TZL 1429 (web)

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O P I N I O N

Evolving through change

Listen to employees, communicate strategically, embrace a growth mindset, and eliminate drama to help employees let go of negativity and thrive through change.

A s with many of you, change is constantly on my mind. And rightfully so. The COVID-19 pandemic, a rapidly increasing backlog, escalating costs, and staff shortages have compelled us to change, adapt, and get creative in ways we never imagined. As company leaders, our stress is at an all-time high. My company, CORE, was no exception in 2020 and 2021. In addition to the implications of COVID-19 and pivoting to a remote workforce, we constructed and moved into two new offices, executed a brand refresh and newwebsite (shameless plug for liveyourCORE.com), hired more than 20 employees, revamped our HR process, and implemented significant EOS organizational changes. I could keep going! When we came back to the office full-time in June of 2021, many of our team members felt like they had stepped into an entirely newworld.

Blake Calvert

Change is hard. Most in our industry don’t like it. New people, places, brands, managers, and procedures can invoke feelings of anxiety, stress, and loss of control. But pushing strategic change is critical to growing and sustaining a successful company, especially in times of uncertainty and chaos. Mark Zweig’s recent article in The Zweig Letter encouraged “change for the sake of change,” and I couldn’t agree more. As a culture-driven organization, we’ve looked for ways to inspire our team members to thrive

through change instead of just surviving it. While we haven’t been perfect in that pursuit, we’ve learned a few lessons along the way that we’d like to share: ■ ■ Listen. Think about this Simon Sinek quote: “Hearing is listening to what is said. Listening is hearing what isn’t said.” We work with some of the most intelligent and

See BLAKE CALVERT, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 21, 2022, ISSUE 1429

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