Is it time for an awakening?

Today I am often ashamed to be considered a Westerner. I know that before I had discovered the beauty of faith, I was up to not much good and largely self-inflicted. I was a product of the West’s culture and made mistakes and suffered for it. The culture I knew was solely focused on the pursuit of wealth and the pursuit of maximum pleasure without any boundaries. Both are instrinssically linked. This was how many of us were.  We just lived for the sake of living. It was a kind of ‘work hard play hard’ or ‘live and let live’ or ‘life is too short’ attitude.  Some of us even devised clever ways in earning as much as possible for as little work as possible. Wealth creation often became exploitation. Just to get the maximum pleasure out of life. This resulted in a type of individualism linked with consumption, mixed in with a tolerant & liberal attitude. In a sense our tolerance and liberalism became a form of justification of our own guilt to cover our own misdemeanours. It was absurd as it brought on an inner selfishness beyond ones wildest dreams where without realising had inflicted harm not just on myself but on most likely so many others along the way for which I can only express my sorrow. It served me no purpose whatsoever, instead only misery, guilt, and shame. The culture that I lived which I had no doubt did my part in setting as an example upon others, was in effect in total conflict to my natural want of seeking to do well and good for others. I was lucky in that I could find solace amongst a solid loving family and good friends which in effect became a kind of double life. I had to change.

I worked also in a business of buying and selling people commonly known as headhunting. It was an intermediary business built solely upon greed. We were never interested in the real talent, values and their potential. We just put prices on people that we considered to be the best of the best and sold them together with conditions, to businesses who wanted to buy them at percentage fees without much thought of anything else. It was lucrative and it worked as long as we knew the highest earners and the larger clients and as long as the price was right. We had to be incredibly commercial and sell more people otherwise you were out!! I would have to class this type of business and what I had witnessed as the modern form of the slave trade whose business model ought to be banned. To offer some positive advice, the executive search industry as more apt expression would regain much of its lost reputation if it was priced on its work and if there was a real need and not as a percentage or a commission of annual compensation. Needless to say that professionals looking for work should genuinely be helped. In fact commission and percentage fees ought to be abolished in the entire world of intermediaries in all trade and commerce at all levels, and instead find a different way to be paid based on our work and contribution, thus reducing our stress levels which has had such an impact upon our health and private lives thus improving the much needed synergy, trust and integrity.

What do I mean by the pursuit of pleasures? I am mainly referring to our sexual freedom and loose morals. As someone mentioned to me. ‘I slept with a woman the other day. It was so easy. It was just a one night stand. Everyone does it.’ It was often the case if you did not sleep with a woman within a few dates you were considered not normal. This is common even in the work place. Our accessibility to pornography is so easy and done with a click all in the name of so called ‘freedom’ or ‘the freedom of choice.’ As the man pointed out everything is permitted. All it takes for someone to show you how it’s done. There are no boundaries. Everyone else does this. No love, just pleasures.  Does that mean it is right? I was so familiar with this culture. These situations can often be fuelled by alcohol and revelling. As Shakespeare said in his tragedy of Macbeth ‘Alcohol provokes the desire but kills the performance.’ Yes, the tragedy of the West. From my own experience and from what I have seen, it only brought misery, lack of respect, more family breakdown, broken communities, couples so apprehensive of committing, and divorce rates so high with a social crisis looming everywhere. The greatest victims that arise are our children. The only solutions our limited minds can offer are referring to our eternal and constant ‘rights’ and more laws for adults to give everything what people want as a result of our mistakes, and never bother to look at the source of the problem in recognising our faults, resulting to more social injustice, prejudice and more chains to our ‘freedom’ as well as more senseless work for everyone. That part is too difficult and fearful let alone time consuming. Most damaging of all are the potential laws in the EU getting airtime encouraging sexual education to small children (paras 41-43) as if they are to blame for the mistakes of the parents. Is this the freedom our grandfathers fought for in the War? Is this the key to love? In the end such freedom feels like flying in a plane destined for a rough ride due to all that drag, thrown in with some serious storm clouds.

