Prepared for post crisis?

11 Noiembrie 2010

A word about the strikes in France

I am French and would like to share my perception of recent events in my country.  The news this fall have kept France in the headlines with very familiar scenes of strikes, sometimes looking more like a revolt if not a revolution.  The official story is that this upheaval was about retirement reforms.  I am 62, and I do not believe a word of it.  Retirement is not the deep issue at stake.

Much like elsewhere, the French population is very slowly coming out of the global financial, economic and social crisis.  It is facing the present situation and its future, and is considering options.  But it is governed by people who seem to be simple-minded accountants  Indeed, the French government wants to cut social, ecological, and longer-term development-oriented investments and propose the same outlook on the future as what has been done in the last fifty years.

The recent strikes are not about retirement, nor are they a revolt led by a minority of opportunist students looking for excitement.  It is more about a whole country expressing anger at hearing the same uninspired officials propose the same type of numerical logic and the same financial answers that have created the crisis in the first place.  For the French, coming out of the recent crisis does not automatically mean going back to the same old "business as usual".  For the French, and maybe for others elsewhere, post crisis should mean that now, we have to prepare for a different future. 

The strikes may not be a model of civilized expression to foster political change, but it is a way to get the message across.  The question is: if economic outlooks are going to become a little better in the years to come, what quality do we want to insure for our future?  I think the question is good, and it needs to be considered both individually, and as a society.  I am not ready for retirement right now.  There are important things to do to prepare for the future of this planet, and accountants are not inspiring leaders.  I want to participate in the necessary change now.  This cannot be put aside for later nor for our children.

This is what the coaching profession, my profession, is about.

More personal news

Since September, our personal and professional lives are pulsating to a very different, more active rhythm.  The concept was 50-50 between Paris and Bucharest.  The reality is that we have more client needs in Bucharest than expected, and the little time that I have left for Paris is also for Madrid, Hamburg, Brussels, etc.  So we are less in Paris than planned.   Are we going to do something about that?  Open question for a time, but we are searching for a bigger flat in Paris.  These adjustments in our lifestyle are minor and progressive.  They illustrate that we haven't yet stabilized since last year's upheavals and are experimenting to feel what fits us best and who we are becoming. Maybe also, that is normality.  But we are preparing for 2011 and beyond.

Coming 2011 program in Bucharest

My investment in developing the coaching profession and accompanying my clients in Europe is in keeping with what I feel I do best and with what I believe is needed.  As you will see below, a good part of this investment concerns the Romanian economic environment.

The next "Fundamentals of Coaching" cycle that will start January 25 & 26 is already half full.  I am having great pleasure teaching systemic coaching and how to work with coach-client resonance.  This type of coaching is very powerful and a world exclusivity.  The course is meeting great success here and in France, hopefully soon in Spain, and my teaching methods are improving every time.   More and more managers are coming to this training to fine-tune their skills, so I am more than satisfied with the future outlooks of this program.

There is room for a few participants in the Bucharest "Supervision cycle", as several veteran trainees have moved on, feeling ready to hit the marketplace.   To build a solid and sustainable professional base, the commitment to this cycle is for one year (one day per month), the work is collective and demanding, and the results are in keeping with each individual's engagement.  There are no secrets: beyond learning the basics, only supervision permits deep personal development of practical coaching skills.  The rest is theory (The word theory has the same root as theatre.  It refers to the same type of fiction, quite distant from reality).

On February 21 & 22, the "Individual and Team Diagnosis" workshop will deliver some of the basics of how to understand individual and team "client" needs with a number of simple and very operational models.  There is a lot of theory there, and a few immediately operational tools for coaches.  Excellent for those coaches who need to understand their own and their client strengths and challenges.  Same pertinence for managers and entrepreneurs.

As all these programs are on https://www.metasysteme-coaching.ro/romana/agenda-si-preturi-2010/ .  They get filled by word of mouth, thanks to their excellent reputation.  Do not hesitate to tell your friends about it.  They will thank you, and so will I, for your continuous support.

And besides that: I am focusing on two books to be published in Romania.  One is translated, at last, and the other one is in the process.  I am in discussion with one or two publishers.  I am also preparing shorter online conferences (already have a few long ones, see : https://www.metasysteme-coaching.ro/romana/actualit%C4%83%C5%A3i/alain-cardon-conference-on-video.html).  I am preparing another longer term online questionnaire project, but that will take much longer to finalize, so it will keep me busy, and out of trouble. 

Voila for recent news.  I wish you an excellent year end, and until my next newsletter early 2011, don't forget to ready yourselves for your future, making the best out of the coming post-crisis years. 

Coachingly yours

Alain