It is interesting to me about how controversial and political wearing a mask has become. In most establishments, there is an explicit “No shirt, no shoes, no service” regulation, but people don’t protest about that violating their rights. There are laws that require people to wear clothes in public or be arrested for going naked and those laws aren’t flagrantly violated, even in swimming pools or at beaches. Drivers who can’t see without glasses must wear them per their license and you must don a hospital gown or x-ray shield when getting certain medical procedures. Why is mask-wearing so different?
Part of the reason is the polarized political climate and mixed messages about COVID. If government leaders had modeled mask-wearing and consistently required their use, masks would already be as pervasive as wearing sunglasses in the summer.
But another contributing factor is the newness of the practice. People don’t like to change and resist anything that alters their normal habits. When you ask people to do something that requires intentionality instead of rote you should expect pushback – not based on the merits of the action rather simply because it is different. That’s where requiring masks everywhere pays dividends; the more often you do something, the sooner it blends into the routine and the resistance fades.
Pay attention to how mask-wearing (or not) plays out in your community: the irregular enforcement of it vs. strict adherence; the reasons for objection vs. the rationale given in support; the modeling of who does/does not wear one – all represent great lessons for you the next time you seek to implement a change in your organization.
