Nothing Goes to Waste
A Happy Announcement
When Jacqueline O’Donovan’s father died at age 51, people assumed that his company, UK based O’Donovan Waste Disposal, would go with him. Though devastated and in shock, Jacqueline and her siblings banded together to continue his legacy. As the siblings settled into their roles, it became clear that Jacqueline’s innate business acumen and determination positioned her at the helm of the company. She was 19. From that point on she steered the company to not only to financial success but also environmental efficiency, which garnered numerous accolades.
What helped the family turn things around? It was the first thing they did that steered the course for future success. The siblings banded together to support their mother and continue the operations in their father’s company. This first step of mutual support became an important value driving Ms. O’Donovan to success. She calls it “joined-up thinking”: listening, learning, and collaborating. It’s easy to dismiss these as superfluous buzzwords, but they contain a secret to success in public and personal life. Jacqueline’s approach is to see things as a whole package instead of in isolation. She wants to understand vast and different impacts of ideas, but she has discovered that people don’t naturally talk to each other in her business of architects, planners, and construction and demolition people. When innovating, she looks at the whole package because as she claims, “I think this is where the problem is: People look at something in isolation and don’t realize the ramifications of looking at things in isolation have.”[1] Joined-up thinking has made her an industry trailblazer.
Her story grabbed my attention for three reasons. The first is that nothing goes to waste, and when you think it’s over, it’s not. When something devastating happens, it’s tempting to conclude all is lost, but loss leads to unforeseen gain just as Good Friday leads to Easter. Second is the value of give-and-take support from a strong community of people. Giving and receiving comfort in times of hardship energizes us to keep going. Support unleashes a desire to grow and change, in many cases. Third is the power of listening, learning, and collaborating. These ego-denying practices not only contain a trove of benefits but also fill a vacuum of need. We need people who listen, learn, and work together during these rancorous and fractured times. As we share our stories, we discover a sense of purpose that comes from knowing nothing goes to waste.
During the COVID year I set out to communicate my story of not letting my pain go to waste. What started with blog posts soon developed into my life story with a practical five- faceted framework of how to grow through loss. I touch on themes of loss, belonging, letting go, tenacity, and hope. The final product turned out to be very different from the start. And now the final product is about to be released as a memoir called Life After Why: Finding my Footing and Purpose in a Life Disrupter published by Wipf & Stock. This is a life dream for me, and I am excited to share it with you. I would be honored if you read the book and shared it with your social circles. I will update you once it is ready in bookstores and on Amazon, which is soon.
In the meantime, let’s discover the benefits of joined-up thinking and not let our pain go to waste.
[1] Graham, Natalie. “My First Million.” Financial Times, Oct. 9, 2017, https://www.ft.com/content/59c245ca-acfc-11e7-8076-0a4bdda92ca2.