People, Kindness And Gratitude: Foundations For A Successful 2021

Founder and President of The Luminations Group, a business solution and marketing strategy agency.

As I sit here at the start of 2021, I’ve noticed that what really matters has shifted a lot since Covid-19 entered our world. Or maybe we’ve just begun acknowledging what we always knew: Invest in the people, and the results will come.

I’ve always said that setting S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) objectives each year is important. Last year, I even wrote about our company’s annual tradition at our holiday event of filling out five key objectives on green index cards and setting bold goals.

The physical act of writing out a goal and posting it, then referring to it, and maybe even sharing it, all help to achieve it. Every year I keep my green cards. I check to see if I measured up to my goals and write my new card. It’s not surprising that most years I succeed at several but miss one or two and then quickly add them to next year’s list. I think having the same goal on a card for a few years in a row isn’t a bad thing — a little humbling maybe, but still fine. Achieving a dream on your card is an amazing experience.

This year, I was pleased with my performance against objectives on both sides of the card (Side One has professional objectives and Side Two has personal objectives). I hit my self-projected sales number, made the business transitions I wanted to make, taught two classes in subjects that stretched me and brought more wonderful talent onto my team. Yet, as the year progressed, I found myself gravitating much more to the personal side of the card. Covid has made me value relationships and time more than ever. Others in my company and many clients have echoed this sentiment — people have become more of a priority than ever. 

Not surprisingly, both sides turned out to be essentially the same. People and relationships are at the heart of all successes, and 2020 was the year that brought this into sharp focus. There’s no question that focusing on people, kindness, and viewing every moment as precious is business-building; we’ve seen the results. It’s a lesson I won’t forget soon and one I hope will help others view their businesses, interactions and lives just a little differently. Here are some takeaways inspired by my card for 2021:

• Work hard to ensure that you are delighting all the business partners you have now, or will bring on this year, by infusing your interactions with kindness and ensuring you deliver on your promises.

• Do everything you can to ease clients’ or customers’ burdens. Many are working remotely, struggling with homeschooling and huge business goals, and managing distributed teams. Take notes for them, schedule meetings at their convenience, welcome noisy interruptions in the background and stay flexible.

• Invest in training, education and serving as a resource for those seeking jobs. I started a quarantine webinar series and am doing all I can to help pair those who have lost jobs with those who need help. Sadly, there are many in need. If every business leader connected just two contacts every month, there’s no question we’d be able to put lots of talent into new roles. 

• Make sure every interaction is a good use of time. Concentrate your time with the people you care about, who make you smarter and happier. Time has always been a precious commodity, but it feels more precious now than ever. This means selectively focusing on projects and initiatives with clients who inspire you, making a difference for those who truly appreciate you, and letting them know how much you appreciate them. 

• Remember to be grateful, and take nothing for granted. This year, many of us have suffered losses on the business front. I feel fortunate that we have been able to grow our business in a time of crisis, haven’t had to furlough anyone and rolled with the punches this year. Being grateful also means we must invest in causes that help those in need — contributions of money, time and ideas all count.

As you continue setting your 2021 goals, I hope these five tenets will help remind us that investing in people, now more than ever, can never steer you in the wrong direction and inevitably help deliver the strongest business results possible.

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