Summer thoughts from Ben Norris
Greetings!
I hope this finds you well. We have had an interesting year. As someone with a mental health condition, it has been strangely validating in many ways. Now everyone in the world knows what it is like to grapple with crushing uncertainty and contradictory information that causes roller-coaster rides of emotion. In many ways, I have seen positive effects, as people have a heightened sense of compassion for others; in other ways, I have seen dangerous and concerning effects, as people have been trained to see others not as people, but as threats.
I wanted to share an article that I wrote recently about the dangers of stereotyping, even in a positive sense: Beware positive stereotyping.
We have to be so careful anytime that we view individuals primarily through the lens of a group to which they belong. This can creep in to our lives even through a positive guise, such as appreciating health care workers.
Another topic that has been on the minds of many people is working remotely. This is something that I have experience with, and I wanted to share an article I wrote about this: Remote work thoughts.
Supporting remote work well requires and demonstrates high trust and is one of the best ways to recognize and treat employees respectfully as people. We should allow it.
Finally, in case you missed it, I wrote a series about leadership recently. This is a passion of mine, rivaling even my passion for mental health, and I felt it was important to explore. You can start with the overview: Thoughts on leadership.
Leadership is a complex idea that means different things to different people. Often, we are thrust into roles in which we are expected or required to lead others. Many of us find these situations uncomfortable and find ourselves unprepared to take up the mantle laid upon us.
I hope that you are finding ways to care for yourself during this difficult time. I also hope that you are able to connect with others and see their humanity and feel a sense of connectedness as we all navigate a challenge together. If you have any thoughts about any of these articles, the ideas they explore, or anything else you would like to share, just hit reply. I would love to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Ben