Learning for the fun of it

Since I decided to leave my banking career last autumn, I have met so many interesting people and learnt so many new things. Not that I didn’t meet any interesting people or learnt anything in banking, but these new encounters and experiences are broadening my view completely.

The recipe for happiness@work is not the weekly fruit basket. It’s also not the free access to workout facilities, a pay raise or bonus or even a promotion. These are all nice perks, but they don’t make employees happy in the long run. To summarize the outcome of the Chief Happiness Officer training I took last December, employees are happy when they can foster working relationships, when results are celebrated, and when they feel that they are treated fairly. Those companies who strive for really happy employees, should also enable them to give back to or help others.

This is nothing new. We all know this. But sometimes it's good to be reminded thereof.

Lots of companies communicate the right things. They even have programs, have designed activities, they send newsletters, provide trainings, you name it, that could support a happy work environment. Unfortunately, less companies live as they learn.

The speakers at @motivationsdagen in Stockholm early December 2019 made me laugh, cry and cheer. The topic that day was “leadership”. You don’t have to be the big boss or in a regular line manager position to be a motivational leader. I’m not really into football (soccer), and didn't have that high expectations when Jonas Eriksson, prior international football referee, entered the stage. His speech was an eyeopener.

As a football referee he met superstars with all various characteristics and habits for 90 minutes per work session. During those 90 minutes he had to show that he’s their true leader. He didn’t have months or even weeks to convince his team members to trust him taking the right decisions. He also had to meet his team unbiased. Try being neutral when you meet Zlatan, Messi and Ronaldo.

Instagram makeover, social media presence, brand soul essence, marketing, coaching, vocal training, designing services, how to write and structure a novel... Oh my. The list can go on and on.

I have learnt so much the last four months. And yet I have only scratched a bit on the surface of most of these topics. Of course, I took courses at the Bank and learnt new things there too. But not because I wanted to. Because I had to. That’s a huge difference.

I will continue learning about different topics that I find interesting.

Last autumn I did something I had wanted to do for a long time. I dared to sign up on a casting agency's homepage. I uploaded photos. Added information about myself. I was so proud that I actually dared to do it. I told myself "It may not lead to anything. They will most likely not even contact me."

Then one day, guess what? Christian from the casting agency wrote me an e-mail saying that if I was available on a certain date, I could be a background actor in a Zurich detective movie. Imagine that! I was so happy! I would learn a tiny bit about the film industry. Really up close. A dream of mine would come true. Hollywood. Here I come!

To be completely honest they didn’t really want me as the background actor. They wanted our car. But who would I be if I would refuse him his 15 seconds of fame?

As for everyone else, Corona came to stand in the way for my most recent plans.

I was so close.

Well. As they say in German “aufgeschoben ist nicht aufgehoben” (postponed is not cancelled), or as we say in Swedisch “den som väntar på något gott väntar aldrig för länge” (the person who waits for something really good never waits for too long).

Come to think of it. I rather prefer the German saying.

Stay safe everyone