Presentations, stories and how I look at things.
Terug naar overzicht
----------
A rabit as manager.
I don't know who set the example, but all credit to that one. I have been using the lemmings for years to explain how to deal with certain, especially new, situations.
Lemmings are hamster-like creatures that live in large groups. If the population gets too large, they can commit mass suicide by plunging into a ravine. Again, a group of lemmings runs towards the ravine.
On a tree branch 3 bunnies are watching the whole thing happening. They tell each other that they hate what the lemmings are planning and want to stop them. One bunny is so brave and runs to the herd, stands in front of it with his paws in the air and shouts "Halt! Stop! all of you!".
Too bad, but there is no lemming that responds to the saving words and the whole group waltzes over the bunny and flat (dead) is bunny 1. The two remaining bunnies, still on the tree branch, look at each other shivering with fright. "This doesn't work" one bunny says "I have a plan, come with me".
Together the bunnies follow the group of lemmings. They run faster and faster and catch up with most of the lemmings until they are at the front of the group. They get talking and "hey" the one bunny says "you can run fast with such a big group". The lemmings react to the bunny and have a nice conversation with him. I don't know what they were talking about but I do know that just before the abyss the bunny says "Hey, come on, we're all going right here". The result was that the whole group, just before the ravine, turned right. The lemmings lived happily ever after.
Morality of the story: Do you come somewhere new and see things you find strange or disagree with? Do you react like the first bunny and shout "This can't be done, this has to be done differently, I know better and have a good plan".
Or do you engage in the conversation, try to get in touch and possibly understand something of what is going on within the organization or group? Are you willing and able, after a while when there is trust, just like those two remaining bunnies, to give it your own direction?
It is a management technique that has similarities with the judo technique. This technique ensures that you increase your own strength by giving with the strength of the other.
Terug naar overzicht
Contact via info@feelwelcome.eu