It starts with people

[Margot]

A few months ago we (our triad called Nemo) started the online SALT-training. We just reached module II 'Who are we?'. Last year I started to write blogs on my website (and paused after a few months because of an intensive temporary job). The text below, I wrote it about a year ago, seems to fit with the theme 'Who are we?'. Rituu asked me to post it. So here it is:

It starts with people 

Without people there will be no organizations, sport clubs and schools. Without people these institutions don’t have employees, no customers, no sporters and no scholars. It doesn’t start with the invented organisation, it always starts first with people.

An organization often begins small, when not so many formal rules are needed. As soon as an organization grows, the need arises for clear agreements. Rules and formats, protocols, procedures and models are made to streamline and make easier operations and co-operation. And often they make reality more understandable. All these structures are conceived. Of course it is important to have protocols and procedures because they are the vehicle of the appointments made, but they are not the truth. Models of certain aspects in organizations, like strategy, technology, structure, staff, can be easy to clarify the world, but they are not the reality. In my in the mean time long working life I could not escape the impression that the focus is often on following and good use of the rules, whereby is forgotten that finally it is always about people.

Sometimes I think that we as humans are also conceived; conceived by ourselves because we adapt to the cultures of our family, our school, our neighbourhood of city, our country. Cohabitations also exist of structures, written and unwritten rules. We learn to adapt to what others want from us, to what we ourselves think we want in order to fit in the structure, in the box.

I don’t want to be seen as an object that fits in a box or a model in the head of someone else and I don’t want to see the other as an object by putting him or her in a box or model in my head. I want to be seen as a person and to meet the other as a person. That means I want and have to look further to that real person in front of me, with all his or her innate talents, capacities, special characteristics, strenghts and weaknesses. And let me not forget to look at the real person I am. That means that I have and dare to look; that I take the effort to meet and get to know the other without judgements and with respect.

Do we still know who we are, deep inside? In my opinion we often limit our possibilities by putting ourself and the other in a box and by basing our actions and expectations thereon. What a waste of the potential we have in us! Imagine a society in which everyone wants and is able to use his or her talents; in which it is normal to address the other on his or her talents. I think we will work together better, that we will achieve wonderful results together! The result will be more than the sum of its parts.

Being curious about who is really there: here in myself, there in you. Who is the other, there in front of me, there in front of you? Do you see an object or a person?

Who do you see?