2020: We Made It
So here we are, closing out 2020. A year that no one could have ever imagined. I want to first point out that you have survived. You have probably overcome more than you ever thought you could. I never shy away from a celebration, so let’s pause a moment to reflect on how freaking awesome you are and all of the dumpster fires you’ve high-jumped over this year. Tip your glass to that!
Here are some further reflections:
New and creative ways of doing business are now a necessity. We have to operate differently. I’m used to traveling to Colorado four times a year to meet with my colleague, Megan, and our Denver clients. I haven’t been there since March. Business development meetings used to occur every week. Now, email check-ins, special deliveries and phone calls have to suffice. However, this has taught me that our company’s reach and geographical impact can be larger than the states in which we physically reside. How exciting is that? We are now growing by effectively serving client bases that are hours away from our Des Moines and Denver offices physically but only seconds away via Zoom. Conventional business development is being redefined.
Connections mean EVERYTHING. Just like I miss and realize how important my family and friends are during this time, I also realize how important our clients and colleagues are. We really do need each other to collaborate and make progress on shared goals. We have had such great clients that have continued to stay the course, be brave and decide to continue to develop for an unknown future. I am so thankful for the trust that they put in us every day to ensure that their buildings and occupants are safe. I have also realized that it is much more important to get to know and appreciate people for their unique, individual selves. They are much more than the company that they work for and chances are they won’t be at that company forever. Invest your time in people and in developing personal relationships.
Be bold and take risks. This is carrying over to all areas of my life. I dress as free spirited as I feel every darn day now. (More about personal integration later.) This also holds true for business: I started a podcast—and it has a video option. A year ago, I couldn’t even take a selfie without cringing,so that’s a bold risk for this girl right here! But it’s exactly what I needed to do: to promote diversity in a field that’s traditionally been pretty demographically streamlined and to implement #2 above, reinforcing connections with other humans that I admire. This year has shown us that life is short and unpredictable and we only get one chance at this. Do the thing.
Traditional goal setting isn’t working for me this year. Maybe that just means that I wasn’t being creative or bold enough in the past. Maybe goals just limit us and we need the room to grow into something bigger than we ever could have dreamed of. Maybe it’s because even now, we can’t predict where we are headed. A year ago, our target market was steel-framed office buildings. Then everyone started working from home. We have had to shift our focus, looking for creative and complex projects where we can offer the greatest service.
It’s liberating to be fully integrated. We are meant to be whole, complex human beings, fully ourselves in every setting. Sometimes personal tasks supersede work tasks, and sometimes vice versa. When we work from home, it all merges together. There’s no pretending we are perfect. There’s no compartmentalizing. I’ve started talking about mental health and feelings in work settings. I’ve started to inject my personality into work correspondence more often. My son walked into my office during a Zoom call with a group of people last week and, instead of being embarrassed, he waved. They all waved back. Yep, we’re all getting used to showing up as Version #1 and only in every setting.
So, in summary, I hope you all feel a little bolder this year. Foster the relationships that are important to you. Get creative. And feel a little bit more yourself. Use the struggle of 2020 as a catalyst for growth in 2021. We can’t wait to be a part of that ride with you.
Health, Hope, Peace and Prosperity to you all.
Kari