Fall is about harvest. We celebrate, from September through Thanksgiving, the abundance and bounty available to us. This year felt different and, despite difficulties we have managed. There is much to celebrate.
At Innovative Connections, our team is grateful for the continued opportunities to serve you. Our mission has always been to “give voice and action to an emerging future”. This required agility this year and being in the dance has offered opportunities for learning and growth.
Our work and partnerships these last few months have allowed us to:
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Continue to emotionally support healthcare leaders as they navigate the stress and complexities from increased COVID volumes and deaths. Developing self-care and resilience strategies has been one aspect of the work, but it has also been important to reassess structures and processes to more effectively manage change resulting from increased volumes and severe staffing challenges.
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Assess bias and equality through a new lens, both personally and with our clients. We are working with several of you who are assessing data in the context of diversity, equity and inclusion. In looking deeper, several clients are reporting hiring practices that do not support their diversity goals and also unconscious cultures that lead to higher disciplinary actions and terminations for certain demographic groups. The data only tells part of the story, our partnership allows for a deeper understanding of organizational dynamics that drive undesirable outcomes.
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Take advantage of a crisis. It has been said, “never let a good crisis go to waste” and many of you are heeding that advice; making optimal strategic shifts to position your organization and teams for a solid future. It has been our pleasure to participate and partner on efforts around strategic development, whole-scale change management and organizational restructures that support people during this difficult time, but also align the organization for what is to come.
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Assess and position your talent for growth and development. With the new year approaching, it was perfect timing for many of you to begin to position your key talent for their next steps. A well-designed strategic conversion can go a long way in ensuring your succession plans and individual growth plans are in place for the next generation of leaders.
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Release an amazing new product. In April, we worked with a manufacturing business who sought to use the time during COVID to deepen their team dynamics. This led to an amazing development, our Inspiring Leadership Conversations collection. Designed for high-performing teams initially, we have discovered the power of this series for all relationships. Watch for more information on this in the coming days.
Just like you, we have been busy. Staying healthy requires a balance of physical, mental, social and emotional resilience. Many of you have shared that this has not been an easy year to be a leader, yet you are feeling immense gratitude for those who have lifted you up and kept you going.
What do you want to celebrate as we near the holiday season?
Who might you consider recognizing for the role they have played?
