Business Link

by Dr Janin Vansteenkiste

The whole workshop was down on their knees hovering over their posters. In concentrated silence, everyone tried to draw a scenario of how they wanted their life and career to turn out in ten years time. They visualised their ‘created future’. Indeed unusual to see all these managers surrounded by crayons. Most had not drawn anything since childhood. It showed!

Yet when holding up their colourful ‘primitive art’, they did so with pride. Stick-men and -women and -children populated work and home environments and various travel destinations. African farms appeared, with interesting looking cattle and crops. But it was not about drawing skills. It was about imagining the future.

Men in their thirties and early forties, from different African countries, described how they saw themselves in action in their forties and fifties.

Their responsibilities were increased, but so had their educational backgrounds.
‘Getting degrees’ was thankfully now behind them.
They portrayed themselves with confidence in leadership roles.
They proudly pointed to their dream homes, where family and social time with friends prevailed.

In their previous discussion on the here and now in their work-life, each one had expressed feeling bad about sacrificing so much family time for long work hours.

In their future scenario the balance between work and home is redressed:

‘That is me with my wife in the Serengeti’.
‘That is me with my wife on our veranda, looking out at nature’
‘My children have the foundation of a good education’
‘Our home is at the other side of Nairobi, so that we avoid 3 hour traffic jams’

The energy generated by depicting attractive goals ahead, was contagious. Like men do, they began to strategize and plan right there. Solutions, suggestions and encouragement from man to man.

Rolling up their drawings, they summed up:
‘Mostly we just live. Plodding along in our careers. Working day to day. We never ask ourselves what we want in 10 years time. Now we have focussed. Drawing our future and talking about it, has put our created future together.’

Dr Janin Vansteenkiste is a Biographical and Motivational Consultant in Port Elizabeth, working with companies or teams and individuals.
Contact her on 041-367 2223 or via email on janin@netactive.co.za, or visit 292 Circular Drive.