Now that we have made it through all 26 letters of the alphabet and quite a variety of topics, let’s review the highlights and see if there are any posts that you might want to go back and read again (or read for the first time if you missed them). This post will be a bit longer than most.
The first was ACCOUNTABILITY, and actually relied on several people I spoke with at an event the night before my first post. By telling them of my intent and asking them to hold me accountable, the next day my blog went live. No more talking, I shifted into action mode. Lesson there, for me at least, was to have someone (in this case, several “someones”) holding me accountable and encouraging me.
The entire theme of the blog, BOOMER in a MILLENIAL WORLD, served to cover the letter B. As a self-taught digital, social media maven and somewhat early adopter, at least for my generation, I do my best to keep pace from the middle of my pack.
Making CONNECTIONS is at the core of my job duties. This particular entry provided some tips and lessons learned that may prove useful. Not everyone is an extrovert, not everyone is a natural at networking, and after a year away from it, we are all out of practice. Check this one out for some practical tips as we all begin to venture out again.
DEDICATION—what it is, how you develop it and use it to the benefit of others. See this post for some examples both large and small, meant to inspire.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT is another cornerstone of my job responsibilities. This post describes how my understanding of this topic developed and expanded over time. By reviewing it, perhaps yours will as well.
The FLAGSHIP Enterprise Center and its subordinate entity, Flagship Enterprise Capital, serve to pull several previous topics together—making connections, economic development, and the dedication of many of the individuals involved. For the past few years, I have been honored to work alongside many of these individuals. Take a look at this post to see how these organizations have contributed to the economy of the State of Indiana.
GUESTS AND A GATEWAY was a double post, landing on my blog and as a guest blog for The Startup Ladies during the time I served on their board of directors. This entry describes how I serve as a gateway to all the capabilities at Purdue University and how to come through that gateway through my office.
HOMECOMING (X3) describes the big events at my high school (celebrating its 50th anniversary), my college alma mater, and that of my employer. All very different in some ways and alike in others.
(Back Home Again in) INDIANA is a celebration of how happy I am to have returned to the state I have always considered my home and how it has changed (for the better) in the decade I was living and working elsewhere.
(My Friends Named) JOHN is another celebration of friends and colleagues that I met since that return home and what I have learned from them.
KINDERGARTEN started with a look back at Robert Fulgham’s book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Good skills, for sure, but employers expect much more from their prospects these days. Check out this entry to learn more.
“LIKE” is a discussion of that button we click (or the reaction we covet from others) on social media posts. Further, it’s a discussion of how to be a bit more discerning in our social media reactions to others’ posts and what those reactions tell others about us.
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS harkens back to my corporate life and the many lessons I learned from life in the trenches. Hope there is something here for you.
(A Salute to) NURSES was a timely bit of thanks to a group of overworked professionals who are bringing us through a very challenging time.
OPPORTUNITIES are the events that occur in our lives, often providing a fork in the road. Rule of thumb used to be know how to say no so you don’t become overburdened. Then along comes Sheryl Sandberg, telling us to lean in (or, in other words, know when to say yes). Long before Sheryl, I knew that saying yes strategically has put me on a path to career and life success. It can do the same for you.
The letter P offered a plethora of opportunities—first the acronym PPP, which started out as “Public Private Partnership” in the economic development world but soon came to stand for “Paycheck Protection Program” as Congress passed economic assistance aid packages for small businesses. Next up, PARTNERSHIPS, PURDUE and PANTHERS (as in the Hanover College mascot). Yes, truly a plethora!
QUESTIONS is the topic I chose to void the obvious “quarantine.” During 2020 our experiences raised so many questions, and this post shared how I have learned to find good sources of information to answer many of my questions. Some we will need to wait for answers, but some we will be able to sift through and learn what answers are reliable and which are less so.
RANDOM THOUGHTS are the ones you have when you can’t come up with an entry for the letter R. Looking back, they really were random—everything from a WFH precursor to what I was ordering from Amazon. Fortunately, I have laid off that habit (sort of). Still using Instacart for groceries, though.
What will you do SOMEDAY? We had a lot of somedays over the past 15 months that we spent at home. Are you wondering why those things never got done? I still have disorganized closets, Goodwill runs to do (after the closets are cleaned), and don’t get me started on the garage! Now here’s the good news—the stopgap repairs to my boat dock got done last fall and held until right now as the permanent rebuild is being done. It is beautiful!
TECHNOLOGY, something we all deal with daily, was a fun topic. It is something we all need to embrace to get ahead. As a self-taught user, I know there is more I could do and likely will as time goes on. I am not the earliest adopter, but of my generation (Boomer), I might be in one of the first waves.
THE UNKNOWN was the next topic. Going into 2020, we dealt with that perhaps more than we ever had. How we deal with it, sometimes to our credit and sometimes to our detriment, determines the outcomes of our lives. It’s what we learn from these experiences that determines how we do the next time. We can fear the unknown or we can prepare and move ahead together.
Anyone who has watched media (social or traditional) over the past year) has seen coverage of vaccine development followed by emergency use authorization and the campaigns around the state, nation and world to get people vaccinated. The letter V was represented by VACCINES vs. VACCINATIONS, a discussion of those processes and timeline.
A pertinent topic for the past year for many of us was WFH or “work-from-home.” It certainly has applied to me, as I have had a home office both during the pandemic beginning in March 2020 and also during my corporate career while working in northern Virginia. The former was only a few days a week; the latter has been full-time, at least until recently as things are beginning to open up.
Next up, to bring a bit more science into the mix, the element XENON. I had to research quite a bit more for this entry, but thanks to Google it wasn’t necessary to try to find my old 1970’s vintage science textbooks from high school or college. The good news is I was a good science student back then and I understood most of the basics that I located during my research this time around.
The letter Y for YOUTH let me share a few of the events, sponsorships and not-for-profit organizations that I have worked with over the past few years. Focused primarily on K-12 STEM education enrichment and encouragement, they were all a good fit for Purdue University. TechPoint Foundation for Youth, Women & Hi Tech’s partnerships with Conner Prairie and Indy Women in Tech to name a few have reached out and served thousands of young people and their parents and teachers across Indiana.
ZOOM was the topic that closed out our blog through the alphabet. An online meeting platform that became a way of doing business, educating, socializing, and just plain surviving during the pandemic will continue to be utilized to some extent even as we return to our post-pandemic endeavors.
And now I plan to take my usual Memorial Day week off to rest and recharge. I hope you spend a bit of time doing the same. If you make it out to the track for The Race (those natives like me know that’s the Indy 500), be safe and have fun! Here’s to a fast, exciting and safe race for all 33 drivers.
IN CLOSING
Thanks for reading. Looking forward to your comments and connections, both virtual and in person as my world is beginning to open up. Until next time . . . . stay safe and healthy and remember, this too shall pass. Just like the real world, who knows what comes next?
Barb's Boomer Blog 