Purposeful re-entry requires us to go where people are and acknowledging the experiences that people have had over this past year. What’s happened this past year, where are we now and then how do we re-enter this new beginning? These are the questions leaders and organizations need to ask and analyze. Gathering this data will influence strategy, the allocation of resources , policy, training and development.
Ask yourselves, how has my individual experience been mirrored by others around the globe? It may be the first time when our individual and collective experiences have mirrored others around the world. What have been our experiences? Start with you.
- My experience?
- My family – partner, kids?
- My coworkers?
- My support system and friends?
- My work, the wider community?
Invest the time to got through the process of how the pandemic has impacted you and your world.
Are you open to learning, you can really explore new information and explore your curiosity, and ask questions about what’s happening in the world even if it is uncomfortable?
Have you gone “goosie”? What caused it? Is it new information or did you acknowledge something in a new way or for the first time?
How about your organization? How will you investigate and process this information? Small group questions and dialogues? Surveys – which are as good as the questions asked? Will you include all of the dynamics of this past year which might include: social justice, racial justice, the Covid-19 pandemic, physical health, mental health and gender issues.
We would like to address one issue this month as we recognize the contributions of women. First we need to acknowledge women’s many contributions and a female power that needs to be in society and organizations – love compassion, nurturing, intuition, listening and supporting each other, collaboration and co-creation.
We need to recognize that women aren’t broken and don’t need to change to fit into for profit and not-for-profit organizations. “Fix workplaces, not women,” according to Michelle Penelope King. Check out her book, The Fix. We welcome the contributions of and influence of women around the globe and we hope to see a positive trajectory into the future.