{ outreach in action } by Paul Roberts • Foundation & Outreach Director Putting the Virtue in Virtual L
et’s start our interaction today with one big collective grumble over the entire COVID mess. It sucks, plain and simple. For the last 100+ days
we all have faced the daily chaos of dealing with an unseen virus. For many with higher risk profiles, the health threat is paramount. For others the interruption to routine has been unnerving. Ongoing uncertainty, mixed messages, economic loss, sudden onset homeschooling, cancellations galore, fright- ening news reports of a second wave, deter- mining your mask philosophy and missing sports are just some of the very painful and common conundrums we have encountered. It’s exhausting and stressful.
Research supports how the pandemic has warped our sense of time. Our normal flow is interrupted robbing us of the sensation that time is passing quickly. The pandemic presents situations that require much more focused attention. This leads to rumina- tion on negative, repetitive and obsessive thoughts which in turn make time drag by. The rhythm of our internal clock gets knocked for a loop and we lose sleep. Holler if you’re a new member of the 3 a.m. club like me! Added to this unique pandemic burden is the very real social upheaval going on in our country. The history books will validate that these are unprecedented times, indeed. OK, allow yourself one more harrumph and woeful sigh because now that we have acknowledged the obvious, I’m moving on in my search for some silver linings.
When friends ask about my job, I say it’s hard to be the director of outreach when you can’t travel. More than a dozen spring trips to all corners of the state to engage with mem- bers and students were cancelled. I also say association work is tough when you can’t as- sociate. Oh, there’s still been plenty of work as evidenced by the waves of communication related to the shutdown, the reopening, the guidelines, the loans and more. To the extent
20 focus | JUL/AUG 2020 | ISSUE 4
that membership is built on information and resources, there has never been a stronger case for the value of belonging to the tripartite power of your local society, the MDA and the ADA.
e ty, theMDA
I prefer to point people past the tactile to the personal element of belonging to your professional association. Past the dues to the yahoos. Past the passive watching to the active engagement. If our mission is to help members succeed, then we need active mem- bers telling us what they need. We can often discern these needs when we attend compo- nent meetings or see members out and about at all manner of dental events from confer- ences to clinics. The uptick in phone calls during COVID was evidence that members want and need help. But now that the major panic has evolved into managed chaos, how do we stoke the flames of personal connec- tion? The calendar is no longer reliable to point us to the next expected and familiar stimulating gathering of colleagues.
ast the tactile to belonging to your
To fill this void, we were literally zoomed into relying on virtual events. While the technology was nothing new, our previous usage was limited. Now everything from staff morning huddles to cocktail parties occur virtually. We have seen inside more living rooms than we ever imagined. We halfway expect a green square to light up around the head of whoever we are speaking to. Teledentistry is also rapidly entering the mainstream. Our favorite TV talk shows are all operating from a distance. Everywhere you look, it’s a whole new platform for hu- man interaction.
The MDA is not exempt from this real- ity. Last month we launched our first-ever virtual Connect4Success CE seminars. Our learning curve went beyond technology as we attempted to inject some belonging and
ment into the sessions. For a first effort,
the reviews were positive. Now this approach is being refined for an uncertain future. The ADA House of Delegates—which for many is a highlight of the year—will be a virtual event this fall. All our student outreach is likely to move to a virtual platform for the near future. It’s stretching our thinking. There are advantages of saved expense, less travel time, more fluid scheduling and the comfy environs of your own home or office.
But advantages are not virtues. Zoom will never replace hugs and handshakes. It conceals the subtleties of person-to-person communication. Real life doesn’t allow you to turn off your face and drop out temporar- ily or readily mute your voice. The multi-set- ting format dilutes the wonderful feelings of momentum, new insight or group laughter. We are hardwired as humans to associate and connect. The success of any association relies on it. So as we move forward into new virtual horizons over an uncertain timeframe, let’s work harder than ever to find ways to con- nect, to smile, to show appreciation and engagement, to find the yahoos that make life and the profession enjoyable.
Until we meet again virtually or otherwise, be safe and stay connected. f
Contact Paul at paul@modentalmail. org. Read his blog, The Week That Was, new on Fridays at modental. org/blog.
