A few details have been changed for anonymity, as usual.
Timeline
*** Tuesday Mar 10 ***
- WHO says it's a pandemic
So *** Tuesday night (Weds 1am) ***
Because I am leading Saturday's monthly meeting (Elliot is out of town), I feel responsible and as a leader of a community, I should probably know things. I review Disease Control's (DC) guidelines on community organizations and community events, note their suggestions on communicating of a health crisis, and use it as a guide
I started drafting a Climate Volunteer Group (CVG) announcement about our plans.
*** WEDS 3am ***
I finished a draft and sent to my local chapter leaders to review and consult. I also ask for a point person to help make decisions.*
I also send a copy to every chapter leader I know and invite them to copy or template. Since I already wrote it, and figured that I could save others that effort.
Plus all the CVG health care folks I know, for input and review.
* note: reason for point person is so that I can continue to avoid the news. Which I didn't feel like I could do when I was responsible for the meeting. Also I asked the point person to stay on top of CDC guidance and DC gov guidance. In other words, rely on govt sources and not the news.
* *** WEDS 4am ***
I posted to my womens coworking group (WCG) to see if we should write something. only to find that Ilana (Tues 1pm) already started.
*** All WEDS ***
- CVG leaders, WCG event hosts, we drafted and adapted our announcement saying "wait and see".
*** WEDS 10am ***
JR volunteers to be chapter point person.
*** Weds March 11 ***
I crash the western neighbor CVG chapter meeting :-) (They welcome me with open arms because I am delightful.) They had several new people and had a much larger than average attendance.
Then, *** WEDS March 11, evening: ***
City declares state of emergency.
*** WEDS 10pm ***
Even though we had spend all the effort soliciting feedback from our volunteers, Ilana and CM and I decide at 10pm to make the executive decision to shut down WCG (and cancel the Thursday morning meetup). I say that, given the fast moving news, everyone will understand our reasons for pivoting the decision without consulting them.
We also share our announcements with the other WCG chapters in Atl, Lou, and Nash to use as a template.
*** THU MAR 12, 5am ***
I finally send out the Saturday draft agenda to our leaders, assuming business as usual, but say that JR and I are monitoring and may cancel as late as Friday eve.
*** THU MAR 12, 10am ***
10am JR recommends cancelling Saturday meeting
11am Elliot and I talk and between the three of us, we agree to move Saturday meeting to Zoom.
Also, at some point AFTER I've already written out the message, CVG national comes out with language and templates for canceling and wait and see. I look at TS's email to Portland chapter and copy sections out of it, and adjust my email.
My CVG chapter officially sends out the email saying the in-person Saturday meeting is moved online. I re-write the email and it is sent out at 1:30pm.
*** THU MAR 12, 11am, ***
I wrote to my yoga studio to recommend that they suspend like everyone else. They say thanks but we're good. :-/
(Notably, the owner is no longer living in the City.)
*** THU MAR 12, 11:55am ***
I suggest to my volunteer committee from my workplace (WP) that they seriously consider moving their meetings (next Tue/Wed, plus all week for local endorsements committee) online.
*** THU MAR 12, 1pm ***
CVG health team RB writes back validating my call for social distancing.
*** THU MAR 12, 2pm ***
Elliot and I work concurrently ~ I send it to listserv and update half of social media. Elliot sends out email to wider list and updates other half of social media.
*** THU MAR 12, afternoon ***
The volunteer team lead of the WP endorsements committee is displeased about my (personal) suggestion to change to remote meeting. He wants to know if national sent out a memo. I say no (not yet anyway). He wants to know what the update is then. So I go through my grapevine, and hot from a planning meeting I get the official word. Office is closed starting Monday. I let the next week meeting leads in on the not-yet-broken news.
*** THU MAR 12, 6pm ***
WP CEO sends out an email (the first one was sent on Monday) to tell us all to pack up our stuff on Friday or Monday, and that everyone should telework and be prepared to be gone for 4 weeks. Reading the writing on the wall, I am prepared to be out for 2-8 weeks. I share with my volunteer leaders that all office meetings including volunteer in-person meetings are officially cancelled.
*** THU MAR 12, 8pm ***
Our neighbors in the nearest northern neighbor CVG chapter change their mind and decide to go online as well. Their group leader continues to be my favorite person when she copies nearly my entire email for their announcement. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I also go to SF's video conferencing tutorial on Thursday night and regional chapter leaders practice breakout rooms.
*** FRI MAR 13, 12:30am ***
Langley jokes, again, that he wishes he could get quarantined with me.
I suddenly realize
Work has TOLD me to telework, and not come in to the office,
and also canceled all in-person meetings
And meanwhile all of City is shut down so nobody in City is meeting anyone.
I.... could leave the city.
Does Langley want to get in a car and come fetch me? We talk about airplanes, buses, and trains, and he agrees to be my knight in shining SUV.
pending us both running it by our managers. he needs to inform for out-of-state travel.