What about our examples of our cheap, raggish and appalling celebrity culture including people of influence and power? In Britain, we produce ‘quality’ people or role models with the likes of Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell and David Beckham.  ‘I was useless at school therefore don’t bother with education and life is about luck.’ Simon Cowell said. The comment is worthy of not watching his shows anymore. Piers Morgan earning millions and qualified for interviewing people is from a broken marriage, with no respect for other people’s private lives from his time at the Daily Mirror. His double standards are beyond anyone’s comprehension. David Beckham. What message does he have for us? As far as we can see, he is just a face with sometimes a smile put on it. A face put on a body with painted pictures all over it on every advert promoting consumption and is described on the Wikipedia as a former footballer and nothing else. I suppose he has done nothing wrong but is he not  flying a little too close to the sun? The three all share a kind of self-obsessed vanity that beggars belief. No, I have come to realise this is not the success culture I signed up for nor is it an example for my children.

Over here in Belgium, we have a person like the CEO of Belgacom who only appears focused on self–enrichment and is addicted to money. He has not done anything illegal except that he has presided over Belgium’s largest telecoms company which senior sources tell me is a broken culture as a result of its maximisation of profit at both the expense of their customers and employees whilst waiting for the government to pressure his dismissal in order he gets his massive pay out. It’s become a one man show instead of a corporation. His arrogance, greed and blind ignorance make any outsider or spectator cringe. I’m glad to see he has just been fired. These types I am familiar with, are weak in character are endemic and dotted about our corporate culture and often are at the top. Their narcissitic, sociopathic tendencies with no empathy, aswell as their extreme management by fear have done more harm to humanity than they realise and must be treated ruthlessly or as pathological or as an illness or in some cases criminal. Certainly history will judge them very harshly similar to that of the Nazis. Narcissism and Nazism have uncanny resemblance in its spelling. Don't you think? One way to get rid of them is to report them to a higher authority. I am glad that more and more of them are falling by the wayside into oblivion. Then we have the mayor of Toronto pointing fingers and yelling at everyone implying that they too are guilty of their own misdemeanours. Oh how there is a need to regain our character in our culture.

The political classes are not much better in fact they cannot cope. The US and UK have blood on their hands from the 1 million dead in Iraq by imposing our liberal attitudes on others. The Islamic Faith certainly has a point that they don’t take kindly to this liberalism and loose morals which can result sadly in some extreme inverse behaviour. Have we apologised or redeemed ourselves? Now there are 100.000 people dead in Syria including children. Children burned. The US, UK and France are in a constant pact but a pact for what? France has no identity and no vision, the UK is in a period of flux licking its wounds from the idiocy of the last government lacking the real courage to do anything. Which brings me to the bizarre ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair who appears obsessed too with his own self- enrichment and his son is sadly following suit albeit in a different manner by entering a more obvious form of slave trade business, buying and selling football players just because it is a lucrative business.  And to think that this is a young man that went to Oxford! Is this the best of brains that our leading Universities can produce? What a waste of talent and education!  If it is any consolation as I'm sure he means well, he’ll learn the hard way like I did. Plus I thought his father was a socialist, so focused on education and a former lawyer that understood that the UK was the first to abolish slavery back in 1833.

The UK did the good thing as a nation to send an aircraft carrier to the Philippines to help them. One wonders why the oligarchs together with the Saudis such as Roman Obramovich did not group together and send their super yachts by converting them into a hospital or supply ships to help people in need. They have more money than some of our governments. I suppose they lack the imagination and spend their time comparing the size of their yachts. Where are our values? Where is our soul?  Where is our dignity?

