The change I want to see and be part of

"Mom, do you think we'll be able to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Projects?"

My initial response was "WHAT?", and my daughter pointed out that I have it on my phone. Ouch.

I told her, I believe it will get better due to the increase of awareness in people and the effort we put into it to see some change for the better. Will it go away, probably not.

This conversation made me think about what has gotten better in the past 20+ years, especially in regards to how we react to crises.

I remember starting off my career with the IMF crisis and seeing the collapse of life long employment and the start of the unofficial official retirement age of 50. The number of people leaving and its impact on their personal lives had a profound impact on how I saw organization development.

Sadly this was just the beginning of many crises in the years to come. And each time a tsunami hit, it was the same old story repeating itself. Layoffs, early retirement and so on.

This time around with the COVID19 pandemic, it was good to see that there was a difference in how companies addressed the situation compared to 20 years ago. More transparency, communication inside and out, morale support for one another. Yes, we still have a long way to go but good to see a small step towards the right direction.

What would be a great addition towards a better future?

• Individuals equipped with the skills to enjoy and navigate a sustainable and thriving life.
  

• Organizations equipped to have a programs in place that supports the growth of both the employee and organization.

Both topics are very personal to me, as I have a daughter who is getting ready for college in a couple of years, and for myself as an HR/OD practitioner getting ready for the next 30+ years.

This blog is dedicated to share more thoughts and connect with people, so that when we look back 20 years from now, we can agree that we have made progress.