It’s getting a bit deep in the year to share New Year’s resolutions, but I will admit my priority was to square away the self-care topics. “It’s OK to freak out from time-to-time” is at the top of many of our lists (special nod to my fellow working parents with young kids). Year 3 of a pandemic underscores just how resilient we are (in hindsight) but how exhausting this all can be in the moment.

Shifting focus to my work-life, I have some resolutions to put forward:

• Remain committed to our staff. I work in an industry – technology services – where a career can more commonly be described as “gig.” That is not where I want to work. We remain committed to only hiring salaried professionals. Everyone will have access to great benefits – healthcare: medical, vision, dental; short- and long-term disability; a 401K for retirement. Equally important, I enjoy working in a place where people can lean on one another – both to learn from one another and help navigate life. This moment in time didn’t invent the idea of being a good employer – but it certainly underscored it.
• Remain committed to the social sector + serving the community. As a small business owner, it is tempting to live solely by the bottom-line of financial statements. We will remain committed to working in the social sector – with those organizations that are creating a more fair, equitable, inclusive, and just community. We won’t lose sight of the bottom line, but our reason for being is to solve problems – to make better the world around us.
• Continue to see technology as our vehicle for social change. Effective use of technology is a challenge that crosses people, process and technical skill. We will continue to improve and refine our approach to engaged organizations, deepen our technical experience, and generally better our craft every day. Our success can super-charge the missions of organizations.
• Become more equitable within. In the year ahead we will begin the transition toward employee ownership. Since the day our company began almost 7 years ago, my goal has been to create the workplace I wish to work. A fuller realization of that will be to shift the structure of the firm to a model where everyone on the team has more than a “sense” of ownership.
• Expand the firm’s social mission. Historically we have seen our social impact through the work of the clients we serve. In the year ahead we will work to pivot the firm itself to become an agent of social change. Better forming internal governance, codifying worker and community impact, strengthening environmental policies + practices: all areas have room for improvement.

With the world still embroiled in a once-in-a-century health crisis, the climate on fire and genuine threats to democracy present, it can be difficult to be positive and forward-looking. However, that’s  what I choose to be. I am genuinely excited for the year ahead.