The office calendar is an ever-evolving organism that is alive and well whether you are in the office daily or spend most of your time working remotely, and all organizations’ calendars look just a little bit different.
Like all aspects of any business, we are constantly evaluating the impact of our actions. As we strive daily to do our best and highest work while presenting ourselves authentically, we must do more than just serve our clients. While in a business like ours, clients are our heart and soul – there’s just more to it than that. We must also consider our people and our ability to lead by example in the communities we serve.
In 2021 we’re adding Veterans Day to our official office calendar, permanently.
“Since acquiring the company four years ago, we’ve continued to evaluate how we honor various holidays. In a recent strategy meeting we were discussing our upcoming calendar and this one – was a no brainer,” says Cile Johnson, Talent Dimensions Chief Business Officer. “What our Veterans have and do sacrifice for us to allow the lifestyles and freedoms we enjoy today is the primary reason for me. My family is highly involved with our Armed Forces. My mother and father-in-law both served in the United States Army, my two brothers-in-law are career Army and Air Force, both having served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and my mother-in-law was also a nurse in Vietnam.”
“Veterans are an important segment of our community, and they warrant much more focus and attention than has been traditionally expended. When it comes to honoring all people – we want to continue to break the mold and ensure we make time and space to truly engage.” according to Lynn Cowart, Talent Dimensions Chief Operating Officer.
In a workplace, top-down decisions like this affect more than just your hierarchical leadership – it makes a difference in lives in all corners of an organization. Talent Dimensions has a significant number of team members that have served in the military, including Regional Vice President, Bobby Gordon.
Bobby dedicated 21 years of his life to service in the US Military. And at the height of the war in Iraq, he worked as an Equal Opportunity and Diversity Consultant. In his role as a non-deployable asset Bobby was assigned to a Causality Assistance Team, where he and two others accompanied a Commander to notify families when one of their loved ones had been lost in combat. Bobby shared, “In my 21 years of service there was nothing as hard as that. You’re walking down the street in full dress uniform, going to deliver the worst news of someone’s life, and if they happen to look out the window and see you coming – and you can see them – you can see them drop to the floor in absolute heartbreak, because they know what you’re coming to say.”
Throughout our conversation with Bobby about Veterans Day and his military service, I asked him what the significance of taking such a substantial pause to observe Veterans Day means to him as not only a team member, but a Veteran himself. He responded, “I often feel like those that serve, especially those that go abroad to serve, do not get enough recognition for what they’ve done. And I do appreciate this gesture to honor and value the commitment these men and women have made to our country and to our freedom.”
The Talent Dimensions Team is privileged to work with all of our colleagues that have served our country, and we continue to strive to honor them and the rest of our country’s veterans every day.
Thank you for your service, your lives, your dedication, and your honor. We wish you a peaceful and loving Veterans Day.