I think most of us would agree that 2021 could not have come soon enough? At the risk of dwelling on the past and overstating the obvious, 2020 was more than likely one of the roughest years most of us can recall in quite some time.

NO need to revisit the drama; however, acknowledging the downsides of the past year, let’s now focus on some of the positive side effects, shall we?

The Silver Lining, if you will….

Let’s take a minute to shift our mindset and recognize some MAJOR silver linings 2020 had on our work, our teams and our workplace cultures.

If you haven’t had time to notice some of these, or they haven’t come to the forefront in your work, it might be worth taking an inventory, reflecting, and seeing if you can recognize or even implement some of these side effects now…it is a new year, after all, despite the rocky start we seem to be having!

Here are five silver linings I’ve noticed in the teams with which I’m fortunate to work:

💬 The level of empathy exhibited by organizations, especially senior leaders, with and for their teams, leaders and co-workers was impressive and defined true leadership.

💬 The unique view we’ve gained into the personal lives and homes of our co-workers and leaders, as a result of the proliferation of virtual work, has given us greater appreciation for the whole person vs. the work persona and often deepened our connections and commonalities.

💬 A new focus on innovation and collaboration was accelerated and organizations quickly created new virtual communication norms, which will no doubt continue to serve well as the future unfolds.

💬 As acceptance of remote work continues to become a norm, the broadening of our talent pool bodes well for increasing the diversity of the workforce and increasing the ability to attract key talent, where location may have previously been viewed as an impediment.

💬 APPRECIATION for top talent and fearless leadership skyrocketed. Rapid change and fast footwork had a tendency to separate the agile leaders and co-workers from the more change-averse. And sometimes this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Take a moment and think of one 2020 silver lining from your own playbook, work life or personal life. A minute of appreciation is always good for the mindset.

And while you’re doing that…gain a greater appreciation for my whole person by grabbing a unique view in to my home office, sans Zoom virtual background…

(January is Mindset Month (simply because I’m making it so.) Tune in each Friday in January to get your Mind(set) tight and right.)