We are all people of the year

When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, we had to talk to our children about what war means in Europe, a good two-hour flight from Berlin. We had to face their fears and questions, explain the inexplicable – even if we ourselves were shocked by the terrible pictures and news.

To this day, we still have no answer to why, and no solution either.

At the same time, a great wave of helpfulness broke out in Germany. Many of us opened our doors to refugees and sometimes severely traumatized women, men and children, went to the office to support them and took to the streets for peace.

In our circle of friends, in our clubs and in our companies, we quickly organized statements of solidarity, appeals for donations and aid transports – and wrestled with ourselves and with morale: Get out of the Russian business immediately, yes or no?

Of course, what we were and are confronted with in Germany is in no way comparable to the cruelty, suffering and injustice that people in Ukraine, Iran and other parts of the world have to endure every day. We must never forget how good we are.

Nevertheless, we are challenged, also by the consequences of this war, but not only: personally and at work. Sometimes for important reasons, sometimes for everyday reasons. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but permanently. We improvise, manoeuvre, debate – and in the process release unimagined powers. Now and next year. And that’s why we’re all People of the Year!

The Ukraine war brought Scholz’s “turning point”, but political events in Europe and the world will also keep us in suspense and in discourse in the future: We have to deal with Giorgia Meloni, party leader of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia, as Italy’s first head of government and deal with the fact that China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping is further expanding his superiority and his course of political arbitrariness.

In the year of her 70th jubilee, the Queen died, the steadfast constant in the turmoil surrounding Great Britain, the kingdom that has lost its footing and four prime ministers since the Brexit referendum. Now it’s “God Save the King” – and hope for Rishi Sunak.

In the face of the climate crisis and with our own ecological footprint firmly in mind, we live and work according to the motto: cardboard instead of plastic, plants instead of animals, oat milk instead of cow’s milk and trains instead of planes. We are witnessing temperature records, unprecedented drought and the umpteenth world climate conference without a breakthrough. Knowing full well that the blame lies solely with us, which doesn’t make it any easier, but at least ferments more and more in us.

We rack our brains about how we can save energy – in public buildings, offices, factories and our own four walls. 19 degrees at the desk and home office have long been the maxim, as have fleece jackets in production and the dimming of the evening lights. We turn down the heaters, take shorter and/or cold showers and collect knowledge about heat pumps, solar roofs and wood stoves.

“The Great Unemployment”, as Stepstone CEO Sebastian Dettmers called his book, is not fiction, but reality: almost all of us now experience first-hand what it means that the population in Germany is shrinking.

We can’t find any new colleagues, whether for software development, nursing or schools, and certainly no craftsmen. In the meeting, the little ones crash the team call because the daycare group unexpectedly has to close due to staff shortages.

Despite the shortage of skilled workers, we try to find out what makes “Gen Z” tick and what and for whom they want to work. Read books, converse with the supposedly alien species, engage generational advisors. Sometimes we find the youngsters too impatient and too demanding and still do everything to have the first 100% digital natives on the team. After all, they are many – and our future.

However, already highly indebted. When it comes to booms, double booms and shadow households running billions, it’s not always easy to keep track of things. But one thing is clear: it will be expensive. And that at the start of a year for which the Bundesbank predicts an economic slump and persistently high inflation.

And because no one can say whether things are going better than feared, we’ve been thinking about 2023 for a long time: cut costs, cut investments and keep the money together.

Speaking of insight: Millions of Germans have already used the online Elster form “Declaration for determining the property tax value” or have to do it at the last minute. Districts, standard land value, area calculation and Co. first create question marks, then frustration. And that on top of the bureaucracy madness that lurks at work.

In these unstable times, tracking our fitness via smartwatch, analyzing our sleep and breathing exercises for more mindfulness are an integral part of everyday life. Just like the bad conscience when things don’t go as healthy, balanced and stress-free as planned.

And then there is the travel chaos. Whether on the way to vacation or to a business meeting: We stand in queues at airports, at the ticket counter or at the security checkpoint, hurry through train stations, update the DB Navigator every second – and will continue to be thankful if we arrive at all.

I have no doubt: we are all people of the year!

More: Climbers, changers, role models – these are the people of the year 2022