Timothy O’Neil-Dunne of T2Impact pens a year-end piece that captures his thoughts on the thinking that needs to change and the new words to embrace in the new year.
ENDING my formal work position this year has given me a lot to think about what 2021 has come to mean and what we should aspire to in 2022.
In the end I came up with five key words that we need to live by – firstly though, we need to banish the use of some terms that are holding us back and preventing us from moving to a better world.
Here are my list of words and expressions to be banished.
- Post-pandemic. There is not going to be a post pandemic. A sobering thought, we are now in the new normal.
- Just in time. We have been so focused in efficiency and just getting things done while eliminating waste that in fact we have removed some of the core of the travel business. I believe we need to change that mentality
- Government handouts. They are not coming. Get over it. We waste far too much energy in this hope that the government owes us a living and will come to our rescue. Expectations will otherwise be dashed.
- The customer is always right. The sense of entitlement that has become an assumption of the products and services we provide, I believe has become a negative resulting in some of the worst examples of customer behaviour we have ever seen. This is not just confined to the USA and other so called-civilised countries.
- Hope. To quote a very famous saying – hope is not a strategy.
My words for 2022 are these:
- Agility. We have to be much more agile than we have ever been before. There is also resilience and self-reliance. The days when we can rely on outside help are gone. We are in this together and alone.
- Accountability. We have to account for our actions including what we have been doing to the planet. I actually hate the term sustainability as it only implies the status quo. I believe we have to be accountable to the planet and future generations as well as to the tradition of the customer and our partners. Accountability means we have to be able to stand behind what we say and do. Accepting the consequences for (as an example) choosing not to be vaccinated.
- Creativity. We have been sliding towards a world where the big got too big and everyone else had to survive in the big guys’ orbits. Creativity is how we get out of here to a new and more enlightened world. We have to be creative. EVERYONE, not just the bosses and the designers. We have to think of better ways to do even the most mundane.
- Joy. Enjoyment has to be part of what we do. The great resignation I believe is driven in part that many people in our industry lost the ability to enjoy the work they do and the products we provide. Joy spans everything. Our interactions and our hopes and dreams. I could of stopped here.
- Kindness. When I finished this list – I had a nagging feeling something was just missing. So for my last word – I realise that we may have lost that. At present I see far too many examples of people not being kind. But kindness begets kindness. Kindness in of itself is so rewarding. Sometimes just a simple thank you will go a long way.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and here’s to a fruitful and rewarding 2022. I have been blessed with this community. I have taken risks to join the community in various endeavours. I will attempt next year to do the same.
Featured image: Getty Images
