Genergy

Growing Panes

What were you like in your early teens? And if I asked your parents what you were like when you were a teenager, what do you think they’d say? We’ve met some fascinating teams recently, and one in particular is really impressive in a very different way. They’re looking after an exceptional business. And just recently, they’ve done something exciting that many businesses miss until it’s too late. They’ve realised their business is growing up. What’s different is that they’ve decided to replace growing pains with growing panes.

Instead of focusing on what’s not right, this business is excitedly staring through windows at its own people. And what they see is something beautiful growing. As they look through the panes, they recognise pure, limitless potential. And they’re excited about making this ‘potential’ actually happen.

Think back for a moment. Remember that time when your toys or dolls were starting to become, well, a bit embarrassing when your ‘mates’ came round? And what about that first time you went to buy your own clothes … with your own money… remember how that felt? And then, in the following years, do you remember how your moods changed as you reached adulthood? Facial hair, make-up, music, posters… being cool? The good news is that you’ve made it. You’re here now.

But what advice should we give a young person starting to go through this? And what if it weren’t a young person at all? What if it were a business going through an exciting kind of adolescence?

The business we’re talking about is a brand all of us will know. They have a delicious offering and there’s no-one on the high street who creates quite the same in-store experience. And when you meet the people running their business, they’re even more unique.   This business has grown quickly and its successes have been achieved wholly, exclusively by the devotion and heart of the people they’re proud to employ.

This business is about love. There’s love in everything they do and sell. But it’s more than that. It’s one of those businesses where in the lift, you feel something. It’s unique and so fertile. You smile as you realise that their people are enjoying chatting to colleagues they don’t know. When rather than politics or ego, they’re genuinely ignited by the conversations they create and the connections they make inside the building.  They’re buzzing. And they’re interested in each other. As you walk around the floors, people are smiling as they talk to each other. Though they don’t know you, they smile. Every time. And each person you walk past says hello. This business is about love.

And all this has made them so successful that they’re now getting bigger, bigger and bigger – expanding around the world with an excitement that’s so rare for businesses at the moment.  They deserve every penny of their successes in the years ahead.

But what happens when we start getting bigger? On the one hand, those lovely ‘uniques’ that got us this far are a key part of who we are, so let’s not lose them. But on the other hand, as we get bigger, we need to learn to behave a little differently. As we change in size, people start treating us differently too, and we need to handle challenges in a new way.

So I’ll end this with a few brief questions:

• What if, instead of telling you to ‘change’, your employer recognised how brilliant you’re going to become?
• What if you then tasted the exciting potential of what only you can be?
• What if change weren’t about ‘not being good enough’, but about excitement, recognition, growth, adventure and “hell yeah!”?
• What if people started to feel a new confidence that makes them just go for it?
• What if change meant we could be who we are, just in a bigger, exciting, completely natural new way?
• What if you could replace any possible fear of change with an ignited, inspired  appetite for the unknown?
• What if you began to ooze an instinctive desire to do things differently and better in each moment simply by wanting to have a go?
• What if change felt less like letting go of yesterday and more about getting to bed early so that the exciting tomorrow comes that bit quicker?
• What if being a bigger you felt simply incredible?

These questions were asked by the team we love. They’re looking through the panes at their colleagues. And they see the excitement of the future. Not growing pains, just brimming potential. Inside that business, things are about to change. In a big way. And it’s a kind of change no-one will ever want to change. No matter what changes.

Up for a bit of shopping?

Jonathan

 

Somehow

Have you ever been in a situation when out of the blue – just when you least expect it – somebody near you does something that reminds you once more just how beautiful people truly are? This last week, it happened to a friend of mine. A good friend. He’s still profoundly touched by what some people did for him a few days ago. He doesn’t know how they did it. But they did it. Somehow.

My friend is in a very special kind of relationship. He and his wife adore each other. They’ve loved each other from the day they met. Each and every day, he feels blessed that they met. He thanks God for her every morning. And you can tell that they’ll always adore each other.  But just a couple of weeks ago, my friend’s wife found out that her father had suddenly fallen very seriously ill. My friend’s wife immediately travelled to be with her father, and her entire family joined her there. They had all, very quickly, come long and far – from different cities and countries - to be with him and to all be together.

The father is a unique example of an amazing man. He is fun, sincere, intelligent, quietly loving, supportive, encouraging, inspirational, and naturally - without any self-fanfaring – the very father many men aspire to one day be. His family absolutely adore him and he truly adores his family. I know this father quite well – he is a pure gentleman and absolutely devoted to the love that flows in his family. I haven’t known many men like this.

With each day that has recently passed, the father’s situation has grown increasingly serious. So a week ago, my friend travelled to be with his wife by her father’s bedside. And when he got there, among the disbelief and fear, he could feel the love, togetherness and true passion that his wife’s beautiful family hold for their dear father. And as updates flowed in all week from the medical staff, the family held together, held strong, nourished each other’s love in constancy and did everything they could for each other.