Then we have our economies which could become the biggest disaster of all where very little makes any common sense. Some governments in Europe increase debt by borrowing more from the banks just because money is cheap, forcing governments and banks to coerce with each other and be at each other’s mercy without understanding the wider impact they are having on our society. What if money becomes more expensive? Who will pay then? Not to mention this horrendous approach of printing money to force lending via the banks to increase consumption. Do we really want to increase debt and stress levels on the individual just to increase consumption? The banks rightly or wrongly are so apprehensive in lending and are left with no alternative to pump all that cash by buying up shares through the stock market inflating the biggest bubble of all. The rest goes into their pockets as inflated fees for all the hard work. All this is done in the name of wealth and with no real change or redistribution in the real economy. Once this ultimate bubble of all bubbles burst, everything will be gone. When we lose our soul, we lose everything. Lest not forget the Roman Empire just like the West had also lost its soul falling over their own swords into oblivion due to the same problem: Our pursuit of wealth and its pleasures without boundaries, except this time it is all in the name of 'freedom'.

Wake up! The world is tilting to breaking point! Whilst many good parents now worry for the future of their children and want to do something, there is a slow awakening. Some families and communities in France, Italy and Spain I have heard want a revolution. Many great people, professionals, and businesses I know out there are defending real freedom and doing great things. In Italy and Holland, cultural issues are at stake with many wanting change. Business are realising, that it is not just about profit or just about wealth creation and personal ambition whilst justifying employment as their rightful cause. We are beginning to question the issues of shareholder value in that this might be a myth.  In Switzerland they are questioning whether salaries ought not to be balanced out and brought down at the top to more sustainable and realistic levels in public companies. Salaries in Norway are now published to bring about more transparency and its gigantic sovereign fund has decided to only invest in products considered ethical.

Some businesses and banks like Barclays are finally drawing more attention to real values, their identity, and their mission in life, as well as our environment and our social policy where the needs are so much greater. The road will be painful nevertheless worth it. We must stay the course. We could be investing in the happiness and talent of our employees with more vocational guidance and training discovering our purpose in what we do for our living and more transparency in how we make our living. Some companies could be questioning how to measure success. Not by profit nor in monetary terms but by achievement in contributing to the common good. Large companies such as Dell are pulling out of the stock market as it is considered too volatile as they are manipulated by very dangerous and powerful speculators only working for their own short term benefit.  Lending or investment and ‘what’s in it for me mentality’ could be replaced by a form of benefactor as when a sound creative idea comes about that carries with it a long term tangible purpose. That benefactor will see the long term intrinsic value not in immediate monetary terms but in something greater whereby creating employment and further growth. We can all still make a living! We could be moving away from the horrors of oil and all the wrongs it has caused by finally eliminating petrol cars and diesel lorries altogether into new clean energy. We may be even using solar as the new source of energy to fly. Imagine, technology could even allow us to do our work in such planes with all the time in the world. This is what I call flying so close to the sun!  Our media must change and start focusing on the good that is being done in the world and to encourage others to follow instead of pinpointing all the wrong and depravity whereby aggravating the situation. This may create a ripple effect as a way of inspiring the long term hopes, dreams and ingenuity of mankind. We could be moving away from short term wealth and the lack of meaning this has produced. These are the right questions and issues to bring to all our attention in our differing societies. Maybe better role models will come out of this change rather than the ones that I have previously mentioned for our young to follow.

We must find the Time in our busy lives to rediscover our purpose, our self-belief, our pride in our work and our voice instead of running away from it by pretending we are too busy. I have come to realise in my change that Time has to be the only solution to slow the paces of our lives down. Something we have distanced ourselves from and we need to rediscover. Thinking we instead of me, to change from the win lose to the win-win mentality.  Ask ourselves, who we are why we are here and what we are here to do? Rather than taking everything for granted, we must find our courage to say no instead of pointing fingers at the people on our television screens. We must do more to reset the moral boundaries and to allow our young to have a chance. It is not enough. Perhaps we can go as far as onto the streets and demand cultural change and maybe a velvet revolution for a new model that redefines our success responsibly and a new order to safe guard our children’s future and the future of this planet. It is time now to think and to act for real change to put new meaning in our lives. We Europeans are proud and talented and have historically always been the pioneers in change. Let’s show the rest of the world what inner steel we are made of. Yes, Mr Lakshmi Mittal that very steel that you have helped to destroy which brought about our initial Union over 60 years ago.

