Crafting Our Organizational Tree

Lessons from Ornaments and Reflection

As we approach the end of another year, I find myself drawn to a cherished tradition – putting up ornaments. Each ornament tells a story, capturing moments of joy, growth, and even challenges. These ornaments serve as tangible reminders of my family’s past. Above all, they call me to pause and reflect, if only for a moment.

Interestingly, a number of the ornaments in my collection have direct connections to ISI Consulting, reflecting our journey through the years. Here’s a glimpse into some of them.

• 2017 – The Coat of Many Colors: This ornament symbolizes the year ISI Consulting was born. Just like Joseph’s coat, it represents our commitment to standing out and being a different kind of consulting firm. It embodies diversity, creativity, and the unique approach we bring to every client engagement.
• 2019 – The Acorn: This year was tough, much like an acorn representing growth through challenges. It taught us resilience and the importance of adaptation. Each setback became a stepping stone, shaping our organization into what it is today.
• 2021 – The Light Bulb: We survived COVID and kept the lights on. It symbolizes innovation, and the business reaching more states and regions than ever before.
• 2023– The Big Broken Bulb: A colleague gave me a large glass ornament that looked as if it had been broken and glued back together in pieces. She shared that it represented the Japanese art of kintsuke, which uses precious metals like gold or silver to repair broken pottery and treats breakage and repair as part of an object’s history. Just like people.
• 2024 – Two Snowmen Bundled Together: This year’s ornament signifies teamwork and support. We could not do the work we do without key partners and friends. Just like snowmen bundled together, our success relies on collaboration and the relationships we build.

I encourage you to start your own organizational tree of memories. Consider inviting each team member to share an ornament they selected to reflect on a key moment, achievement or lesson learned from the year. What are significant milestones that have shaped your organization? What projects or initiatives have made an impact? What challenges have you overcome together?  Then in 2025, you can reflect on those moments as you hang individual ornaments back on the tree. Maybe there will be new team members around the tree, and those shared stories about key moments will prove an excellent way to build team cohesion and collective history. Give this a try, and I’m almost certain you’ll find it becomes a tradition your team embraces each year.

On behalf of ISI Consulting, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May we all be reminded of the need for each other and Jesus Christ.

Stay Sharp,

Holly Hayes, President & Founder
ISI Consulting