*** Throughout, and Friday inclusive~ ***
Talking to all of my chapter team leads so that they are prepared to lead a breakout.
And updating the calendar on intranet. And checking in on them as individuals. Turns out one of them had the flu this week and THAT was scary.
*** FRI MAR 13 and SAT MAR 14 ***
Briefly chatted with manager, who shared how certain volunteers wanted to meet in person even if they needed to do it off-site, and were quickly shut down by the group.
I asked manager if she had any objection with me doing telework from somewhere outside of City. We share the same concerns but, bottom line, no objections. Great, it's on.
I continued to tweak and re-do the chapter monthly meeting agenda to prepare for a fully online meeting, including breakout rooms for teams.
Also, packing my house, and getting my bc prescription filled.
*** SAT MAR 14, 11am-4pm ***
Open house for CVG chapter on my videoconferencing line
attending national call (and heckling favorite staffer :-) )
and then running my own chapter meeting. (Elliot is secretly delighted to be able to attend after all, from a different state.) It goes off with few hiccups, everyone is very patient.
I offer at the beginning that we can stay behind afterwards and anyone who wants to process and be heard about the current health situation. We thought that allowing it during the meeting might take up too much time.
*** SAT MAR 14, 4pm-12 midnight ***
packing up, preparing to leave and get picked up by my knight in shining SUV, and paying the house bills for my roommates this next month so that they could breathe a bit easier, since they both only get paid when they work.
*** SUN MAR 15, 1:30am-2pm ***
Drive to my dude's place, hunker in
*** SUN MAR 15, 5:30am-9:30pm ***
5:30pm work meeting
6:00pm work meeting followup
6:30pm peer counseling friend journal meeting
7:30pm peer counseling pre-meeting processing for this week
8-9:30pm peer counseling group
Elliot called in the middle of the first meeting and I texted back to say I was in back to back to back meetings, and would be done at 9:30pm, and should I check in then?
He knows I'm at Langley's house and replies: "No you should enjoy your damn self :-) Let's touch base when you aren't so full."
I am surrounded by good people.
*** MON MAR 15, 12:30am ***
Yoga studio FINALLY closes, after three days of ever increasing updates of ever more limited service and instructions.
So this week has been an exercise for me in leadership.
And I realize the weight of leadership that I had never considered before.
Some of these are lessons that I wouldn't mind rewinding a week and sharing so that I could've prepared better. One lesson learned: People generally don't deal well in uncertainty. I think that it was important to share as early as possible~ Either cancellation, or why we weren't cancelling, and demonstrate that we are aware of the issue. It relieves our members of the pressure of making decisions, to know that others are thinking about it and have made the decision to stay or close. Especially close--- no more decisions needed!
I was also impressed with Ilana, one of the other organizers for my meetup. She's 23 and I sort of trained her and otherwise I think she just watched me. But her proactive leadership in drafting a statement says wonders about her leadership and maturity and I am so impressed with her. Elliot says that this is a benefit multiplier of CVG, the fact that we have trained leaders (who can train leaders). Some of our chapter veteran members are also now leading other movements on climate. (And bonus, they're friendly to CVG!)
This week has been both stressful and thrilling for me.
On a mundane note, I actually enjoy being a homebody, and I secretly have been loving the legit excuse to stay home and not leave the house. I've been getting a lot of work done since I don't have to commute, too!
It's thrilling because I feel like I'm in my element. I feel like I do better than the average person in moments of crisis because I'm not shy about taking charge, and during these moments I prioritize less having a group consensus than I've been trying to learn these last couple of years, so this is a easier for my personality to be a little despotic. And honestly like I said, I think people are relieved to have one fewer decision on their plate--- they are already making a lot of decisions for themselves, they are fine with me taking this one for the team.
I've also given like, a dozen videoconference trainings in the last week. And actually it's becoming such a thing now that going forward I'm only going to offer tutorials in a group, rather than one on one.
It's stressful because, of course, back when we decided to "stay open", I did feel like I was carrying that weight and risk for the community. (Fortunately with the help of my leadership team, Elliot and JR in CVG, Ilana and CM in WCG, and my new manager at WP as well as the c-team of national.)
But for CVG chapter specifically where I had taken the lead of decisions, how do I balance the advantages of staying open for our community, and provide info for the vulnerable members to make their decision, and what are our responsibilities to the health of the wider local community. Our members probably won't be sick but we could infect others unknowingly.
I want to thank all of the leaders in CVG at the national and chapter levels for taking on the mental load of making decisions for our volunteers. The emotional burden of decision making and saying the right thing can be challenging, and I thank you all for your work.
I think this is everything. Okay now I actually have to work!
from my WP CEO
PS - one more thing. These days it might be a good idea to start a journal if you’re not in the habit, or to spend a little more time in one if you write regularly. We’re living through an extraordinary time in history, and I encourage everyone to make space for reflection. You might find it gives you comfort now, and insights for the challenges ahead.
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