People are the core of the energy industry. They are the reason we created the Energy Services Media platform to tell their story and highlight the transformative projects they execute. In the wake of COVID-19 this industry, among many others, has been rattled and faced with the now-common phrase ‘uncertainty.’ As businesses navigate these new times and have hard conversations with their people about the future, strong performing and valued employees have been laid off or furloughed. A question that we weren’t prepared for or anticipated lies heavy on businesses and individuals,”what do we do?”.
What do we do with the time we now have an abundance of? What is our next move? Who can we talk to? What type of guidance should we take? How do we stay positive?
Energy Services Media reached out to Dr. Dave NieKamp with Spherical Consulting, a Nenni & Associates Company, for answers. For over 20 years, Dr. NieKamp has provided psychological services to organizations and team members. He combines corporate culture and business strategies with psychological profiling to improve team dynamics and strengthen the organization. Dr. Dave also provides one-on-one coaching and has a proven track record in guiding individuals through change. In the face of a crisis, Spherical Consulting is a source of support, direction, and expertise.
Kinetic Anxiety, Dr. David Niekamp
We are in the throes of a surreal time in history. The world around us is ripe with uncertainty and fear stemming from numerous unknowns in the arenas of health, finance, politics and public life. This combination of stressors has evoked a quality of anxiety that we psychologist types have never seen before. Making it worse is that there is no clear path toward a global solution, creating a rather intense buildup of kinetic anxiety.
“So Doc, what do we do?”
Before directly answering that question, let’s talk transition for a moment. Transitions by their nature, at the very minimum, prompt caution. No surprise here. When we approach any transition point, even if we have previously encountered a similar event, we tend to slow down, being careful to move through the transition smoothly. Have you ever run down a flight of stairs unnecessarily? I doubt it. It is more likely that you will step downstairs at a much slower rate than you would walking the same number of steps on an even surface.
Additionally, transitions by their nature require more resources. A familiar example is going on a family vacation. This common event presents numerous transition points and costs more than if you were to simply stay home. It entails traveling to a different ‘temporary’ home and dining at a different table every night. My point is that the degree of caution and costs are commensurate with the degree and frequency of transitions. Given the unplanned and severity of the transitions the world is currently facing, it is expected that the degree of caution and costs are high.
When the transition is unexpected, unprecedented and significant, caution turns into fear: this is normal. NOTE: transitions: create anxiety, lots of transition creates lots of anxiety. I don’t like it any more than you, however when life goes sideways and suddenly forces transition into our lives, it is expected that we become anxious. When this happens and our anxiety goes unchecked or unmitigated, anxiety often turns into anger, maybe even rage, which is potentially very dangerous as no one makes good choices in a rage. (#HULK)
“So Doc, am I experiencing anxiety?”
Accurate diagnosis is the first step to effective intervention. On a personal level, take an inventory of common ‘symptoms.’ Psychologists look for some of the following when trying to identify the presence and type of anxiety. To begin, we look for the existence of real or perceived threats, currently there are many. Another prime factor is sleep disturbance. This can take the form of having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or not sleeping at all. Next, being easily overwhelmed, exhibited by tearfulness or being easily irritated; sometimes occurring together. Additionally, poor concentration and focus are often associated with being anxious. Lastly, short term memory can also be impaired when our anxiety gets the best of us. There are others, but this list is a good start. Please remember that these are normal and can be alleviated with simple and deliberate interventions.
Next, when a threat presents itself, we need to mitigate the expected response of Fight/Flight/Freeze. Simply stated, we don’t want to engage any of these. In order to ensure accurate and effective action, make your first point of focus personal relationships, i.e., family and friends. These are the people that will carry us through tough times. For those of you that espouse a faith, lean into your faith. All these relationships help mitigate the danger of lashing out towards others (fight), running away from the problem (flight) or isolating ourselves (freeze).
Vocationally this plays out in parallel. Begin with connecting with your network, engaging others frequently and deliberately. Next, convey value in these conversations through listening first. Believe it or not, “listening” is a skill set. If you address this one skill set, deliberately, with the focus of understanding what others are trying to say, the outcome will be significantly better than if you are simply trying to sell yourself. Ask about how they are doing and offer how you might help them as you can, before you ask how they might help you. This will likely lead to productive interactions and outcomes. Lastly, review the applicability of your skill set to tangent and emerging industries.
Finally, “Don’t Drive with Binoculars.” No one knows or can predict with certainty the long-term outcomes of our current circumstances. Keeping this in mind, we must review our immediate needs and commit to mid-range goals and objectives personally and professionally. If we drive our lives, or companies, while looking through the binoculars, we will crash long before arriving at our intended destination.
Ultimately, in order to successfully navigate the current Kinetic Anxiety, we need to be accurate in our assessment; deliberate in our application; and simultaneously committed to the people, plan and outcome of our endeavors, whether it be our personal lives or our respective organizations.
“There is no way out but through, and the only way through is together.”
If you are looking for help as to how to navigate your current circumstances, we at Spherical Consulting are willing and able to listen, collaborate and create a productive future for you and your organization.
Spherical Consulting offers a variety of services for your consideration: Leadership Coaching; Onboarding corporate Leaders and Managers; Team profiling and calibration; Consulting with Family owned and operated businesses helping to navigate personal and organizational needs; video conferencing available.
Please call Dr. Dave NieKamp or Michael Nenni
Dr. Dave NieKamp: 630-772-0281
Michael Nenni: 630-728-8970
