All Will Be Revealed

Having enjoyed the test of writing to others’ themes earlier this month, I requested three fresh words and couldn’t help but smile when a relatively new contact, Tony Jackson, a member of the HR community, who writes an excellent blog, promptly gave me “Revelation”.  At the start of January the ever inspiring and occasionally provocative Simon Heath had presented me with “Antediluvian”.  I pondered whether I should write a piece that follows on from my former blog, stretching my thoughts from the times before the Great Flood (as defined in the Book of Genesis in The Bible) to the Apocalypse, as per the end of the New Testament in the Book of Revelation.  I was tempted to eulogise about angels and demons (perhaps a topic for another post) or to dive down an intellectual rabbit hole - there is a scholastic tome, Revelation, Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John by Steven J. Friesen, which considers the impact that living in a time where imperial leaders, specifically Caesar Augustus, were worshiped as gods must have had on the Book of Revelation, with Nero perhaps being the inspiration for the Beast of the Sea.  It could have been interesting to consider eschatology and draw a comparison between typical, patriarchal organisations (with command and control and little contemplation of the emergence of a new order or an end to the regime) and more collaborative institutions, exploring the impact of the development of social media that is inspiring rebellious talk, encouraging greater creativity and the sharing of thoughts.



Durer: The Revelation of St John,
the Sea Monster and the Beast with the Lambs Horn 1497

But then two other words arrived: “Congruence” from the estimable Ian Pettigrew.  Ian is a coach and expert on leadership and resilience, he is also one of the nicest of men I know, with the ability to see the spark in others and to make them shine; and “Holistic” from the multi-talented Jon Bartlett, whom I am honoured to call friend.  Jon is also a leading coach with an interest in resilience.  He is an excellent photographer, a keen cyclist and he cares deeply about people and their ability to escape limiting beliefs and achieve their potential.  Like his proffered word, Jon considers and works with the intimate interconnections within a person’s life, those that make them the whole being they are, and which influence their thoughts and behaviour.  There is a connection between these words.  Revelations are often a form of confession that enable you to appreciate the bigger picture and to understand the way in which things fit together.  The author Jeanette Winterson makes the following comment in her autobiography, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

“Most kids grow up leaving something out for Santa at Christmas time when he comes down the chimney.  I used to make presents for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”



Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Victor Vasnetsov 1887

 This statement tells you much about her home life as a child, reading between the lines it must have been one of religious zealotry, with a focus on the imminent destruction of the world and the salvation of the righteous, it clearly had a profound impact on her.  As a mother, I am mindful of the impression I am making on my own children (and I have spent much time considering how my experiences of being parented have moulded me into who I am and how I treat others).  Parenting is tough and demanding and there should be no finger of blame – everyone gets it wrong at some stage; there is no universal approach that suits all.  However, I do believe that adults have to be responsible and try to lead by example.  People at any age need to feel cherished and children are wonderful sponges, eager to absorb information, to copy and to learn.
 

It is the congruence of experience and understanding that leads to learning (this approach is espoused in the theories of the humanist psychologist Carl Rogers who believed that “individuals have within themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for altering self-concepts, basic attitudes and self-directed behaviour”).  It concerns me that we make so little time for our children to help them develop and fulfil their potential.  The western work culture, which usually demands long hours from the workforce and is one where many employees do not take all of their allocated holiday, often deprives both children and their parents of valuable time together.  People usually learn best from other people, but this requires meaningful time with those who care and who can be genuinely supportive.  Every day I meet adults damaged by bruising experiences and lasting misconceptions forged during their upbringing.



Vintage postcard

Of equal concern is the way in which our society is preparing our children for the future.  We have a strong focus on academic achievements.  However, the education system we have in place has not changed since the last century and nor have the “core” subjects.  The UK has slipped down the global educational standards league tables since 2006 (from 24^th to 28^th for Maths, 17^th to 23^rd for Reading and 14^th to 21^st for Science), although the position has remained static for the past couple of years.  Education continues to be a matter for concern as we contemplate our ability to compete in the global arena. There is a proposal now to extend UK state funded schooling to 45 hour weeks, with shorter holiday periods (cut from 13 weeks to 7), and for a 9 hour school day filled with a broader range of learning than the current focus on academic and vocational exams.  This is intended to boost education standards, reduce youth crime and antisocial behaviour and reduce childcare costs.  But what are the costs of the change? 

• Will we really be equipping our next generations with the skills that they will need? 
• Are employers working with the educational establishments to make it clear what proficiencies and attributes will help students thrive once they enter the workplace? 

• Have we given much thought to what the world will be like and hence the talents they will need? 

