It seems that everyone we speak with these days has the same sentiment, “it feels like the longest year ever.” With the pandemic now edging closer to an official two years, fatigue has come, gone, and come again. Burn out and the great resignation are constantly talked about in the media. We here at Core Affinity have a different message to put out as we wrap up 2021. We are revved up for what’s to come and so are most of our guests from this past year’s 6 Degrees of Associations show.
Reignite Your Mission
Looking back on some of the awesome guests we’ve had, we noticed a common theme…optimism! How refreshing to be reminded that there are a lot of people hard at work and excited about it. Who could forget the sunshine just beaming from “JT” Tezak with the Colorado chapter of ASAE? What a joy it was to hear hope spring eternal as she talked to us about the space which opened for a refocus on their mission. JT discovered that by going back to the basics and reconnecting, live, with her members she was able to better understand which things needed to be focused on and what programs or habits needed to be sunset. Specifically, she pointed out that the good old-fashioned phone call still worked great and offered a more personal way to connect meaningfully.
Innovate
What about the dynamic energy that Jim Parker with Digitell exuded as he talked about the innovations in content sharing? Something he pioneered in the industry over 15 years ago and now is perfectly suited for the widespread adoption of webinars, virtual conferences, and making connections worldwide through content. Jim’s drive for efficiency, customer driven solutions, and his futuristic thinking leads his enthusiasm for creating a virtual world and we are all better for it. While the pandemic had a lot of people scrambling, Jim and his team were able to jump right in with solutions and looked forward to building even more innovations for the future. That’s the kind of positivity we could all use right about now.
Build Your Planning Culture
And Mike Moss with SCUP, maybe it’s in his bones because he spends his days thinking strategically and working on building a planning culture not just a planning cycle. His excitement for helping organizations unleash their potential and creativity through integration, active strategic planning, and relationships is palpable and helpful to set the right tone. We especially loved his advice to “tinker where it’s safe.” Holding space for innovation can create the right attitude and encourage optimism about the future. When people feel safe experimenting, creativity is more easily accessed.
That’s A Wrap
We loved every minute we spent with these experts and so many more. With each conversation we learned something new, got inspired, and well, in the end, made some changes ourselves! By taking the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and examining our mission, we not only changed our name to reflect more accurately what we do but also made some acquisitions to tap into fresh ideas, talent, and enthusiasm for helping associations grow.
This was a result of working on our planning culture and keeping our eyes set on customer driven solutions. In case you missed it, check out our conversation last week with Lucas McCann, our very own CEO, as he fills us in on what he’s most excited about in 2022. At the end of the day, we can be worn down by what’s happening around us or we can look for the opportunity. It’s a choice, and we couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds.
Happy holidays friends and all the best for a prosperous, healthy, and optimistic 2022!