Words of Wisdom: Including Parents in DCI’s Purpose
November 10, 2020 | By: Julie CurtinWe’re not lying when we say DCI is striving to uphold inclusion and diversity on all fronts. It’s part of our core purpose, and it goes hand in hand with our placemaking. All voices should be heard.
We thought we’d nuance the notion of inclusion a bit and give a voice to those so often unheard in our workplaces: our parents. November 6, 2020 was National Bring Your Parents to Work Day, and while COVID-19 put the kibosh on our original plan of hosting our parents in the office, it doesn’t mean we can’t still engage them.
As part of our 2020 agency initiatives and in support of the DCI value to “pursue happiness, and life outside of work” we reached out to our staff parents to hear from them and learn from them. We wanted to gather any parental advice they would offer all of us as we navigate the complexities of work and life during these tumultuous days of 2020.
Who knows better how to answer this than those who have gone before us?
DCI staff members asked their parents for their wisdom and advice and we wanted to share it with our teams across North America, as well as with anyone who reads our blog, to remind us among other things, to slow down, take care of ourselves, don’t stress, show gratitude, keep an open mind, and invest in our 401Ks! Here are some of our favorite takeaways:
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Have faith in yourself and your abilities, you cannot fake confidence. You will never have all the answers, but you will always have something valuable to bring to the table. And contribute to your 401K!
Do not let this COVID-19 virus get you down. It is going to end. Take pride in all you do and make sure your work reflects your best efforts, have a positive attitude about the potential for success of every project you take on. Cherish and support all those you work with, be they fellow associates or clients. Do not forget to provide time in your life for family and friends and lastly have fun in your life.
Slow down and enjoy life in all the little ways you can and make time to nurture yourself. Work is not everything.
Don’t over stress, life will work itself out. Enjoy what you do, do what you enjoy.
The world is changing at a rapid pace. Keep an open mind, think outside the box and don’t be afraid to change direction! You’re stronger than you think you are.
Do not ever take your job for granted! Be a continuous learner. This pandemic has been financially devastating for millions of people. Show your gratitude for having a job by performing at a high level. Continue to learn new skills to bring value to DCI.
When things get really stressful, stop for a minute, close your eyes and take deep breaths in and out. Try it – it works!
The tourism industry will come back tenfold when this pandemic has a cure. Because people can’t travel, they are anxiously awaiting the day when they are able to. And my advice would be to give all that you can and enjoy every single moment, as unfortunately not a lot of people can have a job that they love.
One piece of advice for professionals is to balance work with family and stay healthy.
It’s hard to challenge staff when there is so much uncertainty for the future but look back at your mistakes and adjust for the future.
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This moment of reflection was brought to you by the encouraging parents of our DCI staff, and we couldn’t be more pleased to know how supported our teams are in their lives outside of DCI as we wrap up 2020.
Family always comes first, and DCI is committed to making sure our staff knows that this policy rings true all year-round.
