Dr. Michael Traugott
1. The Election: Special Edition of Leaders Connect with Dr. Michael Traugott
At no time in my life can I recall a time when people are so passionately engaged in an election. As we approach November 3rd, every day seems to bring new twists and turns. Almost everyone I know is trying to do what they can to support their candidate. In that spirit, I have invited to be our guest this Friday morning at the Zoom version of Leaders Connect, the renowned election expert, Dr. Michael Traugott, UM political scientist, and researcher at the Institute for Social Research. Through his deep knowledge of elections, polls, and survey methodology, Mike will give us insight into this particular election and how it compares to others in our history. He also will be taking questions from the audience. I sincerely hope you can join us. To register for this event, please click HERE.
2. Health
Approaching my 74th birthday and with most of my friends in their 60’s and 70’s, I am witnessing an increasing focus on health. Almost everyone I know is struggling with some kind of health issue which is restricting activity and taking up a good portion of the time. We all knew this was somewhere in our future, yet we are surprised by how we, the baby boom generation, like everyone else who has aged throughout the generations, have been unable to avoid the wearing out of our bodies.
IT IS A NICE GESTURE TO CALL PEOPLE TO CHECK IN ON HOW THEY ARE FEELING
3. Compassion Fatigue
Many people have taken on the role of caretaker. Some are taking care of one person. Many others have multiple care-taking roles, often across the generations: taking care of children while at the same time taking care of elders. With Covid going on for over six months, and with the prospect of things no better or possibly even worse, caretakers are exhausted. Even though they know they should take good care of themselves, they find no time for self-care.
PLEASE REACH OUT AND SUPPORT THE CARETAKERS
4. Worry About the Appeal of Amazon
I find Amazon so easy to use, especially with prime and free delivery. I am increasingly using it to purchase all kinds of goods that I normally would buy locally. While I know this is not good for the local economy, the ease-of-use in the time of Covid is very compelling. I worry about the survival of small businesses. How are they going be able to compete with the monoliths of Amazon and Walmart?
THIS IS THE CRUCIAL SEASON FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: SHOP LOCAL
5. How Will the Small Restaurants Survive
I’ve been doing my best to patronize the small restaurants and cafés which I love and which make Ann Arbor so great. With winter approaching and Covid going strong, I will not be able to patronize these places.
ORDER FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS
6. Fighting Against Pessimism and Cynicism
The news cycles each week seem to provide another source of worry and cynicism. Last week it was the terrorism of local groups which in one fell swoop threatened the governor, the police, and government officials. Likewise, we see how flawed and fragile our electoral system is.
MAKE A DAILY PRACTICE OF RECORDING THE POSITIVE EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE
7. Working From Home: Zoom Friend or Foe?
We are quickly hurdled into a new era of video conferencing. On the one hand it has enabled us to stay connected to friends and workers. Many businesses are doing better than ever. Psychotherapy has been transformed with many clients expressing a preference for video conferencing. On the downside, we are all suffering from Zoom and screen fatigue.
START ZOOM MEETINGS EARLIER WITH NO AGENDA TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO VISIT ONE ANOTHER
8. Unexpected Gifts of Covid
As in all human situations, we find gifts where we least expect them. Some of my clients report that their teams are doing better working remotely. Other people have made new friends and neighbors whom they did not know before. Others have developed new hobbies. For example, my 98 year old mother-in-law, Jean, has become quite adept at coloring. Personally, I have been able to finish a new book, “Tech Leadership 4.0” with my colleague Mike Anleitner. I have been able to revise my website with my colleague Annie Wolock. I am also working on a new book about growing up in Detroit as an only child, living with my parents and grandparents. The book is told in a series of conversations with my dog, Finn. I never really had a dog, but I have made one up especially for this book. More on this later.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR NEW FOUND FREE TIME TO LEARN NEW ACTIVITIES