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April 14, 2020 By Amanda Kaiser

Inappropriate Reactions for Associations

Stress compounds, and everyone is stressed right now. We fear for our health. We are struggling with the balancing act of work and childcare and teaching. We worry about our finances.

And there is more: layoffs, shortages, canceled plans, delayed milestones, and missed celebrations.

Plus, life goes on. On top of all this new turmoil, the usual poop still hits the fan. Things wear out, storms rage, stuff breaks, and people get hurt.

When stress compounds, we sometimes see some outsized reactions. Emotions flare in anger or sadness or even giddiness. Members may say things that don’t square with your sense of reality. You might witness a board member flip out at a small slight. A frazzled staff member might get on the phone with you just after using her “mom voice” with one of her kids.

If you are seeing far more inappropriate reactions right now, it might just be a sign of the times. These emotions are not proof that working from home doesn’t work, or board meetings can’t be done virtually, or virtual conferences are a terrible idea.

Many people are freaking out a bit right now, and these reactions probably have less to do with you or your association and more due to their high levels of stress.

Related:

  • Behind the mask of the association
  • What your members need most right now
  • This is the perfect time to question what an association is

Filed Under: Association Strategy Tagged With: association board, association staff, emotional support, emotions, member, member expectations, member experience

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