‘Without time, there is no solution’

How can the Banks change for the better?

Time MCG focuses on positive culture change in the financial sector. Why? For years now it has been hit by one scandal after the next. Recently we have had a group of banks fined for colluding with each other. JP Morgan which has just paid a record fine of $13Billion over the toxic mortgages. Not to mention the Co-op Bank in Britain and its disgraced CEO followed by the resignation of the Group Chairman. The continuous RBS debacle. Rabobank which has had one of its record fines for its libor rigging scandal and who has just lost its CEO. (Heavens forbid, I did not see that one coming!) Is this just the tip of the iceberg? The big questions remain. Do the Banks want to change? Or have they simply lost their sense of purpose? One answer is clear, they must change to redefine their sense of purpose, otherwise the public might have to make that change for them. History has taught us many lessons or examples where in many such circumstances, the ‘lynch mob’ tend to take over causing all sorts of frightening scenarios.
 

As a former banker and headhunter, I can relate to many of the problems in the banks as they are similar to many of the problems I had experienced even personally which caused me at the time a lot of pain. I had to change my mind set aswell as my attitude and as a result I believe in change. Looking back to that time that pain seems so insignificant and it happened presumably for a reason. We all know that change is hard as it can instill our greatest fear which is fear itself. Change will mean sacrifice as somewhere along the line someone out there might lose. It might mean moving out of our comfort zone or perhaps a change in our lifestyle. Hey, is this not how we can expand our horizon and create a better future? Between you and I, this has to be a darn site better than the whole system collapsing in its current form.

 

An identity issue is clearly apparent with many of the banks. It is also clear that some Bankers behaviour is not upto the higher ethical standard that the public expects of them to run our money responsibly. It is evident too there has been a lack of individual punishment for those who have behaved poorly where a clear example must be set particularly of those few at the top. Note many of those who instigated the financial crisis have got away scot free with millions, running around our economies continuing by doing harm and God knows what else. A senior banker mentioned to me once 'we are simply a mirror of what our investors want.' Instead of turning the ‘mob’ onto the Banks which noone wants, and regulation has to be a double edged sword; there must be a better solution. Let’s see how Time MCG can offer a few ideas.

We see two inevitable choices. Either the Banks become a public service which most bankers don’t want or their work must carry a meaning.

 

Let’s look at the latter and grab the bull on Wall Street by its horns which is far more enterprising and analyse the nuts and bolts of the problem. Identity. What is it? At human level an identity is not just about what you do nor is it about describing yourself, your personality or your hobbies. It is about who you are and why you do what you do at the given time and place. Thus having a purpose or meaning coherent to our very own inner value system which becomes increasingly clear in time through our ability to create, serve, teach or encourage and contribute to where there is a need thus benefiting others. It is by this that we can further develop our talent, knowledge and skill set thus increasing our confidence, self-belief and thus discovering our very own identity and sense of purpose.

 

This is the same at a corporate level or in a business. They are organisations created by human beings as often they are simply a mirror of their very own identities of the very person or people who created them in the first place. An identity of a business is not just about describing what you do nor how you do it. Again it is also about who you are and why you do what you do. They are adapted and changed not just according to the needs of the market place but also to the times of today. In the financial organisations or banks which is linked to money, investments, assets or wealth, it has often proved challenging to create an identity and certainly in more modern times.

To help the banks create an identity it has to start with a purpose, vision or a mission statement. This is where the banks have a great difficulty and understandably so as this would come into direct conflict with the enrichment of themselves, their shareholders or their clients. It is this conflict that must be resolved and it must be done very soon to bring back our inner belief, courage, confidence and identity. If this enrichement is for the purpose of a bubble that will eventually burst, then it carries no purpose.  Wake up! The world is shaking, and tilting to breaking point. It wants change. Somewhere along the line something has to give.

