Reflect & Amplify – Employee Stories Are a Beacon of Insight
(This is the part one of a five-part Reflect & Amplify series of posts about how IC pros can Pivot With Purpose into 2021.)
The quiet moments at the close of the year are perfect opportunities to notice, reflect on and recognize all that you've accomplished for your organizations and the internal audiences you serve. We don’t always do this. But it’s important. Let’s take the best part of what you’ve learned from the last year and use it to amplify your impact moving forward.
Our first reflection step is about taking time to notice employee stories.
Why? The stories you framed in 2020 can help you picture 2021 success.
Reflect: Notice Employee Stories
Okay. First, take a few minutes to reflect on the stories about individual employees who overcame challenge and created new success in the past year. Close your eyes and see their faces and hear their voices.
Question: Ask Yourself These Questions
What particular employee stories inspired the workplace?
What did they do to create success, understanding and momentum?
What employee stories helped their peers change for the better or find new success?
What have you learned about their journey within the organization and their newfound strength in the face of adversity?
Those 2020 employee stories helped you frame the workplace in human terms. But they also allowed the employee an opportunity to relate in human terms to the world around them during a time when work life seemed chaotic.
These stories helped you understand what success looks like through the eye of the employee.
Let’s be clear. Those stories absolutely mattered, and you helped bring stories of employee strength to light. Stop for a moment and let that sink in. You should feel very good about this.
Now, get ready to pivot with purpose.
Amplify: Let’s Pull Your Internal Audiences Closer
Change is still on the menu in the new year. So, if new crisis strikes, pull your audiences closer. While leaders grapple with how the business will need to change, dig deep on your understanding of the workforce – the employee audiences who will be the ones to create that change and create new strength.
When you pull your audiences closer, you can see change from their viewpoint and more efficiently respond with what they need.
You learned a lot about your internal audiences and what they needed to know and do in 2020. Use that knowledge to your advantage. Framing change and success from the perspective of the employees who will help make change possible makes your content more relevant and powerful.
In 2021, seeing from the employee viewpoint will help you frame change in human terms and dial in on the specific employee remedies and solutions to organizational challenge.
Your internal audiences may not know or completely understand every nuance of a business solution right away, but they can relate to, see and understand that change through the explanations and actions of the colleagues they are already familiar with.
As you move into the new year, frame change from your audiences’ perspective. When you do, they can relate, take action, accelerate and respond more clearly. When you do this, you will amplify your impact as an IC pro.
Next in the Series: Reflect & Amplify – The Workforce Has Evolved, Time to Respond.