VIEWPOINTS
#CHOOSETOCHALLENGE In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Choose a challenge instead of competence”. We need to break free from the limitations of the status quo, says Thami Nkadimeng.
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recently sat down for a conversation with Carice Anderson, the author of Intelligence Isn’t Enough, and it got me thinking… while intelligence certainly plays an important role in how we strategise and move forward, what is the one ingredient that will help us get the industry back on track? March was a month that afforded us the opportunity to openly and intentionally choose to challenge the status quo of all the arenas in which we work. This is, of course, under the umbrella of the International Women’s Day drive, #ChooseToChallenge. In choosing to challenge, I challenged my mind to think of the ways that could assist in guiding and growing all aspects of the tourism industry, starting with intelligence.
KEY INTELLIGENCES Intrapersonal intelligence suggests that we should understand ourselves – what we feel and what we want. In real-world application, the trick is to start by exploring what outcomes we want to achieve but also accepting that this cannot be done alone because our diversity stems from our individuality and unique thinking. Without digging too deep into the science, we can then begin homing in on our collective interpersonal intelligence and pooling our knowledge resources. Logical intelligence encourages us to quantify things and prove them using hypotheses; it is defined as “a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting
point for further investigation”. The hypothesis that comes to mind for me is the one of eventuality: all things come to an end. This means the struggles we currently face as an industry will eventually come to an end. And when that end comes, we will need to take a step back and take stock of what we have spent time doing to ensure that all the lessons we have come to experience do not go to waste and, indeed, contribute to the future of tourism. In your time ‘pivoting’, ask yourself whether you have created a better way of collaborating with other stakeholders, or if you found time to explore innovations that propel us towards valuable future experiences and services? The last area of intelligence I want to focus on is linguistics and the ability to find the right words to express yourself. We have been living through the pandemic for just over a year now and the narrative must change. Yes, frustration has been a dark cloud over our heads but we are at a stage where we have to use the right words to build the future we want and one that is attractive to future travellers and clientele. The future is spoken into existence and then constructed, and we need to be able to choose how to express what we mean with worthwhile and beneficial intent for all. To conclude, perhaps intelligence is enough in building a productive and progressive tourism industry, but only if we are willing to be inclusive in our approach. We can establish our space in the future of our local, regional and international tourism arenas if we choose to challenge the status quo and see the potential we possess, both individually and collectively, and from all angles.
A moderator, MC and facilitator, Thami Nkadimeng is a message architect who creates impactful messages through both conversation as well as through non-verbal, written and visual communication.
24 • MEETINGS l MARCH/APRIL 2021
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