It’s fair to say 2020 was a year like no other for the entire world, however, among all the challenges, there have been many things worth celebrating.
In an industry that is always evolving, the global pandemic has spurred us on to be more agile, more creative and more inventive than ever before, and there have been plenty of lessons that we have learned along the way.
Talking to the Glass of Learning team (over Zoom & email), everyone has something different to share about the extraordinary events of 2020 have taught them about our industry and ourselves. Here are a few things we at Glass of Learning have learned this year:
- How to work in a 100% virtual setting (we have always been a virtual company, but the ability to not meet in person anymore was still a big change).
- Staying connected as a team with zoom – we had weekly connects testing out new ideas for virtual learning, which was also a wonderful team building opportunity to get to know each other on a different level and have some fun together
- One-on-one check-ins are important in virtual settings – so many hallway conversations get missed when we are virtual, so taking the time to connect individually was important
- Pivoting to online delivery of training is a lot of work – this took hours of preparation, though we wouldn’t change a thing as the focus and dedication enabled us to provide a unique and engaging experience for participants
- Content delivery in the virtual space is about 1/3 of what you would deliver in person – learning needs to be in shorter segments and intentionally interactive, which takes more time in the learning process – making learning transfer even more critical to implement
- Virtual learning can be just as engaging as in person – people connect, chat, take part and are still eager to learn. Creativity and interaction has moved to a new level with virtual
- 2020 was a year of exponential learning for our team, which has set us up for an exciting future
- Self-care is important – we are facing a different level of stress than we have experienced, be kind to yourself, give yourself space to do something that gives you peace
- Protect your energy, it is a limited resource – pace yourself
- You don’t need to be productive all the time, you can take some time just for yourself. When working from home it can be difficult to know when to stop working. Be sure to set and keep boundaries for your time
- Virtual game nights are fun! With friends and family find time to connect – it is a great stress reliever
- We are capable of much more than we might have originally thought – 2020 has brought about revolutionary changes in every industry that would have taken years to progress this far
- Patience is golden – remember that people are trying their best and facing unprecedented challenges; let’s support each other in the journey
- Slow down a bit and build in time to be flexible for potential changes. We have all learned the requirement to pivot this year, which will likely be the new normal
- Focus on the things we are grateful for – a positive outlook full of gratitude goes a long way. Our brains cannot focus on negative and positive at the same time, so reframe the situation and remember all the things you are grateful for – you will find your mindset changes
From taking it slow and being patient, to rethinking old problems from a new perspective, and remembering that being human is who we are, so have grace with each other. Although we will not forget 2020, there have been many positive changes and revisions to our lives in how we work and join together. Take the time over the holidays and as we lead into the new year, to create your gratitude list. We look forward to enjoying 2021 with you!
