As I start off the final blog of 2020, I’m reminded of a song written by Johnny Nash, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’. In this timely classic, Nash spoke of seeing all the obstacles in his way. I’m sure none of us could’ve imagined all the obstacles 2020 would present, yet we are here getting ready to close out the year 2020. For some of us, we escaped this year with minor scrapes and bruises. Unfortunately, for others, 2020 will leave lasting and damaging effects that only time can heal. No matter where you are at in this moment, it’s important to stop, pause and reflect. This period of time allows us to see what we have accomplished and where we still need to put in work. For an organization, being intentionally reflective, may determine if they will succeed in the following year.
This year has indeed been a year of lessons learned. We got a deeper appreciation for technology as we quickly shifted schools and offices from brick and mortar to home. We learned that ‘essential employees’ extended way beyond our hospital workers and law enforcement to include our grocery store checkout clerks. We realized that no matter how many Zoom meetings we were on, nothing replaced the organic conversations we had with co-workers on the way to the breakroom. Yes, 2020 has taught us some interesting things.
But more importantly, 2020 has revealed how much work we have to do. It showed us that in the middle of the night, a knock to the wrong door, can result in your life being ended. It showed us the damaging effects that eight minutes and forty-six seconds can have on your life. It showed how lives were quickly altered when businesses suddenly closed. Unfortunately, it revealed that after all these years, we remain a divided country. Yes, 2020 has taught us some interesting things.
The good news is that in all of the challenges and obstacles that 2020 presented, we have the opportunity as organizations to make an impact that can extend beyond our business. This is our time to challenge the status quo and disrupt what many people may describe as normal. We have the opportunity to educate our workforce on Diversity & Inclusion. We can undeniably say employees can work from home and be productive. We can create opportunities to decrease the divide we see in our country. We can become change agents that can create a positive systemic impact on our organizational culture that can trickle outside of the office building or our VPN connection. Yes, 2020 has taught us some interesting things, but more importantly, it has provided us a roadmap. A roadmap that, if we choose to stop and reflect, can be the starting point to a positive and hopeful 2021.
