Doug and I went away this past weekend to celebrate our delayed 28th wedding anniversay. Last year, the day before we were set to go away, Doug got Covid, and one month later, so did I. We decided to postpone our trip until September 2021 so the weather and Covid would be better. I’m not sure about Covid, but the weather at the beach did not disappoint! We always spend some time assessing the past year—what went right, what went wrong, and how can we improve. I love this chat.

This year the three words that came up were communication, patience, and compassion. Although this conversation was about marriage, all three of these words are equally applicable to work. Heck, the top three reasons why people leave their jobs are tied to lack of communication. Doug and I have some very honest conversations so there is no festering, but we try to enter these conversations with kindness. Sometimes we are successful and sometimes we aren’t. And now we need to be more patient with each other, which I think might be a residual effect from the pandemic. Regardless, we have our marching orders for a successful 2022.

Home or work, what are your three words? Have you asked your “team”: what went right, what went wrong, and how we can improve? Open, honest, and transparent communication can create a great conversation, it can spawn trust, and it can effect change. Sometimes we are afraid to have these conversations, they can be downright scary—but they are also liberating and cathertic. Remember, first, be compassionate and kind, then be honest. Brutal honesty is exactly that—brutal. That’s not how we roll. I’m learning that. What are your three words?

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!

Beth