Picking Up the Pieces
Goodbye, 2020
2020 is (finally) coming to a close and I don't think it's cynical for us to be glad it's ending. We spent the greater part of this year living and working through a truly strange and chaotic time featuring a pandemic, civic unrest and a major political election. The prospect of entering 2021 feels like putting together a 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of the ocean. Where do we even start?
We don't have to pretend 2020 wasn't exhausting, discouraging or stressful. It's important to accept whatever toll this experience took. But as we're regrouping, the end of the year is a fitting time for some rest and reflection. Although many of us will be isolating physically from loved ones this holiday season, the promise of an effective vaccine gives us some reason for hope that 2021 might be friendlier to humankind; that we'll be able to congregate in person again. As I ponder the whirlwind of this past year, I do see further cause for optimism; I believe we can pick up the pieces to build something that works better for everyone. A large part of humanity showed resiliency, compassion and adaptability, especially when it came to drastic changes that impacted the workplace. These are the foundational pieces of our new puzzle; good things we can build from.
Here are a few of the learnings I believe professionals and leaders can carry into 2021, and be all the stronger for it.
Digital is Our Friend
In 2020, going digital meant wasn't a nice-to-have: it literally meant survival. Companies without an effective digital presence or strategy struggled to stay afloat. The tide of digital has been rising for the better part of this decade, and 2020 exposed the holes in the boat.
It will be essential to keep up the digital momentum we gained this year, incorporating these new digital tools into our day-to-day work. Whether that's Zoom meetings, project management software, marketing automation or improved eCommerce platforms, digital will continue to drive efficiencies and expand the limits of what's possible for business. In light of the digital surge, Creatis launched a podcast, focused on this critical need for businesses getting digital called, In the Key of D: Using Digital to Transfrom Your Business. Subscribe and listen to it here.
Pay-It-Forward
The racial and economic inequities of our current world were made more visible in 2020. We saw many varities of advocacy for justice, inclusion and diversity in the workplace. Business leaders from small to Fortune 500 companies took notice, and committed to helping build a more equitable professional world through corporate programs, inkind donations, internships, scholarships and more.
Creatis has chosen to partner with the newly founded Minority Business Growth Association, an organization that helps minority-owned businesses achieve growth and find meaningful connections. Look for more details on how we're supporting the MBGA in 2021, including ways you can help this new organization gain further momentum and make a greater impact.
We're also leveraging our creative and marketing resources to help other local non-profits. We're in the process of selecting our 2020 Creatis Cares Honoree—to whom we will offer pro-bono creative services— through a voting process. Help us pay-it-forward by voting to support one of the four finalist 501(c)(3) non-profits local to the Twin Cities. Vote here.
Take Care of Each Other
There's no question the pandemic upended our familiar modes of communication and collaboration. But despite our social distance, and many working people from home, existing digital channels were leveraged across almost every industry and have played a crucial role in continuing to get work done. Virtual meetings, professional chat rooms, personal check-ins and other digital tools allowed us to be together and get work done while being safely apart.
Perhaps because of our distance and not being able to see each other face-to-face, there was a surge in "emotional checks-in" from leaders and colleagues. Creatis impelmented this EQ check-in at our weekly Monday morning meetings. It has allowed our team the space to express ourselves and foster a new kind of togetherness. Employers taking notice of their employees personal well-being, health, and emotional temperature will be a priority in our new normal, post-COVID. I believe we'll all be better for it. In some ways this distance has shown us the importance of teamwork and taking care of one another.
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