35. H.U.M.A Part 2 - published 10.12.2013
This blog was published on the 10th December 2013.
It's worth expanding of this concept that I blogged about earlier (at least worth it for me anyway)
Dentistry is well stocked with HUMA type characters but it is not just restricted to dentistry, as I found out in a conversation with one of the mums from school the other day.
We were talking about being asked to do things and people using our egos to get us to say yes. You know the trick, they'd really love you to do this, they have asked for you specifically. Then you say yes and wish you hadn't.
So it comes back to the Charles Handy concept of 'building a CV that is impressive to strangers'
So to recount a story from that book, which brings this into perspective, would be useful.
Bear in mind that this is paraphrased:
Charles Handy decided to give up his positions as Professor of Economics and non-executive Director to 7 large businesses (and I mean large businesses). He had actually decided not to give up his non-exective Directorships but his wife, who is a photographer and artist, said "if you are going to become a writer and give up your Professorship you need to give those up too"
Handy's response to this was that the companies could not do without him. His wife's response to that was to laugh.
As all great men should, he took his wife's advice and wrote to the 7 companies resigning his non-executive Directorship.
Only 1 ever replied.
I go back to the previous post, even Presidents can get shot and the world continues to turn.
We all need to get our heads a little bit further out of our backsides.
Blog post number: 1535