Learning through Appreciations, Challenges and Successes

Dear Reader,

I was recently in a presentation where the speaker used an Appreciations – Challenges – Successes format to communicate key points. It immediately resonated as I thought about this past year for ResultsLab. Here are some key points for us in 2022:

Appreciations - Community:
I’m continuously grateful for the community we are surrounded by, including our team, clients and the wider external networks. I appreciate our team and their courage to provide feedback on our organization, processes, and products so we continue to learn and improve. I appreciate the 33 clients we’ve been working with this year, all of which are focusing on creating a better world in unique and inspiring ways. And I appreciate the networks we’ve been lucky to be a part of, including: Colorado Inclusive Economy, Denver Scale-Up Network (DEN SUN), Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network (BEN), Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), and Denver as a whole that provides great resources for growing companies like ResultsLab.

Challenges - Growth:
Along with the exciting growth we’ve experienced, comes challenges as well. We’ve identified gaps in our onboarding process that we’ve been working to improve as we’ve welcomed 11 new team members this year. We’ve outgrown previous organization infrastructures that we’ve quickly had to adapt to ensure our team has the proper systems, processes and supports they need to do their great work. And, we’ve focused to gain better traction on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion improvements (and have since made good strides thanks to Colorado Inclusive Economy and Breaking the Bias).

Successes - Aggressive Goals:
In 2022, we set some aggressive goals for our team, which helped us grow our team, networks, and receive some motivational recognition. Internally, we expanded our creative and whip-smart team, and we launched Impact Collective – a virtual learning community for changemakers and data professionals. Externally, I was selected to be a part of the Denver ScaleUp Network with a diverse group of emerging CEOs. Our company was recognized as a winner of the 2022 Colorado Company to Watch awards. Our VP of Impact Services was recognized for the Denver Kids 2022 Community Impact Award. And, with all this, we have a really exciting announcement that we’ll be sharing next month…..

What have we learned from all this? Here are a few brief thoughts:

Finding Commonality & Building Community: When we talk to each other we often learn we have more in common than we think. Stretching the divide through conversation remains difficult for people when they don’t believe that first sentence. Once we make that stretch, together we can be stronger.
Power of Perspective: It's amazing what we can learn from another person’s perspective – asking and listening lead to better understanding. I know this, but seem to have to re-learn it each year (. . . I hope it sticks better for me this year).
Intentional Goals: Great things can be accomplished when intentions are clear, goals are set, and regular accountability check-ins occur. It keeps sight of where you’re trying to go, and allows you to adapt if pathways need to shift.

I appreciate those of you who respond to these messages with what struck you, or what you appreciated. Please share your 2022 appreciation and learning with me.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Denver ScaleUp Network (DEN SUN) - An annual post-accelerator program to support a small, diverse group of emerging Denver CEOs by providing guidance, connections, and resources needed to solve their key strategic challenges to growth.
Blackstones Entrepreneurs Network (BEN) - Community to help scale-up entrepreneurs grow their companies, elevate their communities and be a force for good.
Colorado Nonprofit Ad Hack: Apply to get help with your nonprofit's marketing or advertising needs from top advertising professionals across Colorado.