MIT Sloan Management Review Article on End Your Business Journey, Please

Let’s reconnect with the roots of “journey.” The term originally comes from the Old French, journée, meaning a day’s travel or work. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines journey as travel from one place to another. One of the most famous journeys is that of Odysseus, who traveled from place to place on his way home to the Greek city of Ithaca after the Trojan War. If your journey is big enough or epic enough, it becomes an odyssey.

Of course, “odyssey” hasn’t caught on among managers, perhaps for good reason. After all, “odyssey” is, well, a weird word — nothing against Homer. It sounds a little odd, and not just because it starts with the sound “odd.” It also suggests something that’s really long term, carries great uncertainty and risk, and may not end well.

About the Author

David Kiron is executive editor of MIT Sloan Management Review‘s Big Ideas initiative.

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