Every New Year’s Eve, as my family and I eat our evening meal, we take turns describing the best and worst moment of the last 12 months. This tradition is a favorite in our home. Every year there are some bad moments, like the passing of a loved one or family pet, or a work struggle, but this bad has never been overshadowed by the hundreds of little good things that stood out among the rest. This year, as 2020 draws to an end, there might be more “worst” moments than I think we’ve ever recalled before, but as I reflect back, I am keeping the little good things in focus and cherish them even more.
As individuals, as a business and as an industry we have all faced challenges in multitude, but we have also shown grit, resilience, and our innate capability to adapt to difficult circumstances.
I am beyond proud of my team. Many team members became fulltime teachers to their own children while also working as fulltime employees. Many faced personal health issues or health issues of loved ones. Economic hardships presented in tenfold. The list goes on. But despite all these hurdles and the huge economic downturn, MPS has weathered the storm. 2020 taught us once again that a company must be like a family to be successful. It is about the people I serve as a CEO, not only about products and finances.
Our team is extremely grateful for the year MPS has had despite the huge economic downturn in aviation. In 2020 we sold devices to Alpha Aviation in Sharjah, to Leading Edge Aviation in the United Kingdom and several others. Despite all the travel restrictions in place, we also installed devices with our own team or through third parties in China, Sharjah, the UK, Macau, Ireland and provided one customer with a Mid-Life Update in Norway. A huge thanks goes out to our customers for placing trust in us and choosing MPS as their smarter simulator provider. We cherish the relationships we have built in 2020 and look forward to continuing to serve you in the new year.
Finally, thanks to our many fantastic partners such as Purdue, EASA and others. Innovations and the aviation industry have taken great strides towards the future through the hard work and dedication of all aviation teams across the world. One of these strides, the publication of EASA NPA 2020-15, will be the subject of my next blog and I am extremely proud to have been involved in the creation of this groundbreaking and paradigm-shifting proposal.
We have also learned many valuable lessons and received reminders that we can carry forward into the new year:
- “Business as usual” will never be the same
The heavy travel restrictions placed around the world to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 have given light to a new way of travel for work, commute included; from the bed to the bedroom desk, from the couch to the home office or from the kitchen table to the patio chair is the new normal. Through a year of forced zoom team meetings and other virtual connection, we have learned that a lot can be accomplished from our own homes. - The 9-5 mentality has changed
Due to the global shift to work from home, employees who used to spend most of their time on a computer at the office have seen much more flexible schedules while achieving the same or higher rates of productivity. Many of my team members have noted how much they enjoy the flexibility of not having to come into the office every day. More moments have been spent with children and family, on outdoor activities and on personal hobbies which has resulted in happier and healthier mindsets and therefore, contrary as it may seem, happier employees - Personal relationships matter
The global pandemic has reset our life agendas to focus on what is important; personal connections. We have bonded together, supported one another through thick and thin and shown more kindness this year than ever before. I am grateful of this reminder to take a breath, to check in on my friends and family more and to find the good in every bad situation. There is so much positive to focus on, and although being bombarded by all the negativity in the news media can make it seem like all is wrong with the world, I am an eternal optimist and believe that we can take a lot of positives into the next year.
And if there is just one little thing we can all be grateful for this year; those useless office meetings that everyone had to attend but gained you very little are a thing of the past.
I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2021 and hope that good fortune finds you in the new year. MPS will be there stronger and better to support you in all you may face. See you next year!
