[Editor's Note: For this month’s newsletter, we thought it was important to hear from someone (anyone!!) other than Mark. I mean… he’s “fine” and people seem to like him, but let’s get some thoughts from the real brains behind this IA operation.]  

Like most businesses, over this past year Mark and I, and the entire IA team, have really focused on changing ourselves, our thought processes and redefining what makes IA special. One thing that makes us special is “grit,” something that one of our IA’ers wrote about this month. We are not afraid of being uncomfortable, failure, uncertainty or challenging situations. We have embraced our role in the advisory world as we focus on becoming the “anti-consulting” advisory firm, leading with knowledge transfer to our clients for self-sufficiency. Why am I telling you this?  

Well, the ability to work through adversity and come through wiser and stronger is related to a concept known as “grit.” Grit is a less fancy term for resilience, a topic that continues to gain interest in personal and professional life. It really resonated with me because I believe that adversity is a teacher. We learn how to find a way through difficult times, take our lessons with us, and prepare for future opportunities. IA will continue to evolve, and I am really looking forward towards the coming year, where grit will be the only way to navigate the changing landscape. Bring on 2022, as any plans or goals we make right now are going to have to change - it’s inevitable. Rather than focusing on what is lost or what is changed, we have the opportunity to look at what we can create because of the change. We can see it as a chance to grow and innovate. That is what grit is about. 

No matter how you ended 2021, all of us at IA truly hope you are healthy, safe, and relatively happy. Here’s to a wonderful 2022 - challenges and all! 

With warm regards, 

— Kimberly
Managing Principal/Co-leader/Grit Monger, IA 

Voice of HR

Where You Can Find Us

The new year is rapidly approaching, and with it comes a new slate of events we have been invited to participate in. We hope to have you join us at one of the following upcoming sessions: 

• January 19, 2022: The IA team will be back with HR Executive Magazine to present their webinar The job is dead - long live skills!  Register today. 

• March 1-4, 2022: IA is pleased to support the HR Tech Virtual Spring Conference! More details coming shortly, but click here to learn more about the event. 

• March 2022: It’s never too early to plan to join IA-ers for the 2022 Hacking HR Global Online Conference! Be sure to register and plan your agenda today.

On Our Radar

One more time for 2021, the IA team has scoured the internet for fascinating articles and topics around the world of work. Here are a few we liked: 

• The push to rethink business isn’t just centered on HR. IT is another group that could benefit from a new way of thinking about how they help the business succeed, according to this article from the Wall Street Journal.  

• It’s time we change the narrative about where all the workers are going. Inc. dug into the data and highlights it’s not that people don’t want to work. They just don’t want to work for companies anymore. Is it an anomaly or a new trend for work? Time will tell.  

• And from the “what not to do” file - Better.com’s CEO managed to alienate pretty much everyone (employees, impacted terminated employees, executives and board members) by laying off 900 of his staff right before the holidays. Over Zoom. After securing another round of funding. Not surprisingly, key executives quit and the CEO has taken a “leave of absence.” Looking forward to that case study being taught in MBA programs of the future.

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