Building Bridges

EnVision at 27: Part 7 of 9

Posted on by Irene Stern Frielich

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE #1: Embracing the Times

Oh, if only I had a crystal ball! But seriously, where’s the challenge in that? As so many do, I thrive on the opportunity to grow and learn. While I don’t like ambiguity, I also wouldn’t give it up.

In my final series of posts celebrating EnVision’s 27th anniversary, I’ll consider three areas related to the future.

The pace of change will move faster. And faster. We can adapt. Or we can sit on the sidelines and watch (or close our eyes and miss it all). Here are some ways I am embracing the current times with a look toward the future.

  1. ENHANCE OUR SERVICES: Last year, we added an Instructional Design Bootcamp for Emergency Managers. Partnering with Mea Allen of Vital Learning Strategies, we saw a need for enhancing instructional design skills in emergency management, where they are under increasing pressure to do more with less. Instead of outsourcing some of their training design, they need to do it themselves. This new workshop fits naturally into our suite of Building Self-Reliance, and I will continue to look out for new ways to enhance our offerings.
  2. STAY CURRENT ON AI CAPABILITIES: Did you see all those AI ads during this year’s Super Bowl? AI will continue to impact us in both our personal and business lives, and that impact will increase. We can choose whether we’ll actively engage in it, yet I suspect we are already (whether we realize it or not). I will continue to make decisions about how I (and EnVision) will use AI as new capabilities come to light. I may use AI for some things and not for others. But to make those decisions, I will do my best to stay current on the capabilities and their impact.
  3. MAINTAIN STRONG RELATIONSHIPS: Having a strong network built on trust has always served me well. From work to speaking about my book to engaging in fun activities in my personal life, I will continue to nurture relationships with my friends and colleagues and I will continue to seek new connections.

In many ways, I will keep doing what I’ve been doing. My approaches may need tweaks or new ways of thinking, but being open-minded and curious while connected have served me well. I don’t see that changing.

What is one strength you have that will carry you into the future?