Meaningful relationships at work or home don't happen on cruise control
Seasons Greetings Newsletter Subscriber,
Each December, when festivities have died down and work is done for the year, I briefly take stock of my personal and professional life to make sure my priorities are straight. Ultimately, my priorities = most important people in my life.
In 2021, Change by Design grew a lot. By quadrupling the workforce, I found a clear need to double-down on maintaining meaningful connections with each person while I was going after new business. I've written a bit about my role as Chief Cultural Officer in previous issues of Oomph!
One tactic I used to keep tabs was ordering meals and having them delivered (thanks, Door Dash!), then sharing a lunch hour virtually over Zoom with each team member. After all, we are a virtual team at this point in our evolution and need these connections! We do this at least once during a project, just get to know each other a little better, over a nice meal.
Everyone who worked on a project this year also received an Amazon gift card for their birthday. And as always for the end-of-year holidays, I sent an intentional, intriguing and useful gift to the team and this year's clients, plus some home-baked goodies. Even team members who didn't work with us this year due to scheduling conflicts were acknowledged, because you are always a part of the Change by Design tribe once you've proven your capacity for excellence.
Did I stay connected with team members as much as I would have liked? Partially. My own consulting work load prevented me from holding some of the virtual lunches, making this now one of my areas to grow. And because my prime focus in 2022 will be celebrating and supporting diversity on our team, it is a heavy priority. Change by Design is stronger when we have a wide range of approaches, types of people, and perspectives.
Did we stay connected with clients? Absolutely. In fact, we had multiple return clients who re-hired Change by Design because of our attention to detail, quality of work, and collaborative methodology. One client even commented after project closure that they appreciated and were delighted by how the quality of care persisted at the high levels they had previously experienced, even though they were no longer a new client.
Lastly, being a strong team doesn't just happen on its own, in the office or at home. Did I stay connected to my most important teammate? Mostly, but here is another area for improvement. This year, the candle definitely burned at both ends. There were long hours, but thankfully so much success. So as you're reading this, today Paul and I began our first New Hampshire vacation at a B&B… playing outdoors, seeing local shops, and hanging out together, just the two of us. I'm so thankful for his support and couldn't ask for a better best friend.
How will we improve in 2022 as we continue to expand? Better scalability. More diversity. Improved processes. We will continue to work hard to maintain our values and important relationships, and maximize our meaningful time together.
I encourage you to take an afternoon and also consider what worked well for you in 2021, what didn't work, and how to pivot in the New Year. By actively maintaining strong, satisfying connections with all those important people in our lives, success is that much sweeter. It just takes the effort. Thank you for reading our newsletter, and for your input on how to become better. Cheers to your success in 2022, and Happy (early) New Year!
Sue
Email | LinkedIn | V-Card
