I was chatting recently to a colleague about my social media journey and specifically about Blogging. Naturally he asked me who was my target audience – I indicated that it was younger business leaders – in the 30 to 50 age group – who were working to build businesses!
His response was interesting – and his message was clear – in his experience there were many young business leaders who were searching – lost – looking for something more than business direction – more than strategy assistance and solving business problems. They were looking for assistance with much bigger questions?
He recommended that with my experience I should start to write about the fundamental life issues that confront us all.
The journey beyond the journey!
He went on to say again in his experience there was also a great need for the many who were coming to end of their working lives – there was a sense of loss of meaning and direction – relevance?
No surprise really when we have a system that “worships” the rational – the material and the finite!
What was a surprise was that a colleague should suggest I write about it!!
AS recently as yesterday I was speaking with a group of business leaders about Work/Life balance and as one part of the discussion I named four domains as areas for development:
Intellectual
Physical
Emotional
Spiritual
One member of the group said quite candidly that when looking at the spiritual domain –he had no idea what it means!
Here is a young business leader who at one level is able to be honest about something he does not know or understand. Maybe it needs to be a part of all business education?
Why is it we don’t know about this stuff – surely it is at the very core of being human?
Most of my working life I have devoted to being; a change agent; a management consultant; a Board member and being a business adviser. In each of these roles my contribution has been as more as “process consultant” than as a content expert. The area I have focused on has been Strategy.
It has challenged me to explore learning at a different level – the study of Management as Drucker once said was the study of human kind so understanding the Human Journey as it unfolds is a “mystery” of huge proportions. Inevitably it ends in the study of Spirituality.
This for me has been a fascinating part of my work. It has not been the prime focus – but it is really difficult to lead “Change projects” and or Strategic Repositioning exercises with little understanding of the human experience.
In this area of Strategy where I have spent much of my working life – it has always been of interest to me that the most fundamental strategic questions for a business are the same questions every human being asks for the whole of their life!
Who am I? (Identity)
What is my purpose (why do I exist)?
What do I stand for? (Values)
Where do I fit? (Position)
Where am I going? (Direction)
How will I get there? (Strategy)
How will I know I am there?(Vision)
How will I measure progress?(Milestones or objectives)
It is no surprise that business finds these questions difficult – because they
are?
Writing this Blog is another step in my journey and as I tentatively move forward – I look forward to the opportunities it brings.
Ben Kehoe
