Just this once, my article is not going to be about a specific subject. I simply wanted to take the opportunity to wish you all the very best for the New Year.

I wish you:

• a year... full of fruitful exchanges of ideas,
• a year in which... you will find the strength to openly question things that bother you, but also to put yourself in the other person’s shoes,
• a year in which... you will be able to listen and be listened to,
• a year in which... you will be able to help your colleagues and ask for help yourself when you need it, without feeling guilty,
• a year in which... you won’t judge your colleagues but be able to discuss work problems objectively.

Above all, I wish you a year filled with respect, for yourselves and for your colleagues, men and women alike, wherever they are from, whatever their nationality, communication style, status, beliefs, level of education, customs, sexual orientation or profession. The CERN community is uniquely diverse, which is what makes it such an exciting place to work.

No workplace is free of conflicts, but there are different ways to resolve them. If resolved in the right way, conflicts often form a new basis for relationships and can be a source of progress. Treating your colleagues as you would like to be treated yourself is usually the first step to finding a solution.

Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone who makes up this exceptional community!