Hello John,
My kindergartener was almost brought to tears last week when the groundhog saw his shadow. He recovered over the weekend when I dragged him and his sister out for the perfect morning of sledding at Bryan Park -- an hour of falling snow, and not a single other sledder on the slope with them. There's a pinky promise floating around the house involving walking around Bellevue in the dark, listening to the ice crack on tree branches (if the weather forecast holds).
My kids feel a little frayed around the edges one year into Covid. I don't think they're alone.
I wasn't joking during Floricane's first team meeting of 2021 when I said it was the 370th day of 2020. I was beginning to doubt we'd ever reach escape velocity on the year. By my watch, last year ended just 10 days ago -- February is the official first month of this new year.
Our team has noticed a shift in recent weeks. It's a little like the moment in a long train journey where you start to notice your fellow passengers preparing for what's next. Everyone is checking their phone, organizing their belongings in their laps, glancing out the window with a new intensity. People are tired from the trip, a little worn around the edges, but they're energized by the prospect of reaching a destination.
Floricane's client conversations feel like we're getting closer to the station. The tone is lighter, and the focus is on possibility. More organizations are centering their focus on the future. More people are sifting through last year, curious if there are lessons worth carrying into 2021. There is a real focus on strengthening (or building, or repairing) relationships within teams.
Here's hoping that stepping off the train onto the platform will mark the next stage of a journey.
I told someone last weekend that when I travel overseas I try to spend a third of my time just wandering the streets, a third doing traditional tourist things, and a third being present with other human beings over coffee, a meal, a concert. In work terms, I'd characterize this as exploring and being curious, working the plan, and building meaningful relationships.
My next overseas trip isn't likely to happen before 2022 -- I have five scheduled in my mind -- but I'm already thinking about ways to bring that traveler's mindset to my own team, and to my new client engagements.
And at home? That spontaneous sledding run was just the first of many adventures we'll have this year.
-- John
P.S. Speaking of the New Year, the Year of the Ox begins on Friday with the Chinese New Year. The Ox points to hard work and strength, to honesty and dependability, and to perseverance. (Strangely, it is the Year of the Metal Ox. Metal is associated with the lungs, nose and respiratory system.)