The real reason why we do all that we do.
In this first blog I don't want to talk about margins, innovations, investments, transparent accounting, the changing market or HR — those are subjects I'll save for some other time.
Instead, I'd just like to put the following question out there: why do we all do what we do? What are our reasons? Who are we?
One thing is certain: we don't do it for the money. Of all industries on Planet Earth, ours isn't exactly the most profitable — by some distance. Unless someone is secretly stashing away everyone's margins, that is. I don't have a yacht moored in Nice — not even one of those small ones bobbing around at the back to make quick trips to the shops with. I can't quite retire on my past investments either — in fact, the only interest in my life is what I have to pay on my debts.
Another certainty is that we're not in this industry to find peace of mind: someone recently told me that jobs in our industry rank amongst the five most stressful in the world, alongside soldiers in combat, surgeons and other committed stress heads. It's easy to spot us on a mindfulness walk: we're the ones who are running.
Maybe we do it because we also have to work at weekends, we never get any sleep and we spend our days off abroad carrying out just one more site inspection. Or maybe it's the air miles! Ah, all those precious air miles we've carefully saved up — even though when the time finally comes to spend them, the airline kindly informs us it won't accept them for our chosen route.
So, what do we do when we finally get 17 seconds of time to ourselves under a palm tree, with a cocktail in hand, blue sky and the sun in the background? That's right: we waste 7 seconds of it taking an Instagram photo.
Would you like to know the true reason? We're a complete bunch of nutters.
See you next time! Jan
