What a year 2020 was ! We express our sincere Gratitude to 2020
What a roller coaster year 2020 has been. Ananya-Women@Work was no different. Just as we moved into our new office space, on the 8th of March 2020, the pandemic hit. Training programs were postponed, contracts cancelled, new business looked bleak, most of our clients moved from office to home based business and Diversity and inclusion initiatives were not a priority.
New space – a blessing
Like a few others’ when the pandemic started, we thought it is a temporary situation and life will go back to the old ways of being. However, it didn’t take us long to understand, world moving to new ways of being. The new space provided us with much needed privacy and we could maintain our COVID protocols including social distancing and avoiding crowded spaces. That leads us to our gratitude to the universe to show us this space at the right time.
The troughs and the peaks
The roller coaster is not only about troughs but also the peaks. Most of our client continued to be with us, renewing our services connecting with us for newer programs and many more. We have much to express our gratitude towards our client partners who have valued our services, despite all odds. At the same time, we are also grateful to clients who expressed their inability to continue our services, for being honest with us.
We honed our online presence and started offering programs on-line. Learning was a journey to keep the engagement high. Our client partners adapted to the new ways of learning and expressed their faith in us to move online with our programs. Happy to share, we were able to manage high level of engagement in our online versions as well. Grateful to the situation that helped learn and implement new skills.
Our Women Leadership Program, Prevention of Sexual Harassment and other programs shifted online and we were loaded with compliments on our newly acquired online abilities to engage with participants.
The New
More webinars, FB Live sessions, Beyond Belief (our initiative to invite guests for an online chat), training programs all kept us busy through the year. Not only did we retain most of our old clients but also managed to acquire new ones. Our session on WFH mandates also helped us move into new areas
Learning
- Nothing is permanent. One can never be prepared for eventualities but one can be always prepared for adapting to change. Our faith on the old adage ‘Change is the only thing that is constant” becomes stronger
- Keep in touch : understand everyone is going through change. Keeping in touch always helps to be abreast with the needs of the clients. A friendly hello, builds relationships for long run.
- Learn, learn and learn : Learning never ends. When life throws lemons at you, learn to make lemonade, lemon pickle, not to forget the good old addition to your tequila shots. Learn new ways of using your resources
- Practice self-compassion: Being compassionate to others is easier than being compassionate to self. Treat yourself with your favourite food/ dress / book anything you like. Take time off. Be gentle with your self and your work. Take time off from work to renew your energies
- Try new: We cannot solve new problems with old ways. Try new. When you try, you may faulter, fail, make mistakes, slip, trip. Learn and move on. Try the next new. This is the only way one can innovate and remain relevant in changing times.
- Be grateful: The power of gratitude cannot be expressed, only experienced. Look for opportunity in adversity. Remember there are no failures only lessons. Be grateful to the lessons you’ve learnt. Be grateful to what you have.
- Ask for help: Call out, ask for help. You’re don’t become weak by asking for help, but you become stronger.
- Build relations: Utilise this time to build stronger relations. Share your ideas. Look for like minded people.
2020 may not have been our best year, but it brought to fore our strength, our resilience and our grit and we are ready to take on more.
2021 – New Hope
There is so much to look forward to . 2021 is the year of hope. Year of action. Year of growth. One month into the year and already there is positivity all around. We are all geared up to move on to the next level with some crazy thoughts and ambitious plans
“Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world usually do.”
― Steve Jobs
The road ahead on 2021 is not paved, only few flowers along the road, the horizon not in sight, we are going to make the journey worth it