This has been a difficult year for most people, and the Evocati team, like everyone else, has had to face challenges adapting to an ever-changing world. As 2021 is on the horizon, we took some time to reflect on the unprecedented shifts in business and identified three key takeaways for entrepreneurs and leaders who support the military-connected community. 

While the past year has brought hardship, we have also been fortunate to experience new opportunities to grow our team and serve clients, new and old, helping them realize their potential inside the military-connected community. 

Here’s what we’ve observed. 

Technology Will Continue to Bring Us Together 

It’s no secret – 2020 has been the year of relying on technology. From Zoom work meetings to family FaceTime sessions, it’s hard to imagine this year without it. While we hope to safely normalize in-person meetings and conferences again, 2020 has taught us that virtual events aren’t just possible – they’re often preferable. 

Aside from the cost-saving factors of virtual events, an agenda that doesn’t require participants to leave their homes brings an opportunity to effectively reach a larger audience. We supported The Washington Center’s VET Initiative this way by redesigning and proctoring 10-weeks of virtual training for student veterans—training that was originally intended to be in-person.  

This increased dependence on technology will stay past the pandemic, so be prepared to continue incorporating it into your 2021 marketing and event strategies! Our charge for 2021 is to find even more effective ways to have meaningful conversations virtually. 

 Always Be Ready to Adapt

This takeaway is familiar to most within the military-connected community, but this year we have seen the need for adaptability more than ever. 

We’re currently supporting Alrio in developing a Military and Veterans Employee Resource Group for Veterans for an integrated security company with more than 500,000 employees. We’ve had to adapt with them as their military veteran recruitment strategy has shifted to more virtual outreach and support.  

The world is constantly shifting, and with new information and innovation driving us into 2021, organizations must ensure their strategies include change management best-practices to respond, adapt, and continue supporting the military-connected community. 

Empathy is a Powerful Tool for Your Business 

Consider what’s normal today: A screaming kid in the background of a virtual window, wearing sweatpants with a blouse to work, meetings at odd hours. We’re all going through unprecedented changes. For many, 2020 has meant a year full of unanticipated homeschooling, loss of income, and separation from loved ones – sometimes simultaneously. 

The year has served as a great reminder that everyone you encounter is working through something. You, as well as your employees, coworkers, and clients, are going to face times of hardship that require patience from those we work with. We’ve had to restructure how we work, i.e. no longer tracking hours worked but rather results, to match how our clients have changed. And we’re okay with that because empathy is one of our core company values. Consider how you and your company can incorporate empathy into how you work and who you serve. 

These are just a few of the many takeaways that are sure to come out of 2020. We’d like to hear yours. What did you learn in 2020 that you’ll take with you into the new year?

Next year, we will take the lessons learned in 2020 to grow and enhance our services to business and nonprofit ventures that want to realize their potential inside the military-connected community.