I think there is much we can do to enhance the manner in which we prepare the next generations for their turn to care-take our planet.  Traditionally we have focused on academic and vocational subjects, but “soft” and "creative" skills have their place – as the use of technology increases we need to ensure people are effective at communicating and comprehending others’ points of view.  Increasingly the world of work involves collaboration and for that you need to understand other parties’ needs and opinions.  I believe we should encourage children to think and find out more for themselves, rather than learning prescribed answers and dates by rote – information can now be sourced with ease, it is those who can apply knowledge in a productive way who will be most useful to society.  We must become less censorious and encourage children, liberating and encouraging them into wishing to seek knowledge.  For them to succeed, we must become more tolerant of failure, with mistakes come learning and potentially positive outcomes (James Dyson failed over 5,000 times before be created his innovative vacuum cleaner).  Nelson Mandela said:

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.”

Our society’s soul is exposed in our approach towards families, employment practices, educational establishments and the workplace.

Much can be uncovered when you make the effort to observe and to try to understand.  True revelation requires you to hear the music and not just read the notes transcribed on a page.  This is where having a holistic mind-set comes in - things are often not quite as they seem or there is more to a situation than meets the eye. I love the work by Ecuadorian graphic designer Javier Perez, who turns daily objects into clever minimalistic illustrations.  The success of his work depends on the convergence of unconnected, different objects to create a unified image (not dissimilar to the congruence of ideal self and actual self to form an effective whole):

by Javier Perez

It is important to look at the complete picture, rather than being distracted by a detail that is only a small constituent part.  If asked, few can say where they have seen this image before (many wonder if it is from an eighteenth century wall paper design):

 But almost everyone in the UK is familiar with one of these:

The hummingbird is seldom remembered.  In order to be successful (and not just at work), we need to pay attention to the details that when combined make up the whole.  By being aware of a complete scene or scenario and how it fits together you are better placed to make the right assumptions and decisions.  The photograph below was taken in China (given that today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, I will take this opportunity to wish you "Kung Hei Fat Choi" - may the Year of The Horse provide you with a wonderful ride).  The snapshot looks like an unremarkable photo of a tractor and loader, until you notice that there are tanks in the background.  However, the most remarkable aspect of this picture has probably escaped you...


NY Times, taken by Reuters correspondent Terril Jones

This is in fact the only photo that shows the famous man from the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, he stood alone, confronting the tanks; you can see him to the left of the frame, calmly carrying what looks like shopping bags, as he walks towards the tanks (everyone else is running or riding away):
 

The importance of this picture was not appreciated until 2009, which is when it was published.  The man's identity is still unknown, but many people around the world are familiar with and acknowledge the importance of this picture:

The brave actions of one man have made a lasting impact on the world.  I doubt whether, at the time that he strode towards the tanks, he had any idea of the influence he would exert.  If these photographs had not been taken the event would have passed unnoticed.  Yet his courageous but small act has impacted the way that we all think.  When similar incidents occur (such as news footage of people standing defiant in Egypt or Nepal) our brains are triggered to recognise and respond in a familiar manner.  This can be a dangerous trait - it is all too easy to take the reflex path of thought and not explore the rationale for why things are happening.  This leads to congruence bias where, because you are convinced that your reasoning is correct, you fail to test your hypothesis.  As mentioned above, our world is changing fast and what was fit for purpose or the old regime may not be what we need now.

As is often said at New Year - "out with the old, in with the new". 

We must move with the times - think about the skills and capabilities both we (and our children who will be responsible after us) will need.  It is crucial that we don't let congruence bias prevent us from actually comprehending the world ahead.  We must strive to think holistically to gain a better insight.  If we work together, an auspicious future can be revealed (as opposed to suffering an Apocalypse now). 

 

Kiss and Tell

The holiday period is pounding towards us, my timeline is full of people competing for the best dressed tree and so, not wishing to let the side down, my next few posts will have a seasonal twist...

I confess, I love Christmas: the sharing, smiles and sparkle, but I also find it a good time for contemplation.  There is much to be said for the ancient approach towards Yule with its focus on regrowth and renewal.  Long before we started competing for ownership of the most tastefully tinselled tree, evergreen branches were used to decorate homes, as a reminder that the days will lengthen, plants will sprout and crops will grow.  I tend not to make New Year’s resolutions, as I believe that positive change should not be limited to a once-a-year action, but I find the pictures of holly and mistletoe a good reminder of the need to renew bonds with colleagues and actively to reforge relationships with others if they have become strained due to the pressures of work earlier in the year.   I am writing this post on the day of Nelson Mandela’s funeral.  He is an excellent reminder to us all of the power of forgiveness and the potentially great outcomes that can be achieved through forging relationships, despite earlier tensions.

