Happy New Year!
We made it through the year 2020. A year unlike any other anyone has ever experienced before. A year that felt it moved at a snail’s pace at times, and at others like a flash of lightning. A year we all learned exceptionally more about ourselves and each other.
We all adapted to a “new normal” – which is anything but normal. Covid-19 restrictions, work -life expectations, how we connect with family or friends and take care of ourselves are on an ever-changing spectrum. And while we now have hope for stability in the future with the distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations, more change is still on the way.
That is why the Association for Women in Communications’ theme for 2021 is FlexAbility. FlexAbility has several meanings:
flex·i·bil·i·ty
the quality of bending easily without breaking.
AWC members and professionals across the globe have learned to adapt and be flexible throughout the course of last year, and there’s no doubt more change is on the way.
a·bil·i·ty
possession of the means or skill to do something.
After a tumultuous year, we have proven we have the ability to do incredible and challenging things:
- Working from home while helping our children learn online – if not teaching the material ourselves
- Or, working in an environment where health precautions and protocols are the only way to protect our lives
- Getting laid off due to a changing environment at our companies and finding a new role or even a new path for ourselves
- Taking a full college semester of courses 100% online, perhaps even graduating from college virtually
- Spending birthdays and holidays away from loved ones we miss terribly
- Picking up a rewarding hobby we never thought we would have time for
- Wearing a mask while doing cardio (if this does not apply to you, trust me… challenging)
AWC members and women professionals everywhere are so capable, so able, to overcome these challenges – despite the unavoidable obstacles unique to us and our individual situations.
flex
to display confidence by showing off skills or abilities.
We deserve to take a moment to flex, aka, take pride in our accomplishments big and small, and have the confidence to tell others we’re proud of ourselves. This can mean sharing the struggles of our experiences, but it can also mean allowing ourselves to be happy about our accomplishments, even in the midst of a time that is so difficult.
AWC as an organization has also displayed its ability to be flexible, too. In March, we rolled out #NoWastedDays, featuring several of our virtual opportunities for members to take advantage of while operating largely from home: Know to Grow professional development webinars, opportunities for mentorship, the AWC app, writing for this very blog, and looking for open job positions or getting your resume reviewed on our career website.
Since then, we’ve created new programs and expanded current opportunities for further connection and development for our members:
- The AWC book club held its first meeting in May and continues to meet every six weeks.
- AWC formed a new partnership with Hootsuite, providing our members access to online courses and certifications to gain new skills in social media marketing and advertising.
- Every AWC chapter opened up their events to all members. (And most are free!)
What a year – and what an accomplishment to be on the other side of it. Let’s all take what we learned in 2020, bring it into 2021 with us, and remind ourselves we have the FlexAbility to accomplish our goals this year.
If you are interested in joining the Association for Women in Communications, learn more at www.womcom.org.
About the Author
Allison Buehner is the Vice Chair of the AWC National Board of Directors. A Chicago resident, she works for Comcast as a Marketing Communications Specialist. Like many professionals, Allison is working virtually from home. During quarantine, she has picked up outdoor walks and runs, 1,000-piece puzzles, and a “side-hustle” position working for Burning Soul Press as their Public Relations Manager.
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