The refrigerator and your high-level job
Are you a CEO? Or a CFO or a COO. Or any other C-function?
I'm curious to know what your job has done to you over the last, say, two years. Maybe you've managed some really exciting projects.
One of those jobs that gives you mountains of energy.
If you're not happy with the work you're doing, change it.
I know someone β Piet is his name, well, that's not really his name β who, as the highest boss, is allowed to lead the construction of a sea lock. Imagine that. A sea lock. It's an enormously complex fuss, with international interests and political contacts, and opposition and environmental issues, and gigantic risks.
But Piet thinks it's fantastic.
And I know Colinda, who of course has a different name, and Colinda is currently merging five healthcare institutions. I myself am not good at managing bureaucracy. Or tolerating it. Although I would rather see an inefficient bureaucracy than an adequate one. When I think of a well-oiled bureaucracy, I always think of Stalinism. But Colinda does it for the people. For those in need of care and the caregivers. Every day Colinda is at work at seven o'clock. Burning with anticipation for her workday.
And that's how I know Kees.
Kees sorted paperclips every workday. Okay, that's not true either. Kees was CFO at a multinational. He put together financing structures. He's really good at that. But for him it was the same as sorting paperclips.
Kees fell asleep in the morning at the office and only regained consciousness in the evening. He came to me with a total burn-out. Or something that looked like it. I certainly didn't have to tell Kees that it was because of his work. Kees knew that very well. But he didn't move.
Kees was fixated. That's what I call it. Do you know that feeling? You're sitting at home on the three-seater sofa and you feel laziness taking hold of you. That laziness doesn't make you happy. It makes you break down. Yet you can't seem to get moving. You're too tired to get up. You're annoyed that you're just sitting there, staring at your phone or the TV. Double the annoyance.
Kees felt bad about his job, about those financing structures, but also about his lack of decisiveness. "What a slacker I am," he shouted.
I didn't think he had anything to feel bad about. His passivity was perfectly normal. That's what people do. Most of the time. It's undesirable. But it's normal.
If you don't move for a long time, you hardly get loose. Almost not. But you have to. The way to get loose is different for everyone. Usually you need someone to help you.
I told Kees that he literally had to get moving.
Physically. And that worked for him. At my insistence, he bought one of those ultra-fast electric bikes, a speed pedelec. Every day he cycled miles to the office on it.
Through polder and city, in sun and rain. On the bike Kees cleared his head, there was space to think.
Life is like riding a bicycle. Without movement you fall over. Kees transformed by transporting.
After seven months of cycling β and by the way, seven kilos less body weight β he left for Houston, and became Chief Operating Officer at YES PREP.
YES PREP is a public school community that offers high-quality education to students from lower income groups. A wonderful job. A great transformation.
I also know a guy called Albert, a brilliant translator. Albert works from home. He weighed almost 100 kilos and his body suffered from it. One day Albert decided to throw away all the preserved food. Packets, bags, boxes, cans: all gone. He put the refrigerator in the basement with the plug unplugged. Every day except Sunday Albert walked to the supermarket a few times, 12 minutes there and 12 minutes back. He bought breakfast and lunch and dinner there. Each time as much as he could carry, eat and store.
After 3 months Albert had lost 18 kilos. After 5 months he weighed 75 kilos. He put the fridge back and started running.
Are you stuck too? Don't blame yourself. Find a way to get free.
Getting started starts with filling out the interest form: www.boardroommonk.nl/interesse