Intent, intentions, negligence. At the turn of the year, the term “intention” smells of fireworks and sparklers. Gym, giving up sugar, good intentions. Lots of hope, little effect.
Yet linguistically, intention is anything but soft. It comes from the Old High German “forsaz” and means something set in advance, i.e., a decision before the action.
Thinking before acting. A Leadership Column
An intention is not a wish or lip service. It is a conscious decision, a decision on the direction to take in management. And that is exactly where responsibility begins.
At the turn of the year, we often take on too much. Usually too much. Because intentions require change: attitude, discipline, and consistency. This raises an uncomfortable question: Do we really want to change – or just talk about it?
Some people make resolutions for themselves, others for those around them. Both are legitimate. However, both often fail when it comes to implementation. Too many resolutions at once – plus unfinished business from the previous year – can be overwhelming.
In other words, juggling too many balls can quickly lead to disaster.
Acting deliberately means acting consciously. The term is not negative, but simply clear. So why not deliberately do good? Reduce tasks, simplify processes, and assign responsibility where it is most effective. Involve employees instead of “taking them along.”
Negligence occurs where there is no intention. Where technology is placed above everything else. Where people believe that employees will adapt and customers will want it. They don’t. They compare. They doubt. And they change companies – quietly.
Intent, intentions, negligence
Change only works when the intention is communicated, shared, and exemplified. Otherwise, it remains a decision in the mind and only creates the illusion of change.
That’s why the following still applies:
Digitalization – and today also AI – are servants of customer orientation.
A good intention is not a big word. It is what we set as a prerequisite for our actions.
Uncomfortable. Demanding. Effective.
Sometimes that’s all it takes: an intention that triggers a storm of change like the flap of a wing.
