Dear Colleague,
Did you have one of those “Magic 8-Ball” fortune-telling toys when you were a kid?
My big brother had one and I used to sneak into his room and borrow it when I needed to know something about the future.
The idea was that you’d ask the ball a question, shake it, and it would come up with an answer. The only drawback was the answers were a little vague.
For example, I’d ask the ball if I were destined to marry a handsome prince someday. And the ball would say:
“I suppose it’s possible.”
Or I’d ask the ball if I would get an “A” on my math test, and it would say:
“Well, stranger things have happened.”
In other words, it wasn’t very helpful. But to be fair to the Magic 8-ball, making accurate predictions isn’t easy.
I once heard a weatherman interviewed on television and he said something I’ve never forgotten. He said, “If I simply predict that tomorrow’s weather will be exactly the same as today’s, I’d be correct more than 75% of the time. The problem is that I’d miss all the important changes.”
I was reminded of this recently when someone asked me what I think will be the hot topics for training and consulting next year.
I gave a Magic 8-Ball sort of answer when I said, “Well, I assume it will be the same topics that were hot last year.”
It’s virtually certain, for example, that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) will continue to be important—as it should be. Although, I expect to see more emphasis on implementation rather than just education and sensitivity.
The recent advent of the Omicron variant means we haven’t seen the last of such things as managing in a hybrid workplace, presenting on Zoom, coping with stress, and remote teambuilding.
If the epidemic of resignations continues—as I suspect it will—then we’ll get a lot of calls for employee engagement, recruitment, and retention. Benefits and comp consultants will also be in demand.
One type of request I’ve gotten a lot this year was from smaller organizations (especially NPO’s) who need help with basic Human Resources services. They either need a consultant to come in and solve a few specific employee problems or they need someone to work two or three days a week to provide ongoing HR help.
What will we see in 2022 that we did not see in 2021? What will happen that we truly don’t expect and haven’t planned for?
Well, you’d have to ask the Magic 8-Ball that question. And the answer will probably be something along the lines of:
“Who can say for sure?”
Fortunately, with over a thousand professionals in our Network, we have trainers, consultants, coaches, and speakers who can deal with almost any problem that arises in the workplace. (I say “almost” because we don’t currently have an expert on what to do if an asteroid strikes the Earth.)
So if something comes up in the weeks ahead—whether expected or unexpected—I hope you’ll give me a call at 202-333-0644 or send an email to: Sharon@TrainersAndConsultants.net.
I’ll give you the names and contact information of at least three top professionals who can do the job you need at a price you can afford. And, as always, my service is free to you.
Meanwhile, if you’ve still got that old Magic 8-Ball in a closet somewhere, take it out. Dust it off. Shake it up. And ask it, “What will happen in 2022?” I’m sure the answer will be:
“Hard to say. But you’d better be able to deal with it!”
Sincerely,
Sharon Armstrong
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