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.  Then he becomes your partner.”  Nelson Mandela

Exit interviews and research both show that the most common cause for people choosing to leave their job is a bad relationship with and lack of respect for their boss (http://businesspaths.net/Articles/12/people-quit-their-boss-not-their-job). Research also shows that January is the most popular month around the world for people to start looking for new opportunities (so if you have bridges to build, you’d better get a move on; there are only a few weeks of December left!).  Did you know that the average tenure of employment in the US is now 1.5 years?  It may be traditional to give valuable gifts at this time of year (gold, frankincense and myrrh spring to mind), but very few people choose to leave because of pay.  They go because of managers’ inability to engage with them.  There are not many of us who are happy to work without a sense of purpose - people need to appreciate the vision that the organisation is trying to achieve.  It’s not a budgeted profit number that inspires, it is the knowledge that what you do makes a difference and is worth striving for - vision fosters financials and not the other way round (http://www.forbes.com/sites/louisefron/2013/06/24/six-reasons-your-best-employees-quit-you/ ).  Clearly, in order for people to understand what they are doing and why, you need to communicate with them.  The simple act of speaking with the individuals in your team, understanding their points of view and taking time to explain your drivers, will do much to strengthen the relationship between you.  An empathetic and honest conversation goes a long way towards enabling trust and mutual respect.  The last factor that makes a difference to people is fun - humans are social and prefer to work in an enjoyable environment where they feel valued.  

Last week I took two of our London-based teams out, to celebrate the end of the year and to thank them for all they have done over the past twelve months.  Instead of just going for lunch, I planned an outing that would appeal to all of them.  I took them on a mystery trip, where we all took part in a game, that played to our strengths, before relaxing together over a meal.  I know that sounds a bit like HR-contrived-team-building.  However, I’m pleased to say that it didn’t feel like that.  We had fun, even those who don’t usually socialise got on well and everyone had a good time - lots to laugh about.   Two of the more junior team members clubbed together to buy me a personal thank you gift, which they left wrapped on my desk the following day.  I am touched and delighted that I made them feel special.  One person, a good worker who has been with the firm for seven years, commented that it was the first time that senior management had made an effort to make him feel valued - that is a sad statement.  Are there people in your organisation who would say the same?  What’s the risk to your business if you lose them?

We played HintHunt to unlock talent and enhance communication

We are all familiar with the workplace joke that employees are like mushrooms - kept in the dark and fed s@*t.  I think maybe we should view employees as Christmas mistletoe.  It will only grow on a thriving tree and, because it has leaves, it can create its own strength instead of being a dependent parasite.  The name mistletoe means “dung on a twig” (from the Anglo-Saxon “mistel” - “dung” and “tan” - “twig”) - if you don’t treat your employees with respect and communicate with them that is how they will feel and they will be likely to leave you.  The reason for the name is because the ancient Europeans believed that mistle thrush droppings miraculously transformed into the plant - they did not appreciate that the seeds were carried to trees by the birds.  As employment patterns change we increasingly will need to attract migrant skills to make our organisations stronger and to ensure that projects and objectives are achieved.

   

Mistletoe growing on an apple tree

We kiss under mistletoe because of ancient Norse beliefs.  In brief, the goddess Frigga’s beautiful son, Baldur, was killed by a spear made of mistletoe - a wicked trick by another god, Loki.  A hero was appointed to ride to Hel (the place for dead souls not killed in battle) to bring him back.  Baldur’s return was agreed on condition that all living things wept for him.  They did but there was one exception, a giantess (whom many believe was Loki in disguise), she shed no tears and hence Baldur had to remain in Hel.  To make amends in a difficult situation, Frigga decreed that going forwards mistletoe should bring love and not death to the world.  Any two people meeting under mistletoe should lay down their arms and embrace in memory of Baldur.  It is an easy step from this to the modern habit. In the past it was thought that each berry was one of Frigga’s tears and, in many places, you had to pluck a berry off the shrub each time you kissed - when there were no more berries there was no longer an excuse to kiss.  It is more probable that the reason mistletoe is connected with kissing and uninhibited erotic/sexual abandon is due to its ancient use as a preventative for pregnancy.  It was also valued for its ability to remain verdant during the winter, despite not being rooted in the soil, when the trees on which it grew appeared to be dead.  In Celtic mythology mistletoe was loved for its vibrant growth during harsh times and also for the fact that the branch, traditionally cut to decorate the home over Yule, was retained and gradually turned golden in colour over the following year (hence the “golden bough”).  I like the symbolism of it being able to enrich the home as time passes, as well as the immediate joy it can bring.

This print shows Loki guiding the blind god Hother to kill Balder
with a branch of mistletoe. (from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript)

Take mistletoe as a source of inspiration: I’m not espousing physically embracing your colleagues, but communicate with them, value them for who they are and what they bring.  Take advantage of the next few weeks to “kiss and make up”, so to speak - build bridges and strengthen relationships.  We rely on those around us and they are the secret to a golden future.

by Lois Wain