HUMAN RESOURCES Transition to Business By Paul Falcone
Having a Successful and Healthy 2021 Mindset
2021
Success & Health 2020 sounded so hopeful back in 2019. It was an even number and a cool sounding year, and it was even associated with the famous ABC News primetime news magazine of the same name. For most of us stateside, however, the fun ended pretty quickly when COVID-19 became part of our vocabularies that winter. Before too long, we realized it was a global pandemic, affecting our service men and women overseas as well. Looking back on the lessons learned as well as forward to a vaccine that will put this behind us hopefully soon, there are a number of business lessons that may provide some solace and give us renewed hope as we prepare to enter 2021.
“SOX”
First, a premise to guide this article: Our society generally has lost the ability to sit around the campfire and tell stories, passing down the wisdom of the elders to the younger generation. Resist that. Appreciate the importance of one 1-on-1 and group communication. Early last century, silent movies got in the way and jealously stole our attention. Before too long, network television made its way onto the scene (broadcasting), followed by cable TV (narrow casting), and ultimately social media (mono-casting) stole our time. 46
WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / DECEMBER 2020
But we can’t lose touch with those around us, and we should work hard at ensuring that we’re in connection, listening actively, and demonstrating that we care through our participation with others. That goes for military, business, and most importantly, family. The isolation from the global pandemic has created a newfound appreciation for social “otherness,” and we’ll benefit tremendously as a society if we focus on making this part of who we are and what we stand for. Second, what the United States remains best recognized for is innovation. That’s been the case since World War II and remains our greatest contribution to the planet. Innovation and creativity are on steroids right now, demonstrating a trajectory in response to the pandemic that’s changing the world around us. Think about it: Most of us never heard of Zoom before last spring, and now many of us live in that software ecosystem. It’s not only permitting work-from-home as a viable alternative to driving into the office every day, but it’s likewise creating opportunities for remote family get-togethers, a platform for international conferences, and a tool to make the world so much smaller and closer. We’ll continue to lead the world in Zoom-like innovation, and life will come much easier to those who embrace and welcome change rather than resist it. Third, demographics is destiny. While the Baby Boom (i.e., those born between 1946 and 1964) took the world by storm with its 77 million newborns, the Millennial / Gen-Y (1981-1996) and Gen-Z (1997-2010) cohorts will together top 90 million. As a generational influence, their goals appear to be fairly steady and consistent: good corporate citizenship, a diverse and equitable workplace, and a focus on the environment. Study this cohort, which includes many of you: It’s where the future lies for marketing, sales, operations, finance, IT, and human resources. Finally, find your mantras and stick with them. The changes coming our way, thanks in part to innovation, will appear to come faster than you can sometimes handle. Get out of the weeds and fly up to the 30,000foot level in your mind so you can see the goings-on below more objectively and dispassionately. Raise your awareness of who you and who you choose to be relative to the challenges before you, and remember. . .