So, here we are. Done with the first month of a new year. We’ve had our time of assessment and affirmation; reflection and resolution. As we entered 2022, we were filled with hope, in pursuit of clarity, and setting our intentions.
As each of us has negotiated the challenges created by and surfaced by the pandemic, we have sought ways to regain our sense of self-determination. We have reflected on where we are versus where we want to be and how we can get there in the context of a world turned upside down.
This search and these reflections have led to remarkable shifts in our collective and individual definitions of personal and professional success and amplified our search for meaning. This quest for purpose and this appetite for change—a perennial pursuit at the beginning of any new year—has each of us considering and, often realizing, the very power we have as changemakers.
We need to revel in that realization.
When we see something, from a community condition that needs to be improved to a workplace culture issue that needs to be handled, we should believe in our power as a catalyst to bring that change to life.
Our dear friend and client, Sandra LaFleur, Director of Changemaking Education and Social Innovation at Miami Dade College shares, “we stand strong in the belief that the very individuals whose lives are most impacted by the social and environmental challenges we seek to fix are those most valuable in the efforts to design solutions.”
While she is speaking about community conditions and social change, how might we apply her philosophy to our workplace? And, to our work life?
As we navigate 2022, what do you want to change inside your organization and how do you want your organization to engage in changing our world?
The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer details that 62% of employees believe they have the power to force companies to change internally and 73% of employees expect the opportunity to shape the future of society AND they want to be included in that planning.
Do you observe that sort of energy around change within your workplace? Do you feel the urgency inside your organization and amongst your colleagues to address a social challenge?
Are YOU feeling that way?
If so, how can you use the influence you have at your place of work to create the change you seek?
Whether you are in your 60th hour, 60th week or 60th month of employment, how can you use your internal contacts, the trust you have cultivated amongst colleagues and your understanding of the politics and processes within your organization to take calculated risks to drive change?
Who can you inspire to join you?
Amid the Great Resignation, it is tempting to think the grass is greener somewhere else. In some cases, that may be true, but we are going to lean into the sentimentality of a New Year and apply that to the notion of staying and to becoming a changemaker right where you are.
The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.
Separate but connected to the work of internal changemaking and to the pursuit of meaning, we would love your help as we seek what’s next.
Consulting Opportunities: Thankfully we’ve been busy since launching our collaboration in early 2020. We’ve recently completed a few projects which has opened our calendars. If you know anyone who could benefit from a collaboration on strategic planning, marketing and communications, board and community engagement, or fundraising, let’s talk.
In-House Roles: Over the last several years, we’ve been truly fortunate to contribute to and learn from great clients and interesting consulting engagements. Now, we feel the pull to go back in-house and to commit ourselves to one mission on a full-time basis as internal changemakers. While we are open to exploring any new opportunity, Carla is interested in an executive role, leading a team, crafting strategy, engaging employees, and creating social impact; and Sol is interested in a business development executive position, building strategic partnerships, creating new outreach initiatives, and engaging communities. If you know of or hear of a role that would be great fit for either of us, let’s talk.
Wishing you all the best for 2022 and always!
