemic is correcting the market; its impacts tended to be relatively short lived. Remember that this is not the first — and won’t be the last — market dip, and it can be good opportunity to get your investment strategy in check. Go for gradual and diversified investment strategies. 

‘Time-in’ not ’Time out’ - Covid19 teaches us ‘Time-in’ is more rewarding than ‘Time-out’. Very uncertain times inspire us to minimize our time at public places; Get back to basics and enjoy time at home, appreciate your family, and watch funny movies with your partner and kids; Read more books, internalize the thoughts, reflect on them, and carry on in life. 

Family First always - People are back to the family first philosophy. Take care of your family, which is your first calling. The memories we make with our family is everything in life. “The family is the first essential cell of human society.” 

Relationship Rewards - Make your relationship a top priority. Let’s deal with everyone with kindness. Be a giver in your relationships, rather than being a taker. Think of how you can apply this to your personal life. If each person is confident of gaining satisfaction from the relationship by giving more, then it will continue to strengthen their life.

Love Heals - The most important thing in the world is love. Love is patience, love is kindness. Let it flow freely and be genuine. Love is a vital component for the health of your heart, body, mind and soul. Time heals some wounds, but love heals them all. 

Communication is Key – Practice communication to reduce everyone's stress levels and enhance trust among key stakeholders, customers or within personal circles. It is important to express your concerns or voice one-on-one; over phone, through email, text, or live on social media. 

Leadership is Life - It is about empathetic leadership that focuses on better teamwork and a more integrated approach towards achieving goals in business or in life. Decisive leadership brings solutions with tangible results in the team or the society. Visionary leadership offers respite measures in difficult times. 

Go Online – Online is better, virtual is safer. Place your grocery orders on online, distance yourself from getting exposed to risks at this time. E-commerce and digital transactions became stronger than the conventional ones. Coronavirus forced schools, studios and events to go online and work remotely. This has been the result of disruption of the daily lives of people across the globe, forcing many to self-quarantine. Virtual events start-ups seized the coronavirus opportunity by providing group communication options — chat, audio or video — to teammates, customers or for trainings. 

Get Stronger - Testing times are meant for making us stronger for the future. Survive the myriad of challenges. I am happy to live in the UAE, which is among the most successful nations in addressing this challenge. 

Credibility is important than Visibility - Visibility is important, however credibility is essential. Build reputation and brand of the organisation as they stay longer and strive harder to perform. Make sure your brand is credible first. 

Practice Gratitude – Leading your life with gratitude is important at this disruptive time. Crisis is the interval for you to cultivate the culture of gratitude in life. The ability to be appreciative will strengthen you even under the most difficult circumstances. 

Ditch Fake News – Rely on information from credible sources and discuss about it at challenging times like this. Be smart, not a victim. Don’t share fake news. Be responsible by ignoring them and not feeding others with them. Weed out the fake news. Never ever trust the shocking stuff on your social pages. Use common sense before jumping onto them. 

PR is Priority - And Public Relations matters more than anything else today, especially at challenging times to manage a crisis whatever that is. Like Bill Gates famously said, “If I was down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on public relations”. Feel free to contact us. We, at Watermelon Communications in Dubai, will help you manage your communication with the public, stakeholders and customers.