 

Profits aside. Anybody with any common sense will know that money in itself carries little higher meaning in our lives. It is simply important and a necessary tool for our bread and butter. I suppose one could say it serves the following, firstly it is simply the common denominator used as an exchange for goods and services and if you like it is a recognition for our hard work and contribution which again must carry a benefit. A mission therefore, can be something more tangible, something that their employees and even the public can relate to. Again it must relate to our work that carries a benefit, which could be described as a gap out there that requires filling, or to something that needs improving or to where there is a straight forward need that in itself might require changing. Everybody out there will be interested in something. This is the case either at individual, group or at corporate level. Profit and income streams are the positive result of getting the nuts and bolts right, not the other round how hard this may seem for a banker.

 

JP Morgan for example does not appear to have a mission statement, although their CEO has come out with a statement on the website which could be determined as a vision. ‘Our aim is to be the world's most trusted and respected financial services institution.’ With all due repect, this phrase is abstract and carries little meaning and very little is given away when talking about the much needed transparency required in the sector. JP Morgan may aswell become a public service. To many this will seem laughable after their record fines. On top of this how are they going to measure each employee on trust and respect? These are extremely difficult values to measure and might take a life time to bear fruit. No, we might have to go further than this. I saw a mission statement that struck me in another bank I had visited. ‘Our mission is to make money work for positive social, environmental and cultural change.’ Now that has meaning!

All we need now is a new breed of courageous leaders to take over the reigns that understand the cultural change that is required in our desperate world. To lead us into a new direction and the rest will follow suit. Yes. There is such a thing as hope.

 

‘With identity involvement will function’

What else can Bankers do?

Having Interviewed and assessed many bankers over the years, I have often been confronted with shall I say a ‘restless’ banker wanting to switch careers and go into for example, Industry, commerce, retail etc. How easy is it once you have gained years of experience in a specialised field? There are certain ways in approaching this question. On paper there are certainly many switches you could make and naturally it depends what you were doing in the bank itself. A functional expert such as HR, IT, Finance and operations, are roles often transferable into many different industry sectors. I am more interested in front office experienced roles in Investment Banking or the business areas, such as Corporate Finance, M&A, Project, leverage, or trade finance as well as equity and debt capital markets and the financial markets. There are many different disciplines such as origination, execution, risk, syndication, sales and trading.  There is also the geographical knowledge and sector expertise of different industries and there is the size of the bank. You could be working in a small bank for example and take on all the front disciplines & sectors! (albeit you may not necessarily be the lead arranger) Salaries are also something to take into account as some of the above roles have very high remuneration level of which other industry sectors would not be able to compete. Normally a banker will be aware of this and won’t want to get bogged down on this issue; after all if it was about the money -  just switch banks and find one that pays more!

Taking into account the above factors, it is really a case by case situation but I shall try to summarise and refer to these roles as Investment bankers.  A banker can gain a significant amount of knowledge within a certain sector. Power, renewables, energy, Logistics, infrastructure, transportation, media and telecommunications etc. An easy option is to move to ‘the other side of the fence’ either via one of your clients, your network, or via a third party.  Take on a C level role, Treasury & Finance or a commercial role. A banker can accumulate considerable financial product knowledge and investment expertise, why not transfer this skill set to helping other banks from an advisory or consultative capacity? There is ofcourse Private Equity, after that your options could be limited.

There really has to be strong link from your current skill set to your new position. The recruiters and HR individuals will always try to select those who fit the criteria almost perfectly. They would want to do themselves justice and not shake the cage when it comes to filling a position.  I would differ in my opinion. I believe we can be a little more ‘out of the box’ and not so rigid and too set by ticking the boxes. Hard skill set knowledge is all very well, our softer skill set is equally important. Many experienced and talented individuals will continually want to learn and know more whereby challenging themselves into new areas, in brief they want career progression.

