(Check out the free Strategic Readiness Inventory© and TPQ© tools at the bottom of this blog)
The other day as I was scanning the radio, I ran across the old song “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen; a sappy love song from 1975. I don’t recommend listening to it, especially right now. If you do, take the sharp objects out of reach. I listened to a couple of minutes before I turned the channel because I was afraid I would drive my car into a ditch.
I think this song was even more depressing because the current circumstances are leaving many of us feeling lost and alone. As an extrovert on steroids I will tell you the impact on me is oppressive. But I am seeing that even introverts, who might have relished a chance to be alone, are feeling it too. Here are three Thought Provoking Questions (TPQ’s©) you can use to alleviate the Eric Carmen syndrome of feeling lost and alone:
What am I feeling right now?
I don’t want to go into deep psychological analysis here, after all this is a blog about strategy. I will say that it is important that we keep connected with what we are feeling. Ignoring it doesn’t help. If you are feeling it, I am sure others on your team are feeling it. Just acknowledging it can be a powerful strategic unifier for your team.
Who else is in the same place?
I don’t recommend that we spend our time wallowing in self-pity, and I don’t recommend following the adage “misery loves company”. But talking with others who are in the same place can help us gain clarity and live in the moment of discomfort we are all facing and find where to go forward.
Who can help me out of the cave?
At times, I feel like I am in a cave; dark, dank, and imprisoned. At these moments I don’t find clichés, platitudes, and advice helpful. There are people around you who can help lead you out of the cave. I find that the people that are best at doing that for me are those who ask really good questions that make me think. They also are very good at reflecting what they hear from me, which helps me get out of my head. Find those people, they are worth their weight in gold.