Do we have to be 100% thankful?
Calm down, everybody! I'll definitely celebrate accomplishments and be grateful to all who helped, but I also want to acknowledge that not every moment has been a cause for giving thanks. It's in the honest acceptance of our challenges, alongside our successes, that we find true growth and resilience. So, let's gather around this virtual table with open hearts, ready to share not just our triumphs but also the lessons learned from the hurdles we've faced. Here's to a holiday season that honors our whole journey, with all its complexities and flavors.
I'm 96.5% Grateful Which Is Pretty Good!
As we reflect on the past year, I'm appreciative for our incredible community. We've been actively supportive of each other, brought diverse perspectives, and made meaningful impacts that speak to our collective strength and vision. Yet, in the spirit of growth and honesty, it's important to acknowledge a few challenges we didn't solve. I don't look at them as obstacles but opportunities for us to evolve and strengthen our community further. So let's take a look!
Engaged Members: I am grateful for our active and engaged members. Your participation and enthusiasm are the key indicator of our healthy community. Plus it gives us the energy we need to keep going.
Diverse Perspectives: I value the variety of viewpoints and experiences that enrich our community, fostering a more inclusive and representative environment. We donated nearly $20k to different organizations through our Beyond Diversity Fund for underrepresented folks in digital. While we've made good strides... we've got more work to do here. Specifically around lifting up other groups within (and outside of) the community and giving everyone a support group of peers with shared experiences to collaborate with. Some members have stepped forward to help us improve this effort.
Positive Impact: We've made positive changes and impacts, both within our community and beyond. We've seen shops team up to take on bigger projects, share talent to avoid layoffs and support distressed shops to keep them operational through natural and man-made disasters.
Collaborative Spirit: The collaborative atmosphere has been amazing this year. Members have shown they feel empowered to share, contribute, and support each other.
Collective Knowledge: While the Bureau has always been a place of sharing experiences and insights, we didn't accomplish one of our big goals for the year which was creating a knowledge-base from a million plus Slack messages we've written together over the years. The challenge was privacy issues around ChatGPT, but we've got a new approach, so look out!
Trust and Respect: Having a community where trust and respect are foundational values is something I am especially grateful for, as these elements are crucial for long-term sustainability and harmony.
Innovative Ideas: I am inspired by the creativity and innovation within our community, which encourages continued growth and evolution. So much of what we do was brought to us by the community. And that can never change.
Supportive Network: This is the promise of the Bureau. When you need help, someone is there. And as we've gotten bigger it's been amazing to watch the new helpers stand up and share their insights and approaches to success.
Effective Leadership and Management: I recognize the importance of effective leadership and management in guiding our community and maintaining its health and vibrancy. And this is another one where I have to say I could have done better by doing less. A big focus the rest of this year and beyond is leaning into the folks in the community who want to do more and giving them the authority to take us further.
Learning and Development Opportunities: I am grateful for the opportunities our community provides for personal and professional growth among its members. We've had some kick ass events and more are on the way!
Positive Reputation: I am proud of our stellar reputation, both within and outside the community. It is a testament to our values, impact, and the experience we offer to each other within and outside of the Bureau.
Before you call to check in on me, I'm really happy with what we've accomplished and how we're positioned to do even more in the future. With your trust and support, we'll continue to grow and do more with our collective efforts.
We still have over 5 weeks until the year is over, but if you're like me you're eager to get there. The promise of a new year being better has been shaky at best for awhile now, but eventually we have to be right. Right?
No matter what the world throws at us, we'll always do better together. And for this community, I'm eternally 3,000% grateful.