2021 Word of the Year

As we near the end of 2021 , I want to share my word of the year. At the end of 2020, I wrote about adaptability, and while there are many words I could use to describe my 2021 (because it has been quite the year!) the one that sticks out for me is virtual.

Yes, we were all virtual throughout nearly all of 2020, but this year we really dug in on the virtual aspects for customer advisory board meetings in our work at Farland Group. While there were many unknowns about 2020, and in-person meetings were still up in the air for the first half, we knew heading into this year we would likely be all virtual — so we were prepared and ready to broaden our digital horizons. Throughout 2021, we worked with clients to dive deeper into the details for virtual customer advisory board meetings. Enhancing our own knowledge of the various platforms used or specific features — like breakout rooms, turning off beeps when people log on / off, and yes, even understanding how the new emoji features work (and emojis seem to be everywhere nowadays!) — was a cornerstone for 2021.

The versatility I’ve acquired to switch between different digital platforms and understanding the differences between each of them has been extremely valuable — for both my own personal knowledge and in helping clients as well… because toggling between audio settings for back-to-back calls is something I never really thought about until this year. My level of confidence for every different digital or virtual platform has undoubtedly grown. In 2021, we continued to conduct business as usual, facilitate customer advisory board meetings and pivot, adapt and shift gears on an as-needed basis to meet client needs. And all of this was done virtually… so I ask you, what is your word for 2021?