The Reis Group marks its sixth anniversary this month and there is a lot to celebrate. We were named a finalist for the Top Boutique Agencies for 2022 by PRWeek and we also made the list of best agencies for PR Daily. In addition, our energetic and skilled team is growing. Our health care clients are working hard on pressing issues and our hybrid work schedule is striking the right balance.
Teams and Zoom are the norm and fill my days. Several people are often dressed in athleisure wear, which now appears to be the new “business casual.” Others are back to their more formal attire, but wearing sneakers, which I personally have fully converted to doing. Our new litmus test for any type of meeting is whether we should make the effort to travel to another place, or just do it virtually?
My backpack has become my desk. Actually, it really is now my portable office. It’s heavier and fuller than before but has everything I need to work from anywhere for an extended period of time. It even includes snacks and several days of vitamins. This is coming from a person who believes in traveling really light.
While I am not sure what our workspace will look like moving forward, I am quite certain about our client work, which has been constant, challenging, and rewarding since we were established in 2016. Our core capabilities remain firmly grounded in thought leadership, reputation, earned media, science promotion, social media, environmental scans, and more. And health care remains arguably the most urgent issue facing our nation, as the field is widening its focus on well-being, health equity, and health justice, and more.
More specifically, I am particularly excited about our new annual performance “reflection,” which has replaced a conventional review. Two years ago, we revamped the process to focus on the “Wheel of Work” along with concepts from Harvard Business Review articles on employee engagement. We make a concerted effort to provide constructive feedback on an ongoing basis with every assignment and every project. It has become our way of life to ensure that we are seeing, hearing, and valuing each other’s strengths. This year’s Annual Reflection offers an opportunity for each of us to think about big issues and life issues such as purpose and connection.
I am writing this anniversary blog as I ride the Acela from Washington, D.C. to New York for an in-person meeting. It is my second one in several months and it feels so different. The train is full. Some people are wearing their masks. Many are not. Others are busy typing away on their laptops. A few are talking loudly on conference calls. Everyone is looking a little stressed. Wait a minute, except for the masking, not that much has changed after all!
