“Wow.” I’ve said that word (in my head and out loud) an awful lot in 2020. When I start to consider what is top of mind for G&L readers given what 2020 has challenged us with, that word comes to mind over and over again. Just WOW! The funny thing about writing for a magazine publication that’s unique from a blog post or social feed is that these articles aren’t JUST of the moment. So, what you write about has to be able to stand the test of time, or for at least a couple months anyway! In a time where things are changing at a pace we’ve never seen before, how do you compile something now (July) that will remain relevant later when the issue releases. Seems impossible. But, isn’t that what we’ve ALL been doing all year long anyway? The impossible?
At the start of this year, in meeting with TribalNet’s advisory boards, made up of dozens of CIOs and leaders from Native American tribes, casinos, enterprises and health facilities nationwide, the outlook was great! We talked about what the theme of the conference should be this year and what we were forecasting for hot topics and sessions. We were looking ahead just 12 months out, and at the time the outlook was so positive. Focused on investing in technology, being innovative and leading teams into what we called in TribalNet’s Spring magazine “the next TECHade.” I even recall one of our board members mentioning that 2020 was going to be known as the year of “perfect vision.” Clever. But, having a year filled with uncertainty and unbelievable challenges has left even the best leaders not knowing what’s ahead for tomorrow. With that level of unrest, looking ahead a year, five years or seven generations, could seem impossible for tribal organizations and enterprises. HOW can we have perfect vision in this environment? HOW can we have any vision at all? The funny thing is that this year might have turned us all into being more visionary after all…I mean this whole thing has felt like a big, giant self-awareness experiment. If you haven’t come out of this year knowing a little more about yourself and what you want for your future (personally and/or professionally) then I’m not sure you’ll ever discover it.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY SHANNON BOUSCHOR IN THE FALL 2020 EDITION OF GAMING & LEISURE MAGAZINE.