My New Year (Un)Resolutions: 3 assumptions I’m overturning in 2023

Over the holidays, I had one of my core beliefs challenged. I’m sure I was not alone in thinking that cotton tote bags are better for the environment than plastic bags. It turns out that we were all mistaken. Cotton and paper bags have a greater environmental footprint than plastic bags. They use more energy and water, and emit more greenhouse gases and air pollutants in the manufacturing process.

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I’m sure you are thinking that cotton totes are better for the environment if we reuse the ones we already have. Well, it turns out that even this isn’t necessarily true. A recent study found that we must reuse a cotton tote 7,100 times for it to make sense in terms of environmental impact, using it once a week for the next 136 years will get you there!

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If you’re like me and this is new information for you, it has probably made you feel a little uncomfortable. You might even wonder why I’m sharing this. Well for me, the new year has always been a time of reflection – reflecting on my beliefs, ways of thinking and knowledge. Our brains are hardwired to resist change and our beliefs are often emotionally based – I thought I was saving the planet one tote bag at a time. So, over the holidays I like to take the time to consider what might be standing in the way of my personal growth and development, and that of Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group .?It can take a lot of energy to challenge your existing beliefs.

Here are three things I’ve reflected on and resolved to challenge my assumptions around:

1. #ESG is someone else’s responsibility

It’s imperative that we don’t pass the buck on #ESG . It is not just the responsibility of environmental NGOs, DE&I advocacy groups, or sustainability teams. It’s estimated that the technology industry is responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gasses and 53 mega tonnes of e-waste every year. Our industry must own this and come up with solutions to address climate change, to drive inclusivity through innovation, and to empower businesses to operate ethically.

The purpose of my role is to provide the best technology solution to our clients, but this year I have committed to ensure that my efforts include finding ways to use technology to minimize our carbon and waste footprint and help our clients, partners and the value chain do likewise. Lenovo has already made significant strides in this area. We use closed-loop post-consumer recycled content like plastics in more than 200 products and by 2025, we will use post-consumer recycled materials in 100% of PC products and 90% of PC plastic packaging.

We also have a responsibility to make it easier for our clients to reduce their environmental footprint.?For example, our Device as a Service (DaaS) consumption model allows clients to pay only for the devices and services they use, and they simply return the devices when they aren’t needed for reuse or recycling. For those who own their own technology, we provide Asset Recovery Services which recycles any brand of end-of-life equipment, with less than 1% of a device ending up in landfill. By 2025, we will have recycled and reused 362 million kilograms of products, with 76% of PC parts repaired and reused. Lenovo also provides a carbon offset programme and in its first year, our clients offset more than 1 million metric tonnes of CO2.?That’s the equivalent of greenhouse gases emitted from more than 215,000 passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year. We’ve also entered a first-of-its-kind logistics partnership with Kuehne+Nagel. Lenovo customers can choose to have their equipment shipped on flights running on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). We are also investing in technologies that drive operational energy efficiency. Lenovo’s Neptune ? cooling technologies drive down total power consumption in server and data centres by as much as 40%.

2. We’re back to business-as-usual –?hybrid work won’t evolve any further

While Covid-19 hasn’t disappeared, much of the world has settled into the ‘new normal’, with 72% of knowledge workers now preferring a mix of remote and office work.

But we cannot rest on our laurels, the state of work won’t remain static, continuing to be in flux in perpetuity. As a result, the role of IT leaders has changed dramatically, no longer just in charge of which brand of PC to buy. In fact, 82% of CIOs say their role has become more challenging in the last two years as they confront an array of novel challenges.

Digitizing our workplace as we normalised hybrid work surfaced a range of technological, security, and logistical issues. As a result, we have found Lenovo’s Digital Workplace Solutions offering, catering to hybrid work needs, more popular than ever. These solutions help build a compelling employee experience that drives productivity, reduces administrative workloads, and enhances communication and security, all powered by global support. Work environments will continue to evolve and be configured to changing personas, productivity and countering cyber threats, along with new technologies such as the metaverse, all of which are parameters we need to innovate progressively.

3. Our customers’ priorities are static

IT leaders find themselves at a crossroads, being asked to step up and take on a more strategic role in the boardroom, helping drive business growth through innovation. They are no longer just operational leaders keeping tech systems running. The seismic shifts happening in the economic and business landscape are far-reaching and IT has an unprecedented opportunity to play a more integral role in the business and contribute?directly to bottom lines. In fact, 77% of CIOs believe their performance is more important to the success of their organization than the work of other C-suite roles.?

Moreover, digital agendas aren’t static. The reasons and objectives for digital transformation this year may be entirely different to last year’s. That’s why building relationships and talking to our clients will be high on my priority list this year.?It’s only by listening to clients that you can truly understand their needs and innovate to meet those needs.

Just as DaaS has proven popular for its environmental and economic benefits, we are finding that Lenovo’s TruScale Everything as a Service (EaaS) offering is proving ever more popular with CIOs. This broad portfolio of end-to-end solutions empowers CIOs to leverage New IT to achieve their strategic outcomes. Organizations also have the flexibility to scale and invest in new technology solutions as they need them which allows CIOs to focus on innovation and strategic imperatives, rather than the heavy lifting of keeping systems running.?

Challenging our preconceived notions is hard. But we need to continue to seek out new perspectives and new information to ensure that we are meeting some very real challenges. The three assumptions I am challenging this year are important environmental and business issues that we need to tackle together. I hope that I have challenged some of your preconceived notions and you will join me in reflecting on how you can innovate in #2023.

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