Last November 22nd, I had the privilege of attending the Andalusia Management 2018, in the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions of Malaga, where I was able to attend together with 400 senior executives from the South of Spain a series of speeches under the slogan “GROW IN THE EXHIBITION “carried out by speakers of first national and international level. From the various presentations, I was able to draw two fundamental conclusions.
Firstly, Spain and the spaniards are a very valuable asset, since we are, together with South Korea, the countries with the highest GDP growth in the last 50 years.
Secondly, and this is where we have a great difference against us with many other countries, it is essential that the governments of the countries and their institutions give firm support to the companies so that they invest in innovation and, in this way, growth occurs in strategic sectors that allow a sustainable benefit for society.
“it is essential that the governments of the countries and their institutions give firm support to the companies so that they invest in innovation”
This is the reason why certain countries or areas such as Silicon Valley or the already named South Korea concentrate a large amount of industry and business at the forefront of innovation and the creation of the future that will come.
It is in this second point where I want to do all the necessary emphasis, because it is truly sad that in the current circumstances, where the whole environment is changing at a speed that we have never seen before, and that anticipation is a key factor in strategic industrial positioning. We remain anchored in the past and making populist proposals that only lead to a more determined mood, instead of thinking about what future we want to have in order to make the right decisions in the present.
“the whole environment is changing at a speed that we have never seen before, and that anticipation is a key factor in strategic industrial positioning”
Spain must leave behind the complexes and look forward, because it will be the only way that our country, qualified as one of the best to live, is also one of the best to “be able to make a living” in professional activities that go beyond of the services sector.
You just have to navigate a bit through the internet to realize that there is a multitude of compatriots who are in positions of responsibility worldwide, in companies and sectors of reference, but unfortunately a few of them stay within our territory.
We all have to assume our responsibility, not only in the election of those who govern us, but in the demand of what we want and in how we want it to be managed, for which, the first ones that we have to change our way of thinking are our own spaniards, convey our concerns and clearly demand where we want to be positioned as a country and as a society, close once and for all the wounds of the historical past, because unfortunately the past is immovable, consider that we are where we are thanks to that past, that if we put everything on a scale weighs much more what has been won than what has been lost, that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and that we have a lot of potential.
It is time to change
Only at the moment when each of us in the first person are able to modify our way of thinking and lead our energies forward will it be time, with the necessary moral honesty, to demand that our leaders focused the decision-making towards the goal of common good for the whole country, what the population really needs to face the future with happiness and optimism and that position us where we deserve to be.
And if they are not competent to do so, let those willing to compromise with future generations, who will be the ones who judge, and above all suffer, the consequences of good or bad management.
Arturo Gálvez.
http://ajgalvez.com/
“Choose a job that you like, and you will not have to work a day of your life.” This quote of the Chinese philosopher Confucius is key in the search for happiness.
Necessarily and inevitably in life we have to work, and nothing better than being able to choose that job that we like, that we are passionate about and in which we feel recognized and fulfilled so that the routine fact of going to our workplace is transformed to enjoy working, and replace the feeling of obligation to play for the enjoyment of our dedication.
However, the Confuciu´s locution contains in its first word something perverse; “choose”.
Unfortunately, and as far as work is concerned, the ability to choose is not universal and available to all people, and that is where team leaders must make the appropriate decisions to reverse this situation. Many workers, for a wide range of circumstances that should not be judged, are destined to work where they can instead of where they want, but that does not imply that they feel resigned to their bad luck.
Those responsible for management in companies, regardless of the size the companies have, have to do our job assuming the responsibility of creating an environment conducive to our employees feel happy and fortunate to work with us and row in the direction in which that we will all obtain the best results, since it is demonstrated that through happiness the results are reached much more efficiently and effectively.
Key Factors for Achieving Happiness
It is key to know our team thoroughly, since each person will need different stimuli to activate the personal spark that makes them feel safe, recognized and fortunate, and there is no methodology that establishes a standardized procedure, which forces a deep knowledge work of each one of our collaborators, but once done, the speed in which we will be able to reach our objectives will compensate all the previous work.
On the other hand, not doing so will trigger that, instead of having a team that drives us in the right direction, we will have a group of people who are demotivated, without a fixed direction and who, if they are good, will seek to go to another company where they feel better, but if they are not, they will remain with us reluctantly with the pernicious effect that this will have for the rest.
General Actions to Achieve Happiness
General actions by all known, such as public recognition, correction in private, and involving the team in the company’s objectives, together with a bespoke work in which we are able to stimulate each person individually will make us differentiate, have a loyal team that by itself will select the best components, and will give us an unbeatable strength and position, which is essential actually.
Arturo Gálvez – Business Management
http://ajgalvez.com/
“If you do not work for your dreams, someone will hire you to fight for theirs” (Steve Jobs)
The current circumstances, after the deep economic crisis that we are still going through in Spain, have had two fundamental consequences; In the first place, it has made us put our feet on the ground and become aware of the reality in which we live, that nothing is forever, and that, just as you can climb, you can go down.
On the other hand, once the worst has happened and somehow, we return to enjoy some stability, taking risks gives us a certain panic, and scares us out of the so-called “comfort zone”.
We all want to improve our circumstances, whatever they may be, but after the storm we are reluctant to assume that a change for the better can lead to a result we do not expect. It can be due to two very different profiles: the first one is a conformist profile, without ambition, and that resigns to maintain a “security” status without further aspiration in life, and I enclose the word security, because I think it has been clear in the last years that absolutely NOTHING is secure enough, and that the biggest and strongest towers can fall in the blink of an eye, dragging in their fall everything they have around.
The second profile is one that, although it has a clear entrepreneurial intention and improvement, after bad experiences is reluctant to take risks again because of the dizziness that is experienced before the possibility of bad results.
Making decisions and leaving the comfort zone
If your profile is the first, honestly, I have nothing to say; enjoy with your attitude, and if you are really going to find satisfactory to keep in that false security previously commented, go ahead. However, if you see yourself reflected in the second profile, it is time to roll up your sleeves and, taking the necessary foresights, start walking to get your dreams.
The well-known zone of comfort, we can qualify it as zone of “loss of opportunities”. Fear makes us remain immobile and accommodate the “security” of the present, but it takes us away from a better future and that is something that we must value.
Obviously, the zero risk does not exist, but we can take advantage of our own and others’ experience to minimize the probability of committing insurmountable errors. There is no one in the history of humanity who has achieved important things without taking risks, and it is to that profile of people to whom we owe everything we enjoy today. We can make our small contribution to improve our present and the future of those who come after us.
It’s time to get out of our comfort zone.
It’s time to leave our comfort zone and consider the quote of Steve Jobs with which I have started this article, or someone will use us to get out of his own one.
Arturo Gálvez
http://ajgalvez.com/