I recently emailed an "A-list" headhunter I know on behalf of a job-seeking friend of mine who is looking for a referral into a company. I was happy to receive an enthusiastic offer of help from the headhunter for my friend whom she doesn't know, and whose job level her company doesn't represent. In other words, there was nothing in it at all for the headhunter to help out this person. Something the headhunter wrote struck me as being indicative of the times: "We all need to help each other out these days."
Wow. What an incredible sentiment. Not since right after 9-11, or more locally after the Loma Prieta earthquake have I felt this sentiment so strongly. It seems that a day doesn't go by without getting a LinkedIn or Facebook request to reconnect. And invariably, the first statement from people I haven't seen in a while is, "Are you okay?"
Am I okay. Think about that question for a moment. It contains a presumption that there is a significant possibility, even probability, that I am not okay. It also contains a undercurrent that they are probably not okay and are seeking help. And these are not just old school chums exploring social networks. They are business friends and acquaintances, former subordinates, and even former superiors who are "looking for their next challenge" and not finding any luck.
I guess it's a shame that it takes an terrorist attack, a 7.1 earthquake or an economic meltdown to bring out the best in people. But, it is also human nature. When our brethren aren't hurting, we leave them to their own devices. When they are hurting, we try to challenge Darwin and help people avoid needing to be the fittest to survive. As the billboard I found nestled on El Camino Real above attests, the economic bust is precipitating a humanistic boom.
As for whether I am okay? Hmmmmm…let's see. I work with a group of incredibly talented, committed and wonderful people, doing important work that affects the lives of hundreds of thousands of family members daily. I play a major role in defining the future of a company. I have the best financial backers and board members in the business. My home and office are in the San Francisco Bay Area (it doesn't get much better than that). I have a loving wife and three amazing children and still play in a band with my high school buddies.
Yeah. I am okay.
nice!
Posted by: Raymond | 08/05/2009 at 01:18 PM