In this difficult and tight market where open positions are less available and career progression more limited, a disguntled’ banker could take this opportunity to really do what he wants to do. In this case little should stop us. Here you need a little bit of ‘character’ the so called extra ‘inner force’ i.e. drive, conviction, desire, passion, inspiration, enterprise.. courage. If I wanted to ‘retire’ early and write a book well you can. If I wanted to leave and open a delicatessen shop or ice cream parlours in a small village in the middle of nowhere. That is ok. Or set up a funeral undertaking business in the basement of my house-  who is stopping you?  If you wanted to give up your banking career to run for Mayor or MP for your local community. Great idea. We need a few more inspirational politicians nowadays. You may need a third party or a partner to help you instill that ‘inner force’ and help bring out your ‘hidden talents’ and true character which we all have but the rest is up to you. Anything can be possible.

The dilemma is as so often the case, we are confronted by a fear. A psychological fear of losing maybe one’s job security, or a level of lifestyle we are accustomed to or feeling chained by the typical trappings of our society and environment. Maybe we have been so busy and engrossed in our work that we simply have not given ourselves time let alone the thought. Not helped by this crisis where every headline appears to be dominated by number crunching and mind boggling figures, we tend to lose sight of our ideas, goals, our strategy, our creativity….even ourselves.  In a nutshell it is that ongoing fear that we have towards change.  It would be a shame really if we went to our graves without having fulfilled one of our lifetime dreams or ambitions.

Are the Bank recruiters changing tact?

Last weekend I was offering some career advice to a young student who wanted to go into banking once he graduated. He was studying Mechanical Engineering at a well-known University in the UK. What struck me was the feedback I was able to get in how some of the banks were approaching young up and coming talent. The young man mentioned that Barclays whilst on their milk round were offering insights in how they were changing and not only were they asking their feedback, they went as far as asking ideas from the applicants in how they could change and improve. Blackrock were onto a similar approach and openly advertising amongst their divisions that they want people and graduates to innovate what their tasks are and how they execute and implement. This was even pushed by executives.

This approach struck me, that instead of selling themselves and just seeking the highest IQ; they actually went to the students asking their opinions on how they could change themselves. This must also be a way of really testing the true character of the person.

Is this an eye opener in how other banks such as Goldman’s, JP Morgan, HSBC or Citi could follow suit?

Are our imperfections running wild?

Poor old Britain! Selling arms to the Middle East, demeaning sex in the music industry, child abuse amongst TV celebrities. Greed in the banking sector combined with the aggressive culture in business. Not to mention our horrendous debt and consumer culture.  So bereft of ideas and identity that we have to go begging for money in China for our so called ‘race for growth.’  Hardly a model for others to follow. If it makes you feel any better other parts of Europe are not much different. Corruption in the French and Spanish government, selling of our industries to foreign players. Sleaze amongst our leaders and leadership. Bizarre laws being passed on same-sex marriage and strange debates on transgender identity. Poor old Europe so focused on short term wealth and resources but so weak in character, ideas and moral fibre that it really has lost its sense of direction.  So many imperfections that cause so much harm to the other with the big three: power, money and sex. It is little wonder there is such little integrity and trust everywhere.

Some of us who have found or took a while a journey to find their common sense of decency, who are educated or well balanced and talented from the bottom of the food chain to the top are not easily taken in as fools, may find most part of our leadership, culture, economic direction and laws just simply weird, unsustainable, and beyond our natural principle in humanity.

Just recently I attended a conference that was promoting Judea-Christian values in our business culture and institutions. Unfortunately it was interfered brutally by a group of women that demonstrated on stage with graffiti written over their half-naked bodies and throwing a cake in the face at one of the Bishops.  What is difficult to fathom is whilst we were trying to promote the common good that there can exist so much anger and hatred. It is as if Love, one of the Christian Faiths greatest virtue, can so easily become the enemy.

I don’t hate the women that demonstrated but they certainly showed hatred toward us as if life was a continuous dejas vu of some warning shot that something biblical might occur where all too often the battle lines are drawn between good and evil, the flesh and the spirit, or right and wrong.  And it was up to each of us through free will to decide which side of the coin you were on. Unless you might be one of those by no fault of your own that abstain by remaining comfortably in a ‘muddle’ ahem I mean in the middle.

