July 21, 2020
2020 and Professional Growth
Submitted by Jennifer R Wilson
When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2020, I doubt that any of us envisioned the way the first six months of the year would unfold. I never dreamed that a world-wide pandemic would bring about quarantines, social distancing and pretty much shut down life as we knew it, nor did I expect that our nation would go through dark days of blatant racism, social unrest and political tension. Would I have suspected I wouldn’t see the inside of my office for months, or the campfire circle at Rock Springs would be silent, or that we’d even dream of cancelling the state fair? Absolutely not.
But it’s happening, and for a while now I’ve been pondering the purpose in all this chaos. I can’t help but think—what if 2020 happened for a reason?
What if it’s just what we needed to make us slow down and examine what’s really important? What if it’s a lesson in not taking simple things for granted? What if it’s an opportunity to take stock in the way we’ve been doing things and open our eyes to another world of possibilities? What if it’s a reminder that the physical and emotional well-being of people is more important than baseball or blue ribbons? What if it’s a message that no matter how far we’ve come in racial equality and respect for differences there’s still so much more that needs to be done? What if it’s an unprecedented opportunity to grow?
I’m a firm believer in making lemonade when handed lemons, and K-State Research and Extension has opened the biggest lemonade stand in organizational history over the past five months. We’ve been nimble and quick to respond to critical issues. We’ve facilitated crucial but difficult conversations. We’ve made years’ worth of progress in digital education delivery in a matter of weeks. We’ve innovated and we’ve celebrated our wins, big and small.
We didn’t accomplish these things without some moments of panic and pain, but discomfort leads to growth. How have you grown over the past few months? How will you continue to grow and develop your skillset in the post-COVID world?
Global organizational change strategists at McKinsey and Company suggest that for employees to respond well to change, a specific set of skills is important. These skills include:
• the ability to operate in a fully digital environment,
• critical thinking and problem-solving skills which allow employees to respond to critical issues with creativity, innovation and top-notch project management skills,
• strong social and emotional skills for effective collaboration and inclusion, and
• adaptability and resilience skills.
As you prepare your 2021 professional development plan, think about how you might develop these competencies. One cup of lemonade produced by COVID-19 is the uptick in virtual professional development opportunities. Most professional associations are having virtual conferences this fall which will significantly lower the cost of attendance and could provide the opportunity to participate in more than one. While less expensive, virtual conferences are also easy to ignore if something “more important” comes along so be sure to block and protect time on your calendar to make professional development a priority.
While 2020 is nothing like we expected, we’ll keep making lemonade as long as lemons come our way. In each of those lemons, search for your opportunity to grow.