Everybody's got plans... until they get hit. (Mike Tyson)
The crisis, reorganizations, removal of thousands of jobs has hit a lot of us hard during the last days and weeks. A living nightmare. Comparable to a fatal stroke in boxing or smashing judo throw! K.O. Ippon...! Faced down on the floor or on your back on the tatami. It’s not the falling down that’s hurts... it’s hitting the ground that is devastating! Seconds later the question arises: "Do I stay down or do I get up?" What gives you strength to get up again? Is it survival instinct? Ambition? Proudness? Shame? (Quickly stand up and slip away through the backdoor ...) Or is it … please just let me be… give me some time… During those seconds so many feelings get to you. Anger is the most common one. Look at me now with all my talents but no place or chance to show it anymore. All dressed up and no place to go. You feel hurt and betrayed. The oxygen disappeared out of the relationship and you sense this in the organisational or regional psychological dynamics. These are hard times to look for opportunities or to see through an appreciative eye. Where do you find the strength to regain confidence and look to the future in a positive way? And still… As a judo player I learned not to block a force stronger than my own. I learned to move along or to just let go… This letting go, this release, can provide freedom, new energy and creativity. How peculiar it may seem at this moment this crisis can also create new opportunities. Jobs will change and due to the different movements in the organisation or in the region there will be new experiments or a new challenges that otherwise never would end upon your path. From this perspective the K.O or the Ippon could mean new opportunities to represent your talent. This could be just that spark that’s needed to come together and to discuss what items we have to bring on the table from both sides. Of course this is not an easy process. There will be many loose ends and all will have to work top down and bottom up (politicians, organizations and social partners) to regain the broken trust. This starts with a correct handling of the appointments made or an agreed compromise for broken contracts. We have to rely on each other. That’s in my opinion an important part of the solution. Working on mutual trust, discover how we can be attractive again for one another.
What will make my work meaningful again? Where’s the sense in this? How can I take responsibility (Task, Time, and Team)? How will I grow as a human being and an expert? But how do you do that? What do we need? I don’t have a big answer to that question but I do have some small idea’s that could bring some perspective. Starting by being focussed on what is still here. What gives live? Where do I see challenges that excite me? Driven by talent and the will to work hard (which in my opinion is the core of our region – Kempen & Flanders) a vivid vision could be created on things that are possible. Life is full of wonderful opportunities it is a pity that they are often disguised as problems. Look at these opportunities as milestones for personal growth ... These are hard times but when the going gets tough … the tough get going and write their own history. This will make us even more unique ... In addition; I also think that politicians, organizations and social partners could use the power of our region – Kempen & Flanders as standard for working with talent and strenuous energy. Rethink the future and give chances, so that we can get up, fight and show that we are the best and extremely loyal! Work your talent by; • • •
Looking for new challenges and exciting spaces in which you can grow as a person and an expert. Know what gives you passion and what skills you bring in. Take initiative and look for opportunities Look for a sustainable win-win
Support talent by; • •
•
The knowledge that an organization is more than just money making machine. Designing jobs so that you learn while you work. Start from talent and leverage skills, find powerful combinations with other talents. Passion arises not because somebody else thinks it’s important. You cannot impose passion to anyone…Build partnerships and jointly investigate in new ways of value creation which brings a win for employee and organization. Provide chances
In this way partnerships are created and based on mutual attraction, not based on power, control or contracts. A question that may offer some inspiration: If you could choose your strongest personal quality to pass on to your children or grandchildren what would that be? Treasure this quality. It makes you stand out! http://www.slideshare.net/swannet/start2waarderen-slsh-15112157 The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVAQhLeljsk) In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade he and carries the reminders of ev'ry glove That layed him down Or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame "I am leaving, I am leaving"
But the fighter still remains …! This blog gives me the chance to thank my idols and friends Robert Van De Walle (Gold medal winner judo Olympics Moscow 1980) and Luk Dewulf author of “go with your talent” フラマン語"侍ありがとう... http://www.resourcementcentre.com/ http://ikkiesvoormijntalent.wordpress.com/about/ http://www.accdistribution.com/us/store/pv/9789401402965/go-with-your-talent/luk-dewulf http://andreswannet.blogspot.be/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andr%C3%A9-swannet/3/963/5b3