How You Doing?

How you doing?  Three simple words. We have all asked this question of others our entire professional lives. 

I’ve asked it at the start of meetings, conference calls, and webinars. I’ve even asked it while sitting across the table from an elected official. Yet for all the times I ask this question on a weekly basis, my mind is often on something else.

With the onset of COVID-19, this question takes on new significance. 

Each of us is now facing moments of trepidation and isolation as we cope with the new normal. I’m learning that we need to be present with each other, now more than ever.

Professionally, we face many pressures at FCP. Our entire team is are working remotely for the first time ever. We have clients with rapidly evolving needs. Our media contacts are distracted, scared, and some are even testing positive for the virus. We are competing with massive noise on social media. All of these factors provide ample reason to not focus on the moment and the person right in front of us.

And yet, three simple words at the start of every interaction can bring genuine connection if we allow it. “How you doing?”

Yesterday, I asked and waited silently for the answer. A father described that he hasn’t been able to give his daughter one of those smushy dad-hugs for 11 days since she came home from college. He is literally counting the hours until he can. 

My colleague spoke with a client whose child has recovered from a mild case of COVID-19. He shared his journey of emotion from sadness to relief to hope for others. 

We heard from one of our public health clients heroic stories of local healthcare professionals working under extreme pressure. I learned some of the awful realities of being a caregiver in this moment.

We also heard stories of hope and optimism from a client working on the frontlines against COVID-19, raising millions of dollars to help stabilize the ecosystem of nonprofits serving our most vulnerable neighbors in the Bay Area. 

We are all one or two degrees from someone who is a first responder, a medical professional, or a family member struggling with the immense toll of this disease. Their stories fill our social media with a stew of fear, hope, pride, and sadness.

Usually, the goal of my writing and FCP's blog content is to be generous and share what we learn about communications and what you can use in your organization. Today, we simply offer a reminder. We are all people. We are all scared. We are all at-risk. We will get through this together. 

The first step for all of us to cope, heal and one day thrive again may just be asking “How you doing?" and really meaning it. I know it is for me.