Accountability Report 2021

We kicked off the year with our annual all-day State of the Nation (SOTN) event. With all hands on deck and all eyes on one another, we reflected on where we’ve been, celebrated where we are, and laid the groundwork for where we’re heading. Purpose? Reaffirmed. Long-term vision? Reinforced. Immediate goals? Locked in.

Having a strong WHY

2020 was a gruelling year for many. As an organization, we got lucky. One word to summarize 2020 was “GRATITUDE”. You can learn more about our 2020 year in our 2021 State of the Nation and our 2020 Accountability Report.

Stabilization and Strengthening The Core

We had many things to be grateful for in the year 2020. Yes, it was tough, which is why we focused on counting our blessings and being grateful for the opportunities that came our way. In 2020, our blessings included strong and stable finances resulting from a massive increase in revenue over the last few years. With it, an almost doubling in team size, and a massive amount of new projects were completed.

With so much growth coupled with the uncertainty of the future, our leadership team was wise to not get ahead of ourselves with dreams of growth but rather, focus on stabilization and strengthening our core. One of our mottos was t>$, which means time is more precious than money. We recognize costs are less important than dollars invested to save time. Because time is the only finite resource on our journey through life. With that, we doubled and tripled down on strengthening the core. Our job to be better is not done. We still have a long way to go.

As a values-guided organization, our core values were better clarified in 2021. Our leadership team decided not to announce the very specific core values in our January 2021 SOTN but to hold off until mid-year. Our reasoning: Let’s put our money where our mouths are. Let’s do the walk before we do the talk.

By mid-2021, our core values were felt by all. Making it clear on paper (and web) was not something that team members already didn’t feel on a day-to-day basis.

You can learn more about the why and how here.

So, how did we do?

This is the essential question our leadership team asks every month, every quarter, and at the end of the year. We look at our quarterly goals, our efforts to raise intelligence and consciousness (our purpose), and the health and wellness of our team. Then we report back to the team, and to you.

1. Not so hot

In some areas, we could have done better. For example, on three separate occasions, key A+ Players experienced burnouts. We saw it coming. It was difficult to watch, like a slow-moving train wreck. When the time came, our leadership team stepped in, enforced a paid leave of absence, and went as far as disconnecting work email access. Ironically, all three were part of our leadership team! 

Aside from health, we also dropped the ball on a few client projects. Not something any of us are proud of. Diagnosing the cause shed light on a few things including the need for better and stronger oversight and training. Even more important, giving responsibilities and duties to team members based on their unique strengths, and supporting them if not eliminating duties that expose natural weaknesses. Working with people’s strengths, not their weaknesses? You’d think we’d have that one covered by now!

2. Pretty amazing

Overall, our wins and triumphs absolutely overshadowed our few failures. Echoing a commonly used phrase at PD, “Killed it” (peacefully, of course).

Below are short stories and stats on how we did. Most of the information is focused on our efforts to Raise I+C (our purpose). If you’re curious as to our cultural, financial, or quarterly goals, please reach out to our leadership team and let’s chat.

PDT Wins

The presentation deck below has been taken from our full-day State of the Nation presentation. In it, you will find:

• 2021 Overview
• 2021 Quarterly Goals
• Sales & Marketing
• Raising I+C
• Operations
• Health & Wellness
• Culture
• 2021 Major Events
• 2021 I+C Efforts
• Overview
• Team Effort
• Top Schollars
• Organizations we’ve supported

Quarterly Goals

This year, our goals were structured around improving processes, aligning teams, and delivering value across all fronts. For a deep dive, check out our quarterly breakdown in the SOTN deck.

I+C Efforts

At the heart of everything we do is our purpose: Raise I+C (Intelligence and Consciousness). Here’s how we tackled it in 2021:

Final Thoughts

2021 wasn’t perfect, but it was transformative. We faced challenges head-on, celebrated meaningful wins, and laid a stronger foundation for what’s to come.