This is the time of year when we all take stock. Hopefully, we also prepare for a little down time with family and friends. And then we brace ourselves for a New Year ahead.

At VM, we’ve used this December edition to explore some of the ways companies are linking their brands to a social purpose mission, reflecting growing consumer interest in supporting through their purchases those brands whose products and programs support a give-back cause, companies who exhibit a visible sense of corporate responsibility and purpose. More ECPs and optical retailers are finding ways to support these brands, even as they add to their own local and regional social purpose initiatives.

At the same time, let’s use this December to reflect a bit. 2017 seems like a particularly intense type of year. We experienced a political election that underscored wide divides in our country and galvanized supporters in different ways. We felt massive natural disasters like hurricanes, floods and fires through many parts of the country. We experienced a #metoo wave of support for people speaking out about harassment that is likely to crescendo through the worlds of business and culture for some time to come.

The digital and mobile landscape is touching business in every dimension and the wave of new investment and consolidations are changing the competitive stakes in business and health care.

It’s been a year of extremes, it seems. Is 2018 likely to bring more severe swings? To me, it seems so, even if the pendulum swings are not as wide and dramatic, the big trend is to prepare for constant change. Status quo is not merely treading water; it’s now actually a direction backward.

We’re in the midst of planning our 12th annual Vision Monday Global Leadership Summit. Its theme: WorkSMART – Leadership Tactics for Transformative Times.

We hope you consider registering for the Summit. We also hope that your business strategy in 2018 is to hone the vision, crystallize the purpose of what you’re about to your patients, your customers and your associates.

Best wishes from all of us at Vision Monday for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

maxelrad@jobson.com