Looking back over 2022, we want to say Thank You.

Greetings all! 

There always seems to be something cathartic about coming to the end of a year. We anticipate the holiday season, we connect with old friends, we make resolutions, we make business goals, and then, on December 31, we turn the page to a fresh new start.

I love this time of year for all those reasons, and more. I also love it because it’s a great time to pause and reflect on the 12 months since the last calendar turn.

First, let me share with you my own end-of-year decluttering hack . . . 

I have shared with many of you in our Time Management course and in Supervisor Boot Camp my habit of cleaning my office at every holiday and my habit of letting all recurring meetings expire on December 31. These two actions alone will help you rethink, reset, and prepare for whatever lies ahead by reflecting on all things that have already occurred. Really. Hear me out – going through any accumulated paperwork and examining every meeting will help you call to mind all the successes and less than successes simply by letting the memo, note, e-mail, meeting notes, meeting reminder, and the rest pass through your hands and mind one more time. Then reset and look forward. (And reinvite people to the necessary meetings!) 

Okay, back to our year end thoughts. 

When we think back on 2022 and all the opportunities you afforded us simply by being part of our business we are humbled and grateful. Humbled that you would let us be a part of your world and grateful for trusting us with your hard-earned dollars. We were able to conduct over 130 unique trainings and had some kind of conversation with over 1550 individuals representing 128 companies. We also reached thousands through our free webinars! 

Humbled and grateful. 

The overarching theme for this past year, for us, can be summed up in our mission statement: Develop People. Inspire Growth. Unlock Potential. And finally, after 5 years have passed since we coined that statement, it has finally become clear to us: 

These simple 6 words are way more than a mission statement. They are the mission. 

We have again learned as much from you all as you have (hopefully) learned from us and the lesson we had to learn again was the need to understand leadership and leading people in our newest normal. It is not easy to navigate talent shortages, worker shortages, constant turnover of people, high demand for our stuff, the need to make money, and take care of our people. 

We want you to continue to develop yourself and everyone around you. You see, John Maxwell is right, “Leadership is influence” and we must turn our thoughts to developing our influencing skills. Are we leading by example or leading by yelling? Are we treating people as human beings or as human resources, only needed to help us make our numbers? Are we showing up as good, positive influencers of culture or just showing up to manage the chaos? 

Please, influencers, don’t underestimate the need to develop our skills as leaders just as we would work to develop our skills as a welder. Skills take training and practice. Training and practice take time. Allow yourself some time to develop. Learn some skills, practice what you learn. Develop. 

We need to use our influence to inspire others. We may never know how a word or action or response or reaction might inspire someone to either continue the journey or simply quit. Be inspirational in all the right ways. Be open, honest, transparent, trusting, and trustworthy in every interaction with your fellow human beings. It will inspire them to be the same with you. 

Which brings us to unlocking potential. Open your own mind to being a great leader so your own potential is unlocked and unleashed. People want to be led by a leader worth following and in doing so will have their own potential recognized and unlocked. It’s what great leaders do . . . raise up the next leader by unlocking potential. 

In this way, developing people, inspiring others, and unlocking potential, we can each and all help the company for whom we work and who we represent, thrive in the chaos, too. When leaders succeed, companies succeed because people succeed. 

So, our dear alumni, thank you for spending time with us this past year. We look forward to an inspirational new year as we again spend time in training with you and/or your company. We wish you great success, we wish you calm in the chaos, we wish for you an opportunity to develop your skills and use those skills to inspire those around you and unlock your and their potential. 

With humbleness, gratitude, and hope, 

On behalf of the Frontline Training Solutions Team, 

John Keuning, Director of Manufacturing Training