We’re moving Vaccination Decision-Making to the top of this list
Religious beliefs, racial prejudice, political perspective, sexual orientation…
These have always been highlighted in our employee handbook as the main ‘Topics to Avoid’ when interacting with our guests.
As human beings, it could be tempting to jump into the hottest, trending discussion. Sometimes it’s just a desire to have our voice heard, or, to feel socially connected and emotionally engaged. But some ultrasensitive and controversial topics can cause residual harm, long after a conversation is over.
We’ve seen boycotting of brands, bans on products, dissolved friendships and partnerships… simply based on one individual’s personal opinion. The topics are so polarizing, that people perceive what you say as a perpetual sign of what you stand for, and they either associate or disassociate themselves with who you are. At least, we still seemed to have some semblance of consideration for cultural differences and environmental circumstances.
But… born in December 2020, the vaccine conversation is rapidly growing to be as unpredictable a monster as the pandemic itself. The battle against the virus has lost traction to the discriminative war among friends, relatives, neighbourhoods and workplaces.
Unlike any other issue, on this one, you aren’t allowed to keep your personal stance personal . Very soon, there’ll be no ‘vaccine-hesitant’ fence to sit on, and no acceptable reason for delay. You must choose a side, and sign-up NOW, so that the rest of us can determine whether you’re an ally or an opponent. The world is being split in half by this conversation, and all we need to agree is that the other half is either stupid, selfish, or trying to kill us.
It’s a discussion that’s dissecting us, and it’s not doing us well.
So, as we continue to be undivided in the fight against uncertainty, we can personally choose to arm ourselves with masks, nonchalance, prayers, injections, or all. The key is to respect all those choices, and wish one another victory at the end.
