Christmas. Hanukkah. Las Posadas. Kwanzaa. New Years. We are heading into a holiday season like no other in our lifetimes. Mostly we’re going to celebrate alone or in very small ‘pods’ of people we can be confident aren’t carrying the novel coronavirus that has stolen so many aspects of life in 2020.  And for so many, COVID-19 has stolen much more than a calendar year. It is hard to think about ‘celebrating’ at all, to be honest.

And yet recognizing and celebrating history and faith and the future is critical for our collective cultural, mental and emotional health, right? What a gift that we have these upcoming opportunities to get restored and prepared to face the next, hopefully final phase of this pandemic fight. But we must proceed carefully, which means different holiday traditions than most of us have ever experienced. How to make the most of this very unusual holiday time? As employers, as communities, as families and friends, what have you got on the drawing board? I’ll share what I’m thinking, but really hope you will share in your comments.

I’m thankful for technology that has allowed for connecting safely – though less satisfying than the chance to hug those you love. From office party trivia contests and online karaoke to book club Zoom sessions, let’s share tips for using technology over the holidays, even with those who don’t have the most sophisticated and powerful tools. How are you going to be connecting?

I’m thankful for the power of food: in every culture, we have connections that are strengthened by “breaking bread” together. It is also over an aromatic table that we learn about each other’s cultures, beliefs and special gifts (lutefisk, anyone?). So let’s share ideas for how best to share the feasts of holiday meals in new, pandemic-induced ways. How will you be sharing the important foods of your culture with others? How can we ensure that this year is not a step backward in reaching across our cultural differences, but is instead a chance to feel more connected than ever?

I am so grateful to those who are serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 and want to challenge all of us to determine how best to honor them. My suggestion: we must be prepared post-pandemic to recognize the work we need to do as a society to recognize the value of teachers, of nurses, of first responders, of hourly workers in food preparation, in e-commerce and in public safety. In the same way we must acknowledge how the American economy was built on the indefensible platform of slavery, we must recognize that a mostly unbridled market economy has under-valued the contributions of so many workers. I say this not as an opponent of capitalism (I am a proud business owner), but as a realist about what it takes to create a sustainably competitive economy in the world of the future. “We all do better when we all do better” is the mantra I find most compelling (credit to the late Senator Paul Wellstone).

I’m grateful for the tradition of gift-giving. Not so much to be a recipient (really – I am a 64-year old woman who doesn’t need any more stuff) – but for the realization that I can bring joy or relief or surprise to another person. One of my favorite traditions in recent years is working with my granddaughter to make her gifts for others – she is a courageous artist, so we have great fun creating unique treasures that she shares with everyone on her list. Witnessing her joy in giving is a gift for me, too. With the challenges so many are facing, this is the year to dig deep into your capacity to give – as individuals, as companies, as communities.  “Too whom much has been given, much will be required.” (Gospel of Luke).  Are you recognizing your potential to give?

So am I feeling grateful to be part of the impending holiday season of 2020: an opportunity to celebrate the fragile nature of our lives, the profound sense of gratitude to those who came before us, the exquisite interconnections of our existence, the unlimited potential of our future. Prepare to lean into the work ahead. But first, celebrate.

Supporting our local business community is something Tunheim has prioritized over our 30 years in business. And it’s no secret that many of these organizations have taken a hit in 2020. Luckily, our community benefits from innovators at Hennepin County and MPLS Regional Chamber who have developed a creative solution for local businesses.

We are proud to be partnering with Hennepin County and MPLS Regional Chamber on Elevate Business HC, an effort to boost the Hennepin County economy by offering pro-bono services to local businesses.

“Hennepin County is making this important investment so that our local entrepreneurs and business leaders have the tools and resources they need to build a stronger, more inclusive economy than it was before,” said Patricia Fitzgerald, Hennepin County Community and Economic Development Manager. “Helping businesses navigate critical issues and strengthen their organizations will result in benefits across our county and region.”

If your business is located in Hennepin County, be sure to take advantage of this resource. Tunheim is signed up and we hope you’ll join us! Registered businesses have access to:

Funding for Elevate Business HC is provided by Hennepin County through the Federal CARES Act. Register and learn more about this important initiative for our business community at http://elevatebusiesshc.com.

The polarization of people here and in many other places continues to create dysfunction or paralysis in both policy-making and in market behavior: how we vote, whether we wear masks, whether we will enter retail spaces, gyms or sporting events…the list of politicized choices keeps growing.

With hopes that there is a path back to functional governance and predictable markets, it is time to start determining where effective leadership is going to come from, what it might look like or comprise.

