Horizon Point Consulting

Category: General

Horizon Point writes about dozens of leadership, career, workplace, and workforce topics. Sometimes we write whatever we want. Read this category for general blogs from the HPC team.

  • Nourish: A Bold New Direction for 2025

    Nourish: A Bold New Direction for 2025

    After a year of “Open the Door” as our 2024 theme, we decided this year as a team that maybe we needed to simplify- our theme and our focus.  As I discussed in my speech Taste and See, turning responsibility into obligation to open the door to anyone and anything brought about a state of too much in 2025.  Like they say, there can be too much of a good thing. 

    So in keeping with tasting and seeing what is good and letting that be the only obligation or responsibility to pursue, trusting that good things will flow naturally from there, we felt as though “Nourish” speaks volumes to what we are pursuing this year and aligns with our organizational values. 

    What Nourish means to us: 

    • Living with intention
    • Nourishing the people closest to us
    • Emphasizing abundance instead of scarcity
    • Pouring into good things allows the outcomes take care of themselves
    • The mindset that capacity doesn’t equal obligation. Margins nourish us to live with intent and pour into the important people and things around us. This helps us see who and what needs to be nourished right in front of us. 
    • Nourishing creates growth 
    • Nourishing leads to thriving 

    Values Alignment 

    And in true HPC fashion, we put the word into ChatGPT and found that nourish aligns well with our values: 

    1. Passion: Nourishing reflects a commitment to fueling enthusiasm and energy in all endeavors, encouraging others to pursue their work with heart and dedication.
    2. Productivity: Nourishing the mind, skills, and workplace environment enables individuals and teams to perform at their best, driving meaningful outcomes.
    3. People First: At its core, “nourish” emphasizes care, growth, and support, putting people at the center by fostering their well-being and development.
    4. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Nourishment encompasses providing the resources, opportunities, and encouragement for ongoing growth and enhancement, ensuring a culture of improvement.
    5. Give Back: Nourishing others extends to contributing to the greater good, whether through community efforts, mentorship, or empowering others to succeed.

    What we will Nourish this year: 

    Leadership Development and Coaching

    We are launching new content in 2025 that includes monthly blog posts and coaching moment videos to help nurture leadership development in companies and communities.  These will be practical strategies to implement, not complex theories or vague guidance. A taste of what we will be doing to nourish leadership development in our area includes facilitating the Cummings Research Park Tech to Exec Program and continuing to deliver Encounter Groups to our clients.  Our customized programs for organizations will now come with a customized website page(s) to provide nourishment even after the in-person component concludes. 

    Entrepreneurship

    We will be launching new content featuring entrepreneurs across our network to showcase the innovation taking place all around us. We will continue to support Alabama Launchpad and the dozens of entrepreneurs that come through the program each year. 

    Career and Professional Development

    In 2024, we launched online courses and will continue to launch more courses throughout 2025. Taylor is now one of the very few people in the country certified to deliver the National Career Development Association’s brand new School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) training, and she will continue to work with the Alabama State Department of Education to certify hundreds of educators across the state in this and other content and certifications. 

    Informed Compensation

    We continue to do a lot of compensation work. We realize that this core hygiene factor helps people literally nourish themselves and their families. Living wages are important and so is making wise business financial decisions to ensure the longevity of our organizations. These can exist together and be nourished together- remember abundance, not scarcity.  We will continue to facilitate the North Alabama Regional Wage and Benefit survey to help companies and communities make informed compensation decisions. 

    Each Other

    We are a family at HPC and each of us needs nourishment from each other. This year, we will be focused on nourishing Taylor as she undergoes surgery and treatment for breast cancer.  Emily is nourishing new life, and we will welcome a baby into the HPC family in May!  We ask your prayers for Taylor and Emily and their families. 

    nourish gift basket
    Taylor’s “nourish” basket from the team!
    Each of us curated a few items that we knew would bring Taylor a little bit of joy and “nourishment”.

    What are you nourishing this year? What do you want to see grow? 

  • The Point Blog’s Top 10 for 2024

    The Point Blog’s Top 10 for 2024

    2024 has been another year of highs and lows with plenty of opportunities to learn, grow and rest. We’ve had a great time keeping you informed on a wide variety of topics throughout the year. Every post we’ve written and shared, no matter the subject, we’ve strived to inform you on subjects that will help you professionally. Our team is happy to help keep you up to date with the latest information to better your career, your work environment, or your organization! 

    With all the hustle and bustle this Christmas Season, we hope that you will slow down and practice some mindfulness by taking a look back at The Point Blog’s most viewed posts of 2024:

    10. Open the Door to New Perspectives

    9. Effective Delegation: Closed Doors Lead to Open Ones

    8. Open the Door. Literally.

    7. Why Appreciation in the Workplace Matters

    6. Let’s Move Away from Cowardly Leadership in 2024

    5. Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! (Embrace the Suck)

    4. How to Be Perfect (Or Not)

    3. Braving Trust and Vulnerability

    2. The Best Place to Begin a New Year

    1. 4 Ways to Convert Values into Behaviors

    Thank you for a great year. Please visit us in 2025. We promise to keep you informed and entertained in the new year!

    If you’d like to subscribe to The Point, you can do so here.

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: Taste and See

    SPECIAL FEATURE: Taste and See

    Last week, Horizon Point founder and president, Mary Ila Ward, was recognized with an ATHENA Leadership Award by the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber during their annual Women in Business Celebration. Her speech deeply resonated with so many women (and men) in attendance, so today we are sharing her words with all of you.
    —
    Thank you for this honor. I am humbled. Many of the women who have won this award are women I look up to and who have been instrumental in shaping a community I love through their servant leadership. 

