Now that the holiday season is in full swing, there is a sense of thankfulness that I have for 2020. I’ve noticed we have decorated for Christmas extremely early; everyone is looking for a reason to celebrate and bring a little cheer to this otherwise challenging year. I am not traditionally a “holly jolly” person. As a mom, Christmas means a lot of pressure and responsibility, and as a business owner that pressure is exponentially greater. But this year, I am ready to celebrate. We all have a lot to be thankful for, so when we sit at the Thanksgiving table and it’s my turn to let everyone know what I am thankful for, I hope my family is ready for my list.
First and foremost, I am thankful for the opportunity that quarantining and limited socializing created for me to be with my family. Although challenging at times, balancing virtual work and family under the same roof, sometimes the same room, I have learned so much about my husband, kids, and parents; how they learn, observe the world, react to adversity, and how they need to be loved. COVID–19 gave us a gift, and honestly, I needed it.
Mid-March brought anxiety like I’ve never experienced before. I have never been more thankful for the word “essential.” The fact that construction was listed as an essential service and our personnel as essential workers was an amazing relief. We are a construction company, which means many of our roles cannot be done from home. Although it was scary and unknown, we were able to keep every single one of our people working, getting a paycheck, supporting their families, and keeping our work moving forward. Our essential workers are the backbone of our company. Until the day I die, I am thankful for them.
I am also thankful for the opportunity to learn about my team. Many of my immediate team members are either new to the company or new to their role. Much like getting to know my family better, COVID–19 forced team engagement. At the highest level, communication was key. There were days that I would communicate (via Microsoft Teams) with my team and extensions of that team, several times a day. I got to know these people and their families (especially the little ones popping up on video) on another level. Everyone was working toward one common goal: protecting each other — their extended Haydon family. Those first few months were like drinking from a fire hose for sure. Nine months later I feel as strong and supported as ever because I know I have an amazing group of people looking out for Haydon.
I am also thankful that 2020 gave us a chance to reinvent ourselves as an organization. Along with managing a pandemic, we also accomplished some pretty amazing feats internally. We were recognized with some prestigious awards and welcomed some very talented people to the Haydon family. I am not only thankful, but also incredibly proud of how we navigated as a team throughout this year.
2020 will certainly be a year none of us will forget: pandemic, curfew, quarantine, masks, and home-schooling, but I hope that our amazing employees and industry partners will look back on this year and remember that they work for and with a company that truly cares about them and their families. We are all the Haydon family.
