Sometimes you get to do something at work that feels more than the everyday, something that feels really positive, empowering, and exciting. #MyNorthStar is just one of those projects. It feels even more meaningful at a time when it’s hard to know which end is up.
So how did this start? It went something like this:
- The global cry went out and we were told that we all needed to shelter in place.
- We found ourselves in different, unique, and challenging circumstances – whether it was having to work and care for children, family members, friends, or flatmates. One thing we all knew: this situation wasn’t normal, and we weren’t exactly sure what to do.
- The Salesforce executive team (Marc Benioff and his team) started hosting weekly all hands calls. Not the standard type – but ones where everyone was at home, in their studies, living rooms or at kitchen tables, and the focus was about how we are all working through this, together.
In those calls —and in all communications— the overwhelming message has been clear: to prioritize our health (both physical and mental) and our families. Our CFO, Mark Hawkins, really struck a nerve when he asked “How will you look back on this time – how you served your family, your friends, your community, your team?”
Marc took this one step further and married our goal alignment and setting process, called the V2MOM (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures), with the notion of setting personal goals, and suggested we all create a personal V2MOM during this period. Leveraging what we internally call a V2ME.
So… What is #MyNorthStar?
We had an advocate with a vision from the start: Nancy Kamerer from the Trailhead marketing team. She is a full-time working Mom of two toddlers and realized that she definitely needed some help to navigate this situation. She took to drafting her personal V2MOM as a slide. As she was doing it, she found herself wishing there was an easy way to add photos (like a vision board) to help inspire her. And how about sharing this on social media with friends and family?
This inspired her to put out the internal call to see if anyone was interested in helping. The Developer Relations team and a Trailhead copywriter, Lawrence Wilson, all jumped in to design, develop, and create this resource we have fondly named: #MyNorthStar.
Why #MyNorthStar?
We felt strongly that this should be a gift to the community. That it should not feel like work, and that it should be something that should give hope and inspiration. We shared the idea with our larger team and got such positive feedback that we felt empowered to make this happen.
In addition, we were so surprised and thankful when Salesforce agreed to donate $10 to UNICEF, who are helping to support families affected by COVID-19 (up to $10K total), for every #MyNorthStar Vision Board posted. We’re really proud of the impact that we will be able to make with this support. So, go ahead and create your own #MyNorthStar – share it with the hashtag #MyNorthStar and help spread a little bit of hope and goodness out there.
Interested in learning more about V2MOMs?
Check out these two Trailhead Modules: Organizational Alignment on creating a company V2MOM and Self Motivation on creating a personal V2MOM.