One morning last week, the wife apologised to my friend - her husband. It was to be his birthday on Friday, and she’d arranged so many things for him. Surprise things. With friends. She’d in fact organised a whole day of lovely surprises. And she was now so sorry that it all had to be cancelled. And as my friend held his wife while she tried to apologise, he realised he’d completely forgotten about his birthday. He just didn’t care. He held his wife.  All this man could think about was loving and supporting his wife, helping- and being there for her family and praying for her father. Bugger his birthday. His birthday could not have been more irrelevant.

And on Thursday evening, my friend was so focused on what his wife’s family needed that evening, that he missed it. He didn’t notice the briefest cheeky grin that his 6 year old, blue-eyed nephew was trying so very, very, VERY hard to hide. 

On Friday, my friend awoke to his wife’s incredible love. The loveliest cards and presents were followed by a day with the family, hearing about the progress my friend’s wife’s father was making, not making, and trying so hard to make. And the family was again together. Supporting the father together, supporting each other together, talking, listening, encouraging, being the very love their family has created in this world. And after a tiring, long day, they decided to all head back home together. Some quiet time and a cup of tea.

********** S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E ! **********

As my friend walked through the door, there were grins everywhere. The nephews were grinning. The family were grinning. And as my friend saw the surprise birthday celebration the family had somehow secretly arranged – with the most fantastic birthday buffet waiting – my friend realised that he too was grinning. As the ‘Happy Birthday!’s were yelled, as the  champagne glasses were raised, as the candles were blown out, as the wish was made, and as the chocolate birthday cake was cut, somehow, this beautiful family had found an evening to grin. There were grins, smiles and laughs. Somehow, they’d all found a way to spend the evening celebrating life.

Somehow, this beautiful family has held strong. Somehow, they’ve all come together straight away. Somehow, they’ve found the most beautiful way of nourishing their love for each other. Somehow, they’ve created the strongest connection of love through this. Somehow, they’ve held true. And somehow, amid all this, they somehow celebrated a birthday. Somehow. 

We human beings are stunning creatures. Somehow, we learn to talk. Somehow, we learn to walk. Somehow, we overcome the challenges of the past. And somehow, when the sky turns dark, we find the most incredible way of bringing something true, lasting and pure to the lives of others. Somehow, we find a way of helping others and somehow, despite life’s constant distractions, we can instinctively sense the core beauty of the people around us. Life isn’t permanent. But somehow, each one of us has the opportunity to create an eternal beauty in this world. It’s sitting inside each of us waiting – just itching - to be released. Somehow, we are capable of being so much more powerfully human than we often think and assume we can be.

Enjoy your life today. And tomorrow. And forever. :-)

 

Jonathan

What mean we...?

How go you? You have right. We have the nose full. Fear eat up soul.

What are our words about? What are we really trying to say when we use the words we do? Language can be brilliant – it’s perhaps one of mankind’s greatest inventions . And the more languages we hear, the more we learn about what it is people are actually trying to say. Sometimes, we’re “source” communicators (we need to just get things out); sometimes, we’re “client” communicators (we focus on what others will actually hear and how they’ll respond) and we’re often also somewhere in-between. But what, really, is it we’re actually trying to say when we use the words we do? This last month, I’ve heard people asking some good questions. But for some reason, I couldn’t help notice that people were using these words to actually try and say something more powerful. And they’ve left me wondering… what are people really trying to say?

What was at the core – the heart - of all of these things people have recently asked?

• What’s put that spring in your step?
• How do you do the things you do the way you do?
• What’s that smile for?
• How did you do that so incredibly well?
• What would really make a difference for you?
• What do you want to change tomorrow?
• What could I do for you that would make you giggle?
• How does all this make you feel?
• How do you manage things the way you do? 
• Have you any idea what kind of difference you make?
• Do you know how much we miss you when you’re not here?
• Do you realise that no-one – anywhere – does this quite like you?
• How come you get people so well – better than anyone else?
• What weird thing would you love us to do for you today?
• Do you realise that no matter what happens, we’ll always see how brilliant you are?
• Have you any idea just how much I appreciate the things you do?
• What question will convey to you all the amazing things I’d like to say but daren’t? 

Never mind the words - what do these questions tell us? What is it that the people were really trying to say? There’s no single answer. The key might be in the energy of the moment. In other words, when people are together, there’s an unavoidable power – a natural magic - to their moment together. It’s not easy to describe, it can’t be recreated, and it’s the most natural thing in the world. But we humans react to what we sense with language. Our human words just help us notice the energy of each moment and describe it a little. Words, questions and conversations seem simply to be people’s response to this unique energy. And this shared energy of the moment is fed by the energy of who people truly are. It’s powerful stuff. So how do we feel when we are not only more aware of it, but even better, we’re able to use it to improve the lives of others?

Language can be fascinating, but increasingly, it seems to be but a symptom of what we really mean. How would you feel if someone asked you the questions above? What would this do to your day? Enough with the questions and words. Have a great week. Sense the energy of what we’re sending you – and enjoy each and every moment of people talking to you. They might not say what they mean, but they’re definitely doing their very best. :-) 

N’est-ce pas? Oder? Nye Pravda?

Jonathan