The Power of Community in Uncertain Times

To say that times are uncertain feels woefully inadequate.

From the presidential transition to the pandemic to safety, security, and sanity, there seems to be more questions and distress than answers and calm on how to cope with it all.

But during uncertain times, what we can find solace in is the power of community — this community. Each one of you reading this post plays a part, and how we support each other during this time is critical.

That may come in the form of a phone call to check on your colleagues or extending grace to team members who need to unplug from the grind of work to regroup. Support is also about self-care and ensuring you have the opportunity to step away, decompress and process your emotions.

In the spirit of community, the GovLoop team has rounded up some quick resources to provide support for you and your team as you serve the larger community each day.

1. Leadership Traits for Crisis Management 

Leading people is hard. Leading people during a crisis is even harder. But what causes some leaders to succeed or fail in a crisis? One visionary senior leader in government took a deeper look and shared his findings about these leadership traits.

2. Resilience in Times of Uncertainty 

“The more resilient we are, the easier it is to be flexible and adaptable in times of uncertainty and stress,” wrote Beth Payne, a former U.S. diplomat turned resilience coach. “We are more likely to collaborate with others to find innovative solutions to the problems [that] uncertainty brings to the workplace.” In her article, Payne shares several practical ways to build resilience, including seeking social support and maintaining purpose at work.

You might also want to check out her post on making resilience your superpower.

3. The Importance of Feeling Valued at Work

Speaking of maintaining meaning and purpose at work, how we internalize our value can be triggered by interactions with managers and colleagues or by the weight of external circumstances. This article explores ways to cope with feeling undervalued at work, starting with being self-reflective.

4. 7 Ways to Recharge When You Need a Break

Whether you’ve had a morning full of meetings or experienced an afternoon slump, you’ve probably found yourself drained at some point of the day and in desperate need of a break. When you take a break, the primary goal should be mental restoration. Practice self-care and give yourself some rest. Trust us, your work will be there when you come back.

5. How Government Can Combat Misinformation in a Crisis

When social media exploded in 2020 with reports about swans and dolphins returning to Venice canals and elephants moseying around Yunnan, China, it seemed to provide the feel-good relief that we needed amid devastating news about the coronavirus. We wanted to believe it. We needed to believe it. But it wasn’t true. With so much misinformation floating around, how can agencies position themselves as the source of truth? Check out these three tips.

6. Empathy in the Workplace: A GovLoop Toolkit

We aren’t often trained, either as individuals or in a management or leadership position, how to practice empathy at work. And this lack of training or awareness can lead to a breakdown in communication, unfair circumstances and inequality among peers. We created this toolkit to walk you through practical ways to foster empathy at work.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we wanted to share resources to help us all cope through these uncertain times. How are you and your team supporting each other? How are you making self-care a priority? Share your thoughts and words of wisdom in the comment section below.