Volume 160: End of Year Special.

End of Year Special.

tl;dr: We could all do with some good karma.

It’s that time of the year again, you know, where professionally, we spend more time thinking about next quarter than we do the end of this one, while personally, it’s mostly the opposite.

While I could probably use this as a jumping-off point to talk about strategy being the one element of business that deals solely with the future, that the strategy process is an act of de-risking the future, and that one of our biggest problems in achieving this effectively is our inability to measure the riskiness of the status quo. But I won’t.

Well, maybe I will. But just briefly. You see, we have this annoying tendency to look at strategic choices being made by executives and then make snap judgments as to whether these choices are “brave” (AKA risky) or “expected” (AKA risk-less) without first taking into account the cost of doing nothing (AKA the status quo). You see, there’s an inherent square that needs to be circled when we engage in future scenarios, which is that even though CEOs overwhelmingly believe their current business models will be non-competitive within five years (a pretty stunning statistic, actually) the vast majority of future scenarios start with a baseline of current performance continuing onward in perpetuity, rather than sliding backward toward irrelevance.

And, this, I’d argue, is a huge problem. If we have a huge blindspot relative to the future performance of today’s activities, it potentially flips what we think of as risky completely on its head. Instead of the expected choice being riskless and safe, it may actually be the riskiest choice with the lowest chance of success.

Or, as I occasionally say to clients, “Sometimes taking no risk is the biggest risk of all.”

Changing tack completely, while this is a time of celebration for many, especially those with young children, the holidays can also be the hardest time of year for many, including some in my own family.

And, while it’s good that there’s now a greater acknowledgment of the mental health challenges some of us have at this time of year, it’s still easier to ignore it than to address it. It’s easier not to call. Not to engage. To not have to talk around it by not talking at all. To simply bury the powerlessness we might feel at being unable to help someone in a moment of emotional distress.

It’s a natural instinct to do everything you can to avoid an 800lb gorilla that isn’t just lurking in the corner of the room but hangs above it like a particularly hirsute Sword of Damocles, cracking its knuckles as it waits for that tiny puff of wind to make it fall upon our heads.

But we shouldn’t.

For while we may feel helpless to address someone else’s trauma, we can still make a small difference, and sometimes small differences make a big difference. We can reach out to people we might not have spoken to for a while just to say “hi.” We can tell the people we love how much we love them and do so repeatedly. We can say “thank you” to those who should be thanked, and we can tell those we work with who are doing a good job just how good a job they’re doing.

We’re living in a moment where there’s a societal crisis of loneliness. And while maybe we can’t fix that, maybe we can put a dent in it. Just by saying hi, listening, telling a joke or two, reminiscing, saying “thank you” and “I love you,” and being present for someone who needs us to be present for them.

I’m not an expert on any of this stuff. Don’t take anything I have to say as gospel on any topic, least of all this one. But if we can put good karma into the world, then why not? It might make a difference to someone.

And if you’re the one feeling the tug of depression and loneliness and dark fantasies, know that it’s not weakness to ask for help. It’s strength. If you need a hug, ask for one. If you need a boost, ask for it. And if you need deeper help, don’t bury it or act on it. Seek professional treatment. It’s out there, and they know what they’re doing.

And, while you probably think it’s you, it isn’t you. It’s a medical condition. And medical conditions can be treated.

And, if you do need help, especially at this time of year, which can be so difficult for so many, then know that I salute your strength, character, and bravery for seeking it. There are people who love you, need you, and care about you. While the end may be inevitable, it doesn’t have to be today, or tomorrow, or next week, or next month even. Me? I want to be one of the two people a year killed by a vending machine. When I’m 102, maybe 103, depending on how I’m feeling that day.

I don’t know where you may be in the world, but here in the US, the number to call if you feel you have no other option is 988.

So thank you. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for reading. Thank you to everyone who likes to email with praise or disagreement or to make corrections. And thank you for sticking with me throughout this edition. I know not whether it will make a difference, and perhaps it’s selfish to think that it will, but I sincerely hope that maybe it might.

See you in 2024. Bigger, brighter, better…and maybe even a bit riskier.