Tips for ‘people persons’ in pandemic

Do you ever wonder what columnists do to prepare their articles? Here’s an insight: It’s not always productive. While pondering the dilemma of extravert workers and how they’re coping with COVID-19 restrictions, I found myself in a terrible language loop.

To wit: What is the plural of “people person”? Can you just add an “s” to the back of person? Do you go to the structurally awkward “people people”? I’d hate to say how much time I spent chasing down this answer, with no clear resolution.

I did try to hack the plural, as any seasoned writer would do. How do you like this sonorous but correct alternative: “For an individual who considers him or herself to be a ‘people person’…”?

Of course, this opens the gender pronoun issue, by which point I have to wonder if I’ve chosen the right cliché to begin with. Maybe I could just default to “For those who enjoy the company of others” while humming Barbra Streisand’s 1964 hit, “People.” You know – people who need people – the luckiest people in the world.

Getting to my point (and I do have one, per Ellen DeGeneres), this has been a tough year for everyone, but perhaps especially so for those with outgoing personalities. In a workshop last week, I fielded a question from an externally focused soul who burst out, “I hate Zoom! I’m a people person and that’s just not cutting it!”

She wasn’t the first person to tell me that, but she was probably the most fervent. The prospect of working or job-searching from home for several more months is causing distress before it even plays out. Somehow being a person who needs people isn’t feeling so lucky right now.

The following tips aren’t as good as an actual solution, but if any of them help you cope, they’ll have done their job. Some are from my personal arsenal but most come from clients, friends and general reading.

Create a daily social schedule. In the absence of casual interactions to help regulate the day, you might need to create your own schedule of light socializing. Perhaps you text a particular co-worker or friend at 10 every day, while setting virtual lunch dates with others, and ending your day with a summarizing email to your team.

Stay in motion. Masked or socially-distanced walks with friends or neighbors, or even alone, can balance your daily schedule so it doesn’t feel as isolating. Starting or ending the day with an hour of errands is another way to insert human contact into your regimen.

Mail something. While you’re on errands, consider the power of the tangible. Rather than ordering up an e-card or having gifts shipped to friends, why not send something you’ve signed or packed yourself? It’s extra labor, but at least it’s done off-screen.

Learn to love Zoom. Simply attending a virtual meeting gets tedious fast. That’s why you need to host when you can, while aiming to master the platform. By experimenting with the program’s features, trying other programs such as Webex or Teams, learning about lighting and sound, and generally owning the medium, you’ll turn the meeting into something you’re doing, rather than something you’re enduring.

Improve your remote meeting space. Do you need a stand-up desk? A headset or a larger screen? If you are physically uncomfortable, virtual meetings will never be enjoyable.

Add a soundscape to your work area. I’ve been using an old 25-disc CD player to run a curated playlist without commercials or connectivity issues. News or talk radio? Very limited doses, both for concentration and mental health.

Go to work sometimes. If you have access to a physical workplace, consider working on site now and then. A half day each week might help you feel more connected.

Bring your laptop to the mall. Terrible advice? Maybe, so put safety first. But some malls are huge and nearly empty. With the right precautions, perhaps you can answer emails while enjoying a latte and an hour of tinny holiday music.

Volunteer in person, if you’re comfortable. My friend has been delivering meals to the homebound, with many of the nonprofit’s clients becoming dependent on a few minutes of conversation through the screen door – something she enjoys as well.

In the end, you know that none of these steps will substitute for sustained in-person contact. But we’re in a situation and the only way out is through. So hang in there, extroverts (and everyone else). You can do this.

Do you have questions, on this or other job search / career topics? I answer reader questions on the second Sunday of each month. Just send me your questions at (alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com) and I’ll work them into the column.