Yep, I know! This is a very serious “social network”, where people feel compelled to thank their former employees for being fired. They are also grateful for the privilege they had of being part of “a great family”, while autistically ignoring how the family treated them, like a utility bill that can be slashed, when the husband wasted to much on own pleasures and no money were left for the month. Utility being the cost of “talent” in this case and the husband – top management.
It is also the place where people are proud to announce they have “obtained a life-changing certification”, very often a pointless and most often “one size fits all” type of training that was shoveled on their throats by the employers, under the minimum threat of a career block and the maximum one of loosing the job.
Or it is a place where people announce to the whole world that they’ll be part of a chit-chat with few other randomly met people, performing in front of an audience, just for filling up the slot allocated by organizers, before the lunch break. However, typically the topic is described along the lines of “a life changing set of visionary thoughts about the world most critical dilemmas of contemporary times”.
Last on my list but unfortunately not least, this is a place where the kindergarten years come back strongly in the adult behavior, when the attention (and love) of the teacher was highly desired. This takes nowadays the form of #hashtags in front of the names of each and every manager you know, in the hope he or she will notice you and will cuddle and pamper your career. Or at least you’ll be spared for the next wave of lay offs.
Let me thus immerse myself in the above and contribute to all of these with my fair share, resorting to example no 2.
Thus, full of humbleness and gratitude I have the privilege to announce that I obtained a certificate attesting that I have covered by foot, in 29 days, the entire Camino Frances, the 1000 years old pilgrims’ route, from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. Precisely 825 km (512 miles and a bit) on my smart watch.
Oddly, no employer pushed me to do this. On the contrary, the event might have been seen as a “non-productive distraction, outside the company policy”. The fact that this was an “unannounced and not aligned personal initiative” might have also not fallen well with any HR department. Moreover, doing all of it by foot might downgrade seriously, for the future, the effectiveness of a company car incentive policy, creating thus potential comp&ben issues. Furthermore, lodging in non-approved company facilities, might have generated serious risk, while chatting with random people on the route was potentially exposing myself to competition laws breaches, as convergent views might have been exchanged and agreements reached with subjects not vetted by the legal department. Not to mention here meeting and interacting with certain nationals whose countries are under various types of restrictions or sanctions. Nevertheless, the most serious situation was created by some long hours of solitude, while walking, allowing myself in a totally “non inclusive and non diverse” manner related to the surrounding environment, a way too personal and uncontrolled introspection of own thoughts and opinions.
Lastly, breaking the rule of max three weeks in a row holiday, pre-approved with 6 months in advance by the “Operational committee”, in an area where min 75% of time contactability via modern electronic means is ensured, might have put me in a difficult spot too.
Fortunately, I had the privilege of being able to amusingly ignore all of these, enjoying the experience, the places, the culture, the local customs, the weather (very bad sometimes), the landscapes (outstanding on occasions) and above all, the people.
It is thus absolutely great to shift my membership from the “live for working” club to the “work for living” one, with an upgrade on “just live your life” section.
If you have such a chance do not miss it guys. Is fully worth it. Suerte!
One way ticket only! 