The holidays are here… already. Is it just me or do they seem to come around faster and faster every year? While some people are asking for the latest Bluetooth gadgets, meal prep subscriptions, and trendy socks, knowledge sharing tops our wish list this holiday season. As 2021 ends and we look back on the year, a year that was just as hard as the year before it, we should focus on lessons learned, experience gained and the power of handling the unexpected. We were tested in so many ways, both personally and professionally, and we continue to be tested.
We all want out of this pandemic, out of this new constant of uncertainty. We want a way back to each other that involves handshakes and hugs, time spent with family, friends, coworkers, and new business contacts. One way to get that is to go into this season of holiday gift giving with a new perspective, one that focuses on the gift of knowledge sharing. Let’s all make a resolution (a full month early) to share what we have learned with one another. Let’s talk about what worked, what didn’t and what just needs some refinement. We’ve all done so many new things over the last two years, things we didn’t know we could or that we simply weren’t expecting.
Many of us were thrown into remote work, some happily, some begrudgingly. We embraced new technologies as a way to stay connected even when we weren’t in the same room, building, city, state or maybe even country. We learned how easy it is to get ready just from the waist up, how important lighting is on video calls, and how it’s possible to be late to work even when your commute involves walking from the kitchen to your couch. We learned how to adapt, how to grow and how to thrive in a world turned unexpectedly upside down. It’s been tough, sure. It’s been frustrating, definitely. But it’s also opened our eyes to what’s important. It’s created a new level of resourcefulness that we can use to make our businesses even more successful.
But have you taken your lessons learned and paid them forward? If not, think about it now. It’s never too late. Write them down, email them to a colleague, share them with another manager facing a challenge that you’ve already faced. Do you know someone who is hiring virtually for the first time or setting up a hybrid work environment? If you’ve done it, pass on your advice for what worked and what didn’t.
This month, we plan to give the best advice we’ve gathered throughout 2021 on topics like leadership, employee engagement, development, retention and, of course, on how to use employee development assessments to optimize productivity and build thriving workplace cultures. We will also host our popular “Ask the Experts” Take-Away Tuesday Webinar on December 14th at 12:30 pm EST, so please join us if you have questions. We’ll be “gift-exchanging” your questions for answers. You see what I did there? I know it’s about as subtle as an ugly holiday sweater.
This holiday season lets share our triumphs with one another and give the hottest gift for 2021… knowledge!
