Researching for Bright Spots in Time of Crisis

In what seems like the blink of an eye, almost everything in our daily lives has changed. The way we work, how we go about our business, with whom and how we spend our time — all has turned upside down.

The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented in our time, but successful change is not. In fact, there are three proven mental components that pave the way:

• The rational mind: analytical, logical, data-driven. Think of "Star Trek's" Mr. Spock.
• The emotional mind: impulsive, passionate, feeling-driven. Again, drawing from "Star Trek," think of Capt. Kirk.
• The wise mind: where the rational and the emotional intersect. Mr. Miyagi of "The Karate Kid" embodies this.

We must draw upon that wise mind to grapple with the changes COVID-19 has forced upon us, be they different learning platforms, curtailed clinical care or strict physical distancing.

All change is dependent on changing behavior. For us in education, one of our most significant changes will be in instruction. Moving to online remote instruction, for the duration of our local and/or state lockdown, was a big shift. Now, that seems to have been a relatively easy step to take.

However, the change in behavior needed to "flatten the curve" in the rate of coronavirus infection is proving an even bigger shift for our society. When faced with the necessity of very difficult change, it behooves us to look for "bright spots" — others facing the same dilemma, but making progress.

Jerry Sternin, of Save the Children, popularized the concept of the "bright spot." Decades ago, he was tasked with curbing malnutrition, in just six months, among children in Vietnam. At the time it seemed like an insurmountable task to attempt with limited staff time and resources. His strategy: Find the families whose children were thriving, and find out what they were doing: the bright spots in a dark situation. He found observable exceptions, where families got better results with the same resources as others. He deployed those families to be the nutrition trainers and the approach spread throughout the nation.

Even in the midst of this pandemic, there are bright spots. China and South Korea haven't had a magic bullet in limiting transmission of the coronavirus, but they have taken difficult yet effective measures in doing so. We need to share bright spots of educational and clinical approaches to help our academic health centers and the public.

We've seen that strict limits on travel and physical distancing are often met with resistance. These tips on managing resistance are valid in ordinary or extraordinary circumstances:

• Visibility: Be visible, available and interested in your learners, employees, faculty and communities during this time.
• Variability: Allow for varying personal reactions and give all more flexibility at work to take care of themselves.
• Ventilation: Allow opportunities (formal and informal) for all to tell their stories, compare their reactions, and express their feelings.
• Validation: Say thank you and acknowledge your stakeholders for their contributions.

These indeed are extraordinary times. We will get through this together and the future will be bright.