Taking Stock: Our Predictions and Considerations for 2023, 2040’s Ideas and Innovations Newsletter, Issue 88
Issue 88, December 29, 2022
One could argue that January 1 is an arbitrary date to evaluate the past 12 months. We routinely like to look back to the past calendar year, determine what went well and reflect on what we wanted to change. We view January 1 as a fresh start to tackle our procrastination, fix things that are broken, generally refresh, and forge a committed pathway forward. We all know that for many, these reflections, decisions, and goals are soon forgotten or made less important than they were in the moments leading up to January 1. And that results in an endless loop of déjà vu, which stalls progress.
Annual Review
Our inherent need to refresh each new year can also infuse organizations. Typically, leaders take advantage of the slower pace during the holidays to reflect how they can leverage their workforces to renew and re-energize to change, pivot, or take on a full-scale transformation. It is a great opportunity, but only if it is understood in the right context and with the recognition that time, stewardship, and inspiration will fulfill the commitment to the path ahead. It also requires an appropriate amount of perspective and energy.
Here at 2040, we also reflect on what we have learned over the past calendar year. We process and analyze the factors and variables at play in a highly dynamic environment and society and the influences they will continue to have in 2023 and beyond. Since our mantra is successful transformation, a holistic approach to factoring in the past to make a better future makes mindful reflection an essential tool.
In this final 2022 Ideas and Innovations newsletter edition, we seek to inspire you to reflect on the emerging patterns that become new directions. And we hope to catalyze you and your organization to recognize the most relevant, productive and realistic path to successful and fruitful change and transformation.
On that note here is our annual review with a selective list of what we believe are the most important considerations that you may want to reflect upon and plan for in 2023.
What Surprised Us This Year
The shocking lack of oversight on crypto and the implosion of the darling of the tech community, along with the rapid erosion of trust and faith in the big tech companies. Did everyone forget what we learned from the dot-com era and the sub-mortgage crisis? What surprised us is how quickly we forget and don’t learn from the past.
The solidarity of so many nations unified in support against the war in Ukraine. This demonstrates that perhaps physical territorial lines and goals of unlimited expansion are no longer badges of power and influence. Maybe we are finally at the trigger point of recognizing that knowledge, intelligence and technical prowess collectively benefit us all and can move society forward productively. And that would be a really nice surprise.
Climate change is finally getting the traction it deserves. What surprised us is why it took this long. And it continues to surprise us that despite the obvious evidence of environmental damage it causes, we continue to over consume, toss fast fashion into the landfills and over package in plastics.
The insane level of free publicity and buzz that Elon Musk gets for himself on a daily basis. What surprises us even more is that the public totally loves it. Everyone needs a hero and a villain, in this case, one in the same.
The resilience of the American democratic system. Votes matter and votes count. What surprised us is that having lived through such a divisive time in our recent history, our mid-term elections prevailed.
How powerful consumer demand continues to shape our organizations and workforce cultures. The surprise is the ongoing power of the customer to force change in everything from how we deliver information, goods, and services to how our leaders run their organizations.
See what we learned this year, read the full article>
Aiming for success in 2023? Check out our book “The Truth about Transformation”.