As we reflect on 2020, we’ve heard words like “unprecedented times.” But moving forward into a new year doesn’t mean we’re reverting back to business as usual. So what will await us as we flip our calendars and begin shifting into our new normal?
If there’s one thing we know, 2021 will hold a lot of possibilities for changemakers who are ready to pursue new opportunities. The pandemic has changed everyone. Regardless of industry, the coming year will be one to reimagine, reinvent and reshape how you will do business to match new and emerging needs and expectations.
The Five R(s) of 2021
In 2021, these five areas will help changemakers emphasize their recent successes, eliminate unsustainable or outdated practices and prioritize values.
Recover (or at least start the process)
With vaccines distributed before the new year’s bell even tolls, we can expect some amount of 2021 to focus on recovery — physically, emotionally and economically. While recovery may only just begin this year, it will allow us to reflect and rest. Schedule time to take a breath, and give teams permission to dream of the good the future can hold. This rest will help inspire creativity as you begin transitioning into a post-COVID world.
Refocus your business strategies
Many businesses were forced to scramble at the beginning of 2020 as the pandemic hit. From remote working to pivoting core messaging, communicators uprooted day-to-day operations in order to adjust to the new world order. In some ways, this force of hand allowed us to see where our energy was most effective and efficient.
Now, as we cautiously look at a year that could bring some consistency back to operations, we expect to see many organizations refocus their energy to make small actions count in bigger ways. Much like hospitals focused on the services that could sustain the sudden industry shift, many businesses took the time to identify how they can best serve their clients — and maybe even uncovered some areas they can afford to let go. All of this activity will shape how organizations move forward.
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Revisit core values
Does your organization operate with core values? Do these guide engagement with clients, partners and community? This year is a perfect time to revisit your organization’s values and consider their relevance and impact as we look to the future. Identifying core values can not only boost business but help organizations stay focused as communities reopen and rebuild. As changemakers work to address systems-change and redesign the future of industries like health, agriculture, energy and community, core values have never been a more important guide post. This moment is a perfect opportunity to revisit your organization’s core vales and articulate how they can be activated through the everyday actions of teams and engagement with your audience.
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Re-examine relationships
2020 reminded us that our relationships reflect and shape our values. From strategic partnerships to networked teams, our collective connections can enhance our offerings, bring new thinking and bridge to new possibilities.
Heading into the new year, organizations can carefully examine what core values they want to expand and emphasize through their relationships. What new connections might bridge to a positive future? What don’t we know yet about our audience and how can we deepen that knowledge to foster more meaningful connections? An intentional shift toward diverse and inclusive networks will help support sustainable innovations, resilient approaches and expansive possibilities.
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Re-evaluate what you’ll bring into 2021
We know that the adaptations made during COVID-19 have forever changed the way we do business. But as we are presented with the option to revert work styles to reflect old habits, what will we choose to bring back into our lives and businesses? And what will we choose to leave in the past?
2020 exposed realities that require reshaping. As we anticipate what our new normal will look like, we can challenge how we used to do business. Maybe your work-from-home policy brought more growth than the old 9–5 workday. Maybe the pandemic revamped the way you approach client communications — and engagement is higher than ever as a result. Regardless of what you learned over the past year, this is just the start of a frequent re-evaluation that will follow us into the new year as we decide what is worth bringing forward.
Recover.
Refocus.
Revisit.
Re-examine.
Re-evaluate.
And repeat often.
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