老生常谈的话题了,但这一次真的是第一次感觉到这件事竟然发生在我身边。就在这个周一,收到了来自老板转发的一封邮件,我们在东南亚的一名高级经理在一次演讲中突然倒地猝死。邮件原文如下,邮件的作者很巧妙地将这个故事包装成公司“五大原则”原光荣故事,将他的事迹与“互惠”原则相结合。
然而我看到的是一个人赤裸裸地他的身体健康消费在了工作上面,不计后果的付出最终换来了悲剧。
我们一直在讲“Work-Life Balance”,但是仔细想想,当这个话题被提出时,就说明这已经是个问题了。在现在这个社会中,尤其是诸多在外企工作的人们,这个话题简直无法回避。关键在于怎么选?
有诸多的无悔和“没选择”,大部分人仍然在那个“平衡”之间挣扎游走,包括我。然而看到了这封邮件相当于在我脸上狠狠打了一记耳光。是时候作出选择了,在身体还没有完全罢工的时候,作出选择吧。
把时间用在对自己更好的地方,比如去健身、潜水、郊游,以及其它你喜欢的事情。让这些事情让你的生活更美好吧。
Pak Anto – a story of Mutuality to the very end
I sit on this flight from Makassar to Jakarta in a daze and felt an intense need to put this story down. Its a story of a really special Mars manager I have known for a short period but till the end, a story of Mutuality and most especially, a Martian that embodies this principle to all he met – his warmth, and kindness makes you feel that you are the most special person in the world and and his humility and love puts the most junior of associates at ease.
The cocoa sustainability team in Indonesia just welcomed a team of 50 new associates into our family – R&D and sustainability associates that have been working with Mars as contractors for years and the business approved the proposal to become associates (btw, JC approved this within his FIRST week in the Global Chocolate President role, thank you JC you cannot imagine how happy you have made 50 families in the rural areas of Indonesia who works day and night coaching farmers to adopt our technology)! We had a team meeting welcoming the team and sharing with them our ambitious 2015 strategy and plans to improve yields and farmers income in Indonesia. The spirits of our new associates were high and P&O also helped organise Essence of Mars and Development@Mars for these ‘new’ associates.
Pak Anto came in to share the senior manager story in Essence of Mars. He of course, had to fly 3 hours to get here to share his story and inspire the team. During lunch, he spoke to all the newbies and in his usual Pak Anto style, captured their hearts with his unassuming style and humor. The rapport he has with the team made me wish I was a little more like him… role model leadership.
So the story he was telling goes this way – he shared who he was (Invianto means INDONESIAN dad + VIETNAM mum = ANTO), his career in different organisations (Loreal, Danone etc) and how he learnt all the different principles in the different organisations… Then his story went on to say – what he found different in Mars in the short 1 year since he joined was Mutuality – this he did not find in any other previous organisations. Just when he had us all hanging onto his every word… waiting in anticipation – he fell to the ground. We all thought Pak Anto was role playing and was waiting for him to get up. But he didn’t.
Mayhem ensued (imagine 80 people running around screaming – you get the picture) but we had order within seconds (but it felt like a long time). Fortunately the team was all trained in First Aid due to the remote nature of their work and the best in the team started CPR. When he resumed breathing, the team carried him horizontally to the hospital 5 minutes away. Sadly he passed on.
Now 4 hours later, I sit in this flight sending his remains back home to his family. I have never had to do this before but for you Pak Anto, you took the effort and time to come all the way to inspire the team, thank you for your sacrifice, your care and your warmth. I feel honored that this is the last thing we do for you and your family – a friend and an inspiration to the end.
Pak Anto, I /we all really to wanted to know how your story on Mutuality ends. But He has other plans for you and you are in a better place. Thank you for the lives you have touched and the stories you have told, you remind me our role as leaders are about living the 5Ps and you lived it up to the end. Thank you my friend.