Wherever one sits on the spectrum of underlying political viewpoints, there seems to be strong consensus that polarization is destructive to both our culture and our democracy – only true antifa or fascist activists would disagree. So, whether you are a business leader or a community leader, you have a strong stake in protecting a democratically functioning public sector, enabling a healthy, sustainable economic environment. There is a saying: ‘if the only tool you have is a hammer, you see every problem as a nail;’ and so it is that I happen to see the capacity to communicate effectively as an essential element of leadership. What kind of messages – and messengers – have the potential to create the bridges and shared priorities that will need to be built and defined as we move ahead?

And where are those strong leaders, and how are they using their positions of power to support healing where it surely needs to be occurring?  It is a tricky positioning challenge, that must be acknowledged:  every message seems to be heard or viewed through partisan political filters – or through the context of the emerging equity and inclusion priorities being shaped by the experiences of the past months.

Many of us in business – and other sectors other than government – have operated with an intention to steer clear of controversy, certainly including partisan politics and debates about racism. But as one of my BIPOC friends likes to remind me, the reality of healing is that it requires the opportunities to talk about the past. Not to blame, but to understand. I am coming to believe that the same thing is true of our hyper-partisan current existence. How could someone have voted for Donald Trump? Or conversely, how could someone NOT have supported the re-election of the President? Until we can figure out how to have real conversations about those questions, healing seems a pipe dream. And given the stakes for existing political parties in the USA, no one should expect politicians to lead in this necessary work. As another of my friends – this one a prominent elected official – once said: “Anyone who thinks the behavior of elected officials is a ‘leading indicator’ isn’t paying attention. Political decisions get made when the answers are glaringly obvious.”

So I’m back to wondering where that leadership for healing will come from, and I am concluding that it is right in front of us: leaders in business, in community organizations, in academic institutions, in non-partisan elected offices. We need to be role-modelling the behaviors and initiating the conversations that can lead people back into constructive dialogue with an increasingly diverse and ‘woke’ population around us. Differences of opinion will always exist. Re-learning how to respectfully disagree, to graciously move ahead when my opinion doesn’t carry the day, to genuinely care about bringing others along on our collective journey: this is the work ahead of us. And it seems to me those of us in the silent majority (that is, the middle) need to step up. Are you ready and willing to serve?

There’s a lot in transition right now: fall to winter, hybrid restrictions to remote everything (again), a Trump administration to a Biden administration, 2020 into 2021. Just to name a few.

And transitions can be very stressful, as we process things that are ending (especially things we will miss) and anticipate the unknowns ahead. But because change is, in fact, inevitable and a sign of health, we need to do all we can to turn any stress related to transitions into positive energy. Even if the change is not one that we advocated, transitions are times to ensure we optimize our experience and our potential for the future. For communications professionals and organizational leaders, transitions are critical periods for setting up our teams for success.

Often, it needs to start with clear articulation of what is ending. The extraordinary, drawn-out wrap to the presidential election is a classic example of the challenges to successful transition. Since a few days after November 3, it has been pretty clear that Joe Biden would be sworn in as president in January. But is the ‘Trump era’ ending? That isn’t clear at all – and so supporters of the current president and members of his political party are trapped in a very stressful transition. It may be the end of the Trump administration, but just an evolution into the next phase of his influence on Republican politics. Time will tell. In the meantime, given the very divided nature of our citizenry and so our government, optimizing the potential for the Biden administration will also be very challenging.

So, let’s take a look at an easier ‘ending’ to declare: 2020 will soon be over. Thank God. But just getting to December 31 isn’t optimizing our potential for 2021, so this is a stressful time for planning. We now know that vaccines will likely become available during the first half of the new year, enabling us to start thinking about life after COVID-19. How to set up our teams and our plans to make the best use of all twelve of the months in 2021? This leads to another critical step in managing the stress of transitions:  once you’ve articulated what is ending, you need to define the expectations for what is ahead. No one expects 2021 to be a ‘normal’ year – and in fact, there seems to be considerable agreement that no one knows what ‘normal’ will look like anytime soon. So setting expectations for 2021 must include caveats and assurances that adjustments to expectations can and will be made. Armed with those assurances, teams can get energized to work on potential paths forward.

After defining (and honoring) endings and then setting expectations (and incentives) for what’s ahead, the third critical consideration for managing transition stress is robust communication and connection.  Transitions are times of disorientation: ground is shifting, people’s attention seem to be diverted, sources we look to for guidance are re-booting. So ensuring that teams have confidence that they have access to whatever information is available becomes key; knowledge that others are working in the same, challenging dynamic becomes essential to maintaining esprit de corps. Times of transition require communication frameworks that effectively deliver information needed at every level of organizations in ways that meet both on-demand requirements as well as long-term, aspirational and directional messaging to keep teams on track. In times like these, our colleagues want to know both where we are going, and what they should be doing right now.

Define the ending. Imagine the road ahead. Keep talking.