Looking out for each other is vital as challenges mount

In tough times it can be easy for cracks to appear within teams, as pressure mounts to deliver against challenging backdrops.

Yet it is in those times that it is even more important to look out for the people around you.

This year has thrown up a host of hurdles for the trade to contend with, not least the conflict in the Middle East which is now entering its fourth month.

And with businesses forced to adapt and adjust to navigate this uncertainty, it is unsurprising that younger team members in particular may be feeling unsettled and apprehensive.

The importance of a good support network was brought home to me recently when I had the chance to speak to easyJet holidays chief operating officer Matt Callaghan about his diagnosis of young onset Parkinson’s disease.

Matt chose to use the anniversary of his diagnosis to raise awareness of the challenges many people face on a daily basis, including those invisible to most.

And he also made the point that business leaders are not immune to such challenges as he questioned the expectation that those at the top should be “ultra-resilient and always in control”.

I was frankly in awe of how Matt is using his personal circumstances to promote such a positive message, and I know he is not alone within the industry in doing so.

It may seem twee to expound the virtues of acts of thoughtfulness when the world is in such turmoil, but my conversation with Matt was a timely reminder of how far they can go.

Comment originally from Travel Weekly, May 28 edition