Despite 2019 being a bumpy year in many ways, rarely can I recall feeling so optimistic about the year ahead. Here’s why:
There’s an appetite for change and doing things differently, in part fuelled by rediscovering our collective moral compass. You only need to look at behaviours towards climate change and participation in volunteering for evidence. In commerce, I think it means a greater willingness to try smaller, more nimble options rather than the established ways of doing things, which can only mean good things for independent agencies and consultancies.
We are, at last, set for a period of relative calm in UK politics and hopefully step away from the toxic dialogue it created. That felt like it crept into the national psyche, encouraging many of us to become more entrenched in our positions and less willing to see things from alternative points of view. The creative industries, that rely so much on collaboration and experimentation, suffered as a result. 2020 will I hope see a new age of understanding and appreciation of others, which has to be good news for us all.
Just like recessions end when people get fed up of being in one, so too do periods of anger pass when people realise just how tiring and destructive being angry really is. And it’s certainly felt like we’ve been angry for a long time. There are clearly many things for us to be deeply concerned about, but the mood has shifted from frustration to wanting to actually get on and do things. And doing things is what we’re actually very good at.
There’s greater respect for expertise and wisdom among teams. I got a sense of it last year when working with a number of start-ups and people who were a lot younger than I was. Gone are the days of arrogance and hubris, and in their place is a greater sense that we all have things to learn from each other. Smaller enterprises are less concerned with being the “lead” (whatever that means), and just want to get on and be productive.
Perhaps this happens every year, but alongside being better to others lies a real determination to be better to ourselves. Not just in going to the gym, or staying of the booze, but a more holistic sense of being kinder to ourselves spiritually, mentally and physically. It may be a cliche to say it, but being good to others starts with being good to yourself. With fewer resources to rely on, resilience really matters.
Bring it on.