    Thank you to the Chamber and its staff.  It is a joy to work with each of you. 

    Thank you to my team at Horizon Point for nominating me.  I don’t take lightly what a rarity and privilege it is to get to work day in and day out with such wonderful people who are family.  Taylor, Lorrie, Jillian and Emily- you live out all of our organizational values day in and day out, but this year you have shown me what it truly means to put People First and Give Back.  Thank you for putting me first and giving back to me so fiercely this year when I have needed it the most. 

    There are so many friends in and out of this room to which I will always be grateful for- that have supported me both personally and professionally.  Thanks especially to Whitney and Cindy. 

    Thank you to our past, present, and future clients in and out of this room.  We love innovating the workplace with you. 

    Many of you know that I pretty much hit the jackpot with parents. My parents have been a constant source of support in all seasons of my life and shown what it means to be servant leaders in the community and at home. 

    My in-laws have always been there for me and our family and have always supported us in big and small ways.  Thank you for letting me marry your son. 

    Two of my children are here today.  We spared you all the joy of the five year old being here because he would probably be right up here with me wanting to entertain you all- we opted for him to stay at Pre-K for nap time instead. Paige and Andrew, along with your little brother, you are my reason for breathing most days and a constant source of joy.  Thank you for being you. 

    Drew- man- you are my rock and my better half, thank you. You have always supported my career and community endeavors and been my biggest cheerleader.  I don’t know what I would do without you. 

    The sentiment of Luke 12:48- to whom much is given much is required- has always been a guiding principle in my life.  As you can see by the cloud of witnesses I have mentioned and many more I have not, I have been given much. So much. 

    But I turned 40 this year, and yall, it has kicked my tail.  Forty don’t play or at least with me it hasn’t. Chasing down the “requirements” for 40 years has taken a toll.  I’ve had a year of personal and professional challenges I’d never imagined. Even volunteer leadership opportunities throughout the year have been especially heavy.  And the weight of all of this together has left me spinning. 

    When you feel helpless trying to help the people and the things that you care about the most, sometimes the serenity prayer isn’t all that can pull you through. And the weight of doing what is required of you can’t either. 

    I found out I was receiving this award on a Tuesday afternoon in November. The same day, I had been at the doctor all morning. The reality I am in has gotten to the point where I knew it was affecting my health. I left the doctor with a referral to a cardiologist because of a concerning EKG and a prescription for medicine which I thought I would never be one to need. 

    So the receiving of this award came at a time where I was just about ready to throw in the towel. All of us, every one of us, is carrying around something that is hard, and if you aren’t now, you have or you will.  Let’s all be there for one another.  

    I left the Chamber to pick up my prescription, and as I walked back to the pharmacy, the ice cream cooler caught my eye.  The year has left me not enjoying much, in particular food, so the ice cream cones speaking to me- buy me!- was different.  I hurriedly grabbed them and my prescription and headed home. 

    After dinner, my oldest son went to get the ice cream cones out of the freezer for us all to share.  As he opened the box, he pulled one out and said, “Mom, is this what you meant to get?!”  

    Yall, I’m all for portion control, but what on earth? As you can see, the cone was literally bite sized.  

    We laughed as Andrew tossed one back in a bite and asked if he could have another.  We all had more than one that night. And they were good. 

    Psalm 34:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” 

    As most of us are professional women sitting here in this room, I imagine you chase a lot of “requirements” as well. The list can be endless. But I hope you will join me as we move into a new year with permission to taste and see what is good. To be the good as conduits of grace and light from our always loving God.  Maybe, just maybe, tasting and seeing the good is the only real requirement of us all. 

    My team will have a bite sized ice cream cone for you to savor if you’d like as you leave here today.  “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The ice cream is good, even if it is just one bite.  And this award is something I am so thankful to savor as well amidst a year of hardships. Thank you for this honor. 

     

  • Open the Door to Gratitude

    Open the Door to Gratitude

    Early in my recovery, there was a lady who spoke these beautiful words of truth into my life, “A grateful heart never relapses.” I’ve found over the last 9 years since then that in any area of life where I am disturbed or there is disorder, I can ask myself, am I showing gratitude? At Horizon Point, we practice gratitude by making accomplishment lists. The act of simply acknowledging areas of growth brings a sense of gratitude. Have you cultivated the habit of gratitude in your personal life or workplace? If not, here is our list of top posts related to gratitude to get started:

    As you move into this season of gratitude, what changes can you make at work or in your personal life that will bring you closer to opening the door of gratitude?

  • Sabbatical Season & Seasons of Life

    Sabbatical Season & Seasons of Life

    I wrapped up my sabbatical last week. It was a nice change of pace for the busy season of life I’m in. I recall my sabbatical 3 years ago & realized it was a busy season too. Life is busy and messy and hard. So many people around me are struggling with something – health, grief, raising kids, aging parents. Taking a break from one of the most important parts of life (work) to focus on intentional rest was just what I needed.

    So, here is a recap of my sabbatical and this season of life, told through pictures:

    Celebrated wedding anniversary # 23 with my husband in Mentone 

    Celebrated 10 years with HPC! 

    Glamping trip with my mom & aunt and their church ladies’ group 

    Visit to see my daughter (and celebrated her admission to nursing school) 

    Senior night for my son 

    Over the past 6 weeks, I obviously spent lots of my time with the people I love. I also enjoyed plenty of walks, good food, reading & a nap or two. 

    During my last week of downtime, I attended two funerals, and both were individuals who are not that much older than me. That puts things in perspective quickly.

    Work – doing good work – is important, but it should never be our top priority. And I am so grateful to work for an organization that focuses on people and allows me and others to thrive, and rest.