As imperfect as we are, in this far from perfect world and regardless which side you might come from, we do know however that trial and errors will often happen in our lives. For those who may commit errors or are confronted by trial and may lack understanding or guidance, will often find the door to life’s fulfilment firmly closed to the point that we may feel trapped, alone, victimised, insecure let alone burdened by fear, hatred, anger, despair or suffering. This can often sadly lead us to take the easy or superficial route or make an impulsive approach toward an even more difficult path. Nonetheless it is also an opportunity or our challenge to search and discover the key to that door, so that we can open it and get through. After which it is our duty as responsible citizens to fulfil our destiny, so we can proudly pass on the reigns to our children and if need be by helping others in doing so to reach their goals where there is a place for everyone.

I later discovered that these women were part of a feminist group standing up for lesbian rights. I have no problem with lesbians and I never did as people as I am sure many of them can be extremely kind. But on the recent debate on same sex marriage and transgender rights for example I cannot see how it is justifiable nor humanely possible that governments of all the institutions can get themselves in such an awkward position, and let alone, to decide laws that encourage not just sexual activity but our imperfections between two women or two men or on the point of gender orientation for that matter as if it has become the norms of our society.

It goes beyond the purpose on what a law is. I cannot begin to imagine how to explain to our children who are in my view the best examples of common sense, that may start asking questions once they see their school friends who have either two mothers or two fathers or even transgender orientation. To think that divorced parents are already a difficult enough challenge as it is! Once they see this as social convention what will become of them?  Just like we cannot marginalise nor treat the LGBT community inhumanely nor differently nor with ridicule for that matter which is equally deplorable. Let him who without sin cast the first stone and why group people in such a way? There are some things in life that are best left untouched. In an ideal world we must all learn to revert from publically and shamelessly justifying our faults or worse still publically legalising them in so as to simply satisfy  our inner selfish wants, cravings or desires and try to reverse this disastrous trend from an ever increasing conflicting individual self-interest, and obsession with self.

Indeed as my Professor in coaching likes to point out, we are all so wonderfully imperfect. Therefore surely the best alternative is for each of us to acknowledge our imperfections via our own conscience quietly in ourselves or with those we trust and to do the best we can to overcome them or to change, to attain our own peace of mind and peace with others.

Our concience is our peacemaker

How do I conduct an interview?

I thought I would share some insights in some experience in interview tecnique's. The best I had conducted (and there are many over the years) are with persons who simply come across as having a certain ease with themselves. Open but reserved, confident yet still humble, honest and sincere. Focused yet undeterred. Finally to be slightly inquisitive, humorous and ultimately interested. There is great uplift in creating a two way conversation with two interested individuals. I sometimes would walk away impressed with the person in mind for days to come.

Assuming you are sitting in front of an experienced interviewer for a position you are clearly interested in and for the right reasons, first impressions count enormously. It goes without saying that it is important to arrive on time. It is essential to dress appropriately or be in proper business attire suitable for the occasion. Introduce yourself formally with a firm yet gentle handshake.  Sit down when offered to be seated. The task of the interviewer is to find out about you, the type of person that you are, your strengths and your weaknesses. He or she is there to find out if you have a focus that you are balanced in personality and solid in character and to see if you can really add or contribute and ultimately fit to the needs of the company. The chemistry is vital to see if you get on with each other. This is more crucial if as it happens you are talking with your potential boss or team members.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This is one of the most common questions an interviewer will ask you. In my view it is in fact such a crucial question because it is really there to find out if you have found a purpose in life and to see how coherent you are in how well you know yourself. Many candidates struggle to answer this question as they have not spent enough time knowing their own aspirations and ambitions and afraid that what they say may hamper their chances in getting the position on offer. (This can be the same when talking about your weaknesses.) Naturally unforeseen circumstances may limit your aspirations in the future but that ought not to deter you in answering this question.

