About my transformational journey and the broadening path to carry on
Yesterday was the Chinese new year’s day, and this is the last month that I’m with Siemens. So with a slightly sentimental feeling, I sent out a farewell letter to colleagues whom I interacted with over the last 8 years. In a way it is in Siemens that I opened the space for my own wholehearted journey of transformation, and it is in here that I held so many enlightening conversations, that I connected with so many passionate colleagues. It is also in here that we co-created networks that served as building blocks for a collective transformation. So naturally I have a sentimental feeling about this time.
As I scanned through my inbox and added names to the email list, each name brought back memories that I cherish. All the open minded, supportive and heart-warming connections I made, I feel truly grateful for. Of course I wouldn’t sugar coat all my experience in this journey. As we know, working as a change agent I naturally face all sorts of different challenges. But over the years, I begin more and more to see that these are my life lessons, each experience I have is an opportunity for me and for people around me to learn, and sometimes unlearn. In so doing, I find the best way with my capacity to serve the world. As an OD practitioner, my work both in the organizational arena and in private space, is like a playground of different triggers. These triggers are hints for me to learn from. And I can say with experience, that until I get it, I will be facing similar challenges over and over. It is life’s homework for us to embody the learning:)
Looking back, I feel so grateful that I had the space to open up to my true self, to engage in my own transformation journey. Along this journey, I’ve connected with colleagues, who are so passionate in bringing out the full potential of an organization and of an individual. I took so much inspiration from such people around me. Overtime, I grew to see that we all have such potential. As we all have the inner wisdom to bring about real transformation to ourselves, to our organizations, communities and wider space.
Having said that, I also wouldn’t sugar coat the time we’re living in. Currently, I’m experiencing a historical mess of Brexit. I see with great sadness, that when people start to close their hearts, start to blame others, starts to turn inwards, that such self-inflicted wound can happen to a society. I can’t help but feel the responsibility to do my part, in whatever small way there is, to spread the word of open heart and open mind. From my professional experience, I learnt that our inner wisdom can be buried by fear and by our ego. Despite of all the fear and ego, I still have this deep trust that the life wisdom is there. The field of life force will not shy away by temporary difficulties. We just need to have the open heart and open mind to make connections.
This analogy can also be applied to organizations, after all, organizations consist of people. Facing the exponential changes in technology and digitalization, organizations also need to have open heart and open mind. Moving from merely profit driven, to a higher purpose of serving customers, serving communities and serving societies. This is what make a business worthwhile in my view. And this is also what makes a business stand out in this new era. Many businesses are talking about agile, customer centricity and employee experience. I think these are the signs of businesses waking up to a higