Looking Backward and Forward

As I sit at my gate today for my first commercial flight in over a year, I'm reflecting on the past year -- a year when we all had to deal with unexpected crisis, losing the freedom to visit with family and friends as we wished, learning to connect with colleagues over technology, and even establishing new relationships with people who we couldn't meet. It's been a year of constant adjustment, learning and re-learning, adapting, and having gratitude for the little things we might have taken for granted. 

As leaders, it's been a year of tremendous learning and growth. We have learned to trust people whom we've never met. That eyeball-to-eyeball connection that many of us thought we had to have was impossible in most situations. But somehow, we welcomed new members to the team, took advice from experts on Zoom calls, and even provided support and much needed encouragement during a difficult year of loss and absence. 

We learned that work-from-home, although not ideal, was something that could be done. As one who fought for work flexibility for years, I was heartened to see quite a few naysayers come around to the fact that productivity didn't go down just because there was a load of laundry in the wash, and seeing someone's dog, cat, or child didn't reduce professionalism. As we return to an office environment - perhaps in a different form - may we carry forward this refreshing appreciation for one another's full lives.

Technology got a power boost! With the ease and acceptance of virtual meetings, those who are working on even more interactive forms of communication got the "go ahead" to push innovation even further. It won't be too long before we can be "seated" side by side with one another and sharing virtual whiteboards from any location around the planet.

However most of all, I've missed everyone. I'm about to board a flight to D.C. to meet two people for dinner tonight whom I've only ever met virtually. The good news is I've liked them enough to want to meet them and talk about future business opportunities. The best news is we are going to actually have dinner together.

I've appreciated the past year -- the sacrifice we have all been willing to make in order to keep one another safe, the ability to spend so many consecutive nights sleeping in my own bed, and the chance to bring two puppies into our home, read some books, and stream loads of programs across digital platforms. But most of all, I'm glad we're emerging back into a world I've missed and giving/getting hugs once again.

Stay well, everyone!