I would therefore advise any candidate to work in getting an understanding of themselves (our daily struggle) and to have a peace of mind before sitting down in front of an interview. What does not work is if a candidate is unsure of himself, comes across as slightly desperate and not being oneself. Fear is a crucial obstacle we all face as human beings but needs to be dealt with from within. Sweaty hands, play acting, fidgety, rambling and not allowing the other person to speak is really bad. Incidentally there is nothing wrong with being slightly nervous as we are after all only human.

A good interviewer will sense whether a candidate is sincere or not.  That is why it is so important, to try to know yourself well. To be able describe your weaknesses with ease and your areas where you can improve. It is important to have a focus, and recognise your own talents.  Moreover to be able to show a fine balance between your own confidence and humility whereby not over selling yourself. It is essential that you have done your research about the company and therefore have some good questions to ask the interviewer about the position, the culture of the company, and the strategy of the business for example. As it goes both ways in that the candidate has to feel comfortable with the company and the job. It is important that if you are interested therefore make the interviewer feel that you are. Again this must sound subtle yet sincere. Show also that you have a bit of humour that in fact that not only do you contribute to the companies needs but you are also potentially positive to have around.

 

‘Thee lift me and I’ll lift thee and we’ll ascend together’

Quaker Proverb

Our empathy versus our ability

An American psychologist almost 70 years ago spent time into understanding the minds of the Nazis and their thinking. He came up with a definition what he thought was the nature of evil.  He described evil as the absence of empathy. It is an interesting analogy because during the war the Nazis had immense ability. They were warriors, builders and creators. They were organised, structured and well disciplined. But it so happens that with their incapacity to feel for their fellow man would have to explain their mistrust for one another and their crimes against humanity which ultimately led to their own self-destruction and downfall.

Today after two generations of peace in Europe we are in a very different era. But are we? Our economic war, failure and success has perpetuated a culture of individualism. Individualism is primarily derived by advocating one’s own self–interest, ahead of the interests of others; advocating one’s own independence versus others. Arguably in many ways many of us are working purely for our own interest where more often than not our human behaviour is governed by profit amongst others and not by conscience where our sole purpose is serving one’s own. This has by and large coincided into an era of liberalism and tolerance which has led to a world of mistrust and genuine apathy. A friend remarked off the cuff whilst describing another person’s misdemeanours. ‘He can do what he likes as long as he does not harm me.’  The three liberalism, tolerance, and individualism, the latter of which Lord Sachs describes, has played part in our society which he decribes is losing the plot.

In our current economic system we have the ability to work hard and show discipline. We are involved in cross cultural takeovers and acquisitions. We know how to cut costs and we can make money. Some of us are real economic warriors, and when it comes to profit, we can achieve this almost by any means often to the detriment of others. But do we really have the ability to show empathy? To show compassion in how we make decisions not for our own benefit but for the benefit of the other person? Are we really able to listen, care and understand the needs of our fellow human being, of our environment, and our world?

To really listen and to understand the other persons frame of mind is a very rare and unique skill to have.  It requires an element of awareness with a combined spiritual and emotional intelligence of its utmost. I myself find this part a perpetual challenge. It so happens that most communication failures occur because of differences in semantics or perceptions. Semantics means the way you define words or terms and perception is how you interpret data. If we were truly able to listen to each other with true empathy these differences would in effect disappear.

In short our combined culture of individualism, tolerance and liberalism truly has a danger of reverting to an absence of empathy. With the absence of empathy, our ego, pride, and self-interest becomes the order of the day which could have a distinct possibility of igniting the nature of evil thus ultimately leading to our very own self-destruction.

Our hope lies therefore in our ability, our ability to fight our ego, selfish tendencies and desires and reverse the tide of individualism, liberalism and tolerance. This may open an environment of empathy and true compassion in our work place and relationships whereby opening countless new boundaries and talent. Our ability to serving human needs together by contributing to the benefit of others, attaining a higher or clear purpose through leadership, thinking we instead of me, seeking first to understand then to be understood and behaving interdependently as opposed to co-dependently. Is this not a way we can bring back an environment of synergy and creativity not to mention trust and integrity into our lives and relationships that has been so battered and bruised in recent times?
 

Our conscience is our peacemaker