As we head to the easing of lockdown measures globally, integrity is something we need to talk about – with urgency. Cape Town psychologist Charissa Bloomberg has embraced the notion of integrity in her work. Shortly before lockdown, she launched Integrity Talks podcasts on YouTube. Bloomberg interviews people and hones in on integrity and how that is approached in their work. We will need integrity in the months ahead. Perform an integrity audit when you are entering into work and personal relationships. It is essential.

Integrity in desperate times

On the one hand we have the mantras of “be kind”, “we all in this together”, “we live in uncertain times” and the leitmotif- “unprecedented times”. Unprecedented times flips into “desperate times”. There is a sense of things not being fair –which it isn’t. Some people can work and earn and others cannot. The gulf between those who have and those who don’t is unfathomable. It is the reality.  Despair and desperation has led and is leading to people hustling. I am hearing about plans to hike prices. Why pay tax? A cash economy is the way forward. People have blatantly told me about their plans for the months ahead. Sod the notion of “be kind”. Warm and fuzzy may make for social media opportunities but integrity may be difficult to find as people jostle and scavenge for opportunities. Entrepreneurship, is great. Innovation is essential. So is resilience.  In all that, don’t lose sight of integrity.

Navigating through the pandemic and re-entry into commerce

Integrity is critical as we step into the next phase – essentially living with the pandemic – until a vaccine/cure is found or until it burns itself out when it cannot locate hosts to infect. I have been intrigued by the upbeat and positive aphorisms–interlaced with confessions and rants. I think that we need to be hyper cognisant of integrity- personally and professionally. In a time of survival, ethics may be malleable.

An integrity audit is essential

The interview that caught my eye in the Integrity Talks is with Di Rosen. In the interview, the acclaimed film maker, talks about the fact that she has always been transparent when she is charging for services by her film production company. For instance, it is easy to pad budgets in the film industry. Rosen has a reputation for being utterly accountable and this comes across in the interview. Rather than focus on herself, she talks ethics of the film business. Watching the Rosin interview makes for compelling viewing. It is very much a cautionary shout-out: Be careful. Be cautious. An integrity audit is essential.

About Charissa Bloomberg

Psychologist Charissa Bloomberg lives in Cape Town. She has a masters degree in psychology from UCT [University of Cape Town] and a qualification in psychodrama and group dynamics from Oxford University (UK), “where she studied psychodrama and role play”. She is also a drama and communications teacher  (Trinity College in London). Bloomberg has been a guest on TV and radio, providing “psychological input” into issues and people in the news.

Bloomberg tags herself as a “celebrity psychologist”. She explains about that moniker: “I used to work with celebrities, one day someone coined the term and it stuck. I thought why not, you have celebrity chefs, why not celebrity psychologists.”

Bloomberg was in private practice but left that to focus on her work in the corporate world; TV and radio and in the podcast domain: “I used to have a private practice for 10 years. I don’t have time for that now. I prefer to reach out to thousands  of people via TV and radio and podcasts.”

Integrity Forum

Bloomberg was planning SA’s first Integrity Forum – scheduled to take place this year- 2020- featuring speakers from corporate, government, academic and other sectors. Covid-19 scuppered that as a physical event but there are plans to make that happen on the internet: “Lockdown changed everything, we are trying to host it via zoom. It is something I am still working on.”

Image credit: Supplied.

Integrity Talks with Charissa Bloomberg

✔ Link: YouTube Integrity Talks https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM5mUpbLjK0ZF0jOZU4HFpA

Integrity Talk podcasts:

❇Integrity Talks -Interview Traffic Chief Kenny Africa https://youtu.be/Gm0nXJ0xAxg

❇ Integrity Talks – Interview Nik Rabinowitz https://youtu.be/EieUx69PZkA

❇ Integrity Talks – Beverley Anne Schafer -deputy speaker Parliament https://youtu.be/1_NVARxcGYM

❇ Integrity Talks – Di Rosen -award winning director https://youtu.be/JUHPY6aLu-o

❇ Integrity Talks- Prof Jonathan Jansen on lockdown and school readiness https://youtu.be/vgECAaL0VzQ

Find Charissa Bloomberg on:

✔ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CharissaBCelebrityPsychologist/

✔ Website www.integrityforum.co.za

✔ Twitter @charisbloomberg