Happy Birthday Wednesday Words!
It all started a year ago, June 5th, 2019 with this one paragraph: As a start of a “New Year” of sorts, the beginning of Summer Vacation, I’m taking on a new challenge; to write once a week for the rest of the summer. A good friend and mentor, Perry Holley, inspired me to develop my writing skills by, yes, writing! So, stay tuned for my “Wednesday Words” as I begin to curate my thoughts in HR and Education.
I set out on this personal experiment to see if I could write a few blog posts about my perspective on HR, Learning and Talent Development, with a little Disney Magic sprinkled in where possible. Well, I think I’m past a few blogs at this point – over 50 to date. After 365 days, it’s the support of my family, friends and colleagues that has kept me writing week after week.
Originally inspired through reading a colleague’s book, I sought direction from a published writer, Mr. Perry Holley, as well as support from a web-savvy Jordan Barta who suggested and built the brentcolescott.com website. Regular readers including John Ambrose, James Bernath, Jessica Day, Jon Drakes, Amanda Burgess, Debasis Dutta, Liz Dowden, Will Hicklen, Patrick Maher, Morne Swart, Michelle Walker and Stephen Webster kept encouraging me week after week to continue writing; some even told me reading became a weekly habit. My good friend and colleague Mark Fung jumped in and co-authored a few articles with me, saving my bacon when I needed his insight. To each of you, I want to say Thank You!
The overall journey of writing every week while traveling has not always been easy. But a little determination has helped me overcome some logistical and writing obstacles. My original concept for Wednesday Words had been laid out in a moleskin book that was lost along with my briefcase during a smash and grab last summer. Undeterred, there have been posts inspired by travels through Europe, India and Asia. I’ve written and posted in more hotel rooms than I can recall. But I have to say my favorite article posting challenge was at 35k feet somewhere over the Atlantic hoping the United wifi would push it through.
What I’ve learned over the past year is that writing weekly about the trends in HR, HR Tech, Talent and Higher Education has helped me learn and grow professionally more than I could ever imagined. When I initially set out to write, I wanted to create a place where I could curate the best examples of HR, Learning and Talent programs I encountered in my travels. I have been lucky to meet with some amazing professionals, CLO’s and CHRO’s from around the globe. Many of my Wednesday Words have been influenced by their knowledge and programs.
Some articles have been a hit, while others sadly may have missed their mark. To date, I’m most proud of a few that seemed to resonate with others; most recently “The Looming Emotional Crisis,” and a personal favorite “We Need Critical Thinkers!” Two others were a smash that hit the market just at the right time: “A Tectonic Shift In the Learning Market” and “HR, ER, “Talent” Tech? Day 1” Regardless of popularity, I’m proud of each article.
As I look to Year 2, my desire is to be more intentional in my writing while incorporating more research. I hope it will force more up-front planning and hopefully less Tuesday morning/evening panic. I absolutely welcome feedback, suggestions on topics or insight into areas that you, the readers, may feel are hidden gems to discuss. Regardless of the process, I intend to keep on writing and writing and writing. I cannot thank you all enough for taking the time each week to read my ramblings and do hope you will continue the journey with me.
Sincerely, Brent