For yourself, your team, your organisation, your family?

Not drop but consciously and deliberately put down.

This is a question for everyone but particularly leaders.

I have had conversations with people from a wide range of organisations over the last couple of weeks as the situation in Victoria has grown direr.

The feedback has been consistent: Many people are not ok. They are overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed and anxious – more so this time around than back in March.

Of all the things I thought I’d be writing about at the start of 2020, how to communicate while wearing a face mask was not on my list.

But here we are, and the good news is, I’ve got some tips to help.

As many of you have probably discovered, wearing a face mask takes getting used to and although vital at this time, does create challenges for communication.

But while wearing a mask does impact how we communicate, it doesn’t mean we can’t communicate effectively. We can!

We just have to work a bit harder and get more conscious, deliberate and exaggerated in what we do.

(My big expressive hand gestures and crinkle eyed smiles were totally made for this!)

Here are 10 tips to help you communicate with a mask on:

A monkey, an elephant, and a fish are asked to climb a tree to pass a test.

It’s the same tree and they have the same amount of time, so the challenge is equal, right?

But obviously the monkey is going to win because the test is not equitable.

“If only I had more confidence…”

“When I’m confident, I’ll…”

“I don’t have the confidence to have that conversation (so I won’t have it).”

I hear versions of these statements frequently.

It seems many people believe developing confidence is the answer to their problems.

I disagree.

It’s a phrase that’s been uttered by politicians and medical experts repeatedly over the last nine weeks in relation to community behaviour and our response to COVID-19.

“Use common sense”, they tell us.

“It’s basic common sense”, they say.

Every time I hear it, I cringe.

Why?

Because common sense is not common.

Too often we assume a request from a colleague, or task allocated by our boss must be actioned immediately, without question.

We drop whatever we were working on and get started on the new request straight away.

This reactive, rather than responsive approach is a sure-fire path to stress and overwhelm.

Our to-do list grows, our distraction levels are high, and our days are filled with ‘busy work’.

The Stockdale Paradox: It’s the ability to balance optimism with realism to get through tough times when the future is uncertain.

It’s a concept that is very relevant now and builds on the work of Viktor Frankl, the World War II Holocaust survivor who spoke of the power of choosing your response to life’s challenges.

James Stockdale was the highest-ranking US military officer held captive in the infamous ‘Hanoi Hilton’ POW camp during the Vietnam War.

He was imprisoned for almost eight years and repeatedly tortured.

Who are you?

Who do you want to be?

Two big questions and your answers will help you navigate through this time of stress and uncertainty.

Who are you? How are you travelling right now? What are your values? Are you living in alignment with them under pressure?

Be as honest as you can be with your answers – not so you can beat yourself up, but so you can own where you’re at. It’s about self-awareness. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

One of the best communication and leadership tips I can give you to help navigate this crazy time is this: Lead with warmth.

One of the best communication and leadership tips I can give you to help navigate this crazy time is this: Lead with warmth.

By warmth, I mean kindness, compassion and empathy.

Why?

Because warmth conveys our underlying intention.

It shows the people receiving our communication that we care about them and have their interests at heart – even if the message we’re delivering is difficult to hear.

Leaders! Now is not the time to go to ground; it’s the time to stand up and be seen.

“But I don’t have anything new to tell people,” you might think. “I don’t know what to say.”

No worries – tell your people that!

At times of crisis, uncertainty, challenge and change, you need to be seen. You must communicate early and communicate often.

Show empathy, compassion, calm and care.