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Personal and professional milestones create interesting opportunities for self-reflection. Do we romanticize the past, or instead, let honest memories rise to the surface? Are we capable of seeing things from afar that we failed to notice up close? Is it luck (good/bad), fate, necessity, design, or some combination therein that put us on a certain path to an uncertain outcome? Or, do we tend to overcomplicate what is truly and simply just the passage of time.
Aging gracefully
IA turns 15 this month (and I turn 50 a few months later), so I’ve been spending a bit of time looking back while intentionally and purposefully driving forward.
When you think of 15-year-olds, the most common adjectives that come to mind are things like challenging, full of potential, headstrong, confident, still learning, and socially awkward. And all of those descriptions have certainly fit throughout the growth of our business.
Despite our voice changing as we grew, we founded IA with a firm belief that there had to be a better way to advise leaders through incredibly challenging moments of change. We built an amazing team who believe in the same things, namely that we should:
- Amplify the voice of our clients, not our own;
- Have a point of view, not a prescription;
- Eradicate codependency by transferring knowledge;
- Use candor, transparency, and positive intent to foster honest communications; and
- Build truly human relationships and connection.
Over the years, we have built upon the foundation of being the “anti-consulting” consulting firm, helping our clients solve their messiest problems and learning a lot along the way.
Earned wisdom
This year, in honor of our 15th anniversary, I’ll share with you 15 lessons from the first 15 years that reflect IA’s evolution, including our biggest mistakes, most profound observations, and our funniest moments.
I know that not every company lasts beyond its first few, tentative steps. It’s amazing to see what IA has become and what lies ahead. My heart overflows with love and gratitude to the amazing IA team (both past and present), our wonderful client partners, and everyone who took even the briefest moment out of the past 5,000+ days to make our world just a little bit brighter. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!
Next year we get our driver’s license, so watch out, world.
With warm regards and thanks,
—Mark
Founder/managing principal/awkward teenager, IA
Where You Can Find Us
Kicking off 2021 with a number of virtual events and publications, including:
- January 22, 2021: Mark Stelzner and Mary Faulkner joined The Recruitment Flex podcast crew to talk about all things talent and recruiting related. A good time was had by all. Click here to listen to the discussion.
- January 26, 2021: Mark Stelzner participated in a webinar sponsored by Businessolver that challenges organizations to ensure any selection process keeps the focus on their needs, and not the provider’s.
- January 27, 2021: Tiger Recruitment welcomed Mark and other experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities of setting HR strategy in 2021 in this session called “What Businesses Need from HR in 2021.”
- March 3, 2021: Mary and Mark present a webinar hosted by HR Executive and sponsored by Accurate Background, examining the challenges of hiring and working with teams in 2021 and beyond. Registration information to come!
- March 8-12, 2021: As a panelist for Hacking HR’s 2021 Global Conference, Mark will weigh in on what’s on the horizon for the evolution of HR and the future of work.
On Our Radar
Well, we can’t go anywhere, so of course the IA team combs the internet for some interesting stories about the world of work and the people who inhabit it. Here are a few that we liked:
- This one hit pretty close to home for IA-ers, as we all work on multiple project teams, both internally and externally. We suspect most people are in the same situation. From the minds at Harvard Business Review, this article shares some practical advice and potential pitfalls for people navigating these waters.
- Changing work environments and worker expectations means managers are going to need to adapt their style. The Wall Street Journal examines the characteristics of a successful leader may focus less on task-master and more on collaborator.
- And in the category of “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” this story from the BBC News examines the use of technology to track employees’ moods…by asking them to press a happy or sad button. Important step in wellbeing or creepy? You decide.
About IA
As trusted advisors to senior leaders, IA supports strategic initiatives that transform the way organizations work.
Our seasoned team of professionals apply a revolutionary eye, deep domain experience, and flexible tools to accelerate the achievement of even the most ambitious goals. With a cross-functional, strategic perspective, we thrive on big, messy problems. Whether large or small, public or private, domestic or international, it’s our job to support leaders and their teams in achieving outcomes that are truly unique to their culture and objectives.
Every organization has a catalyst for change – learn more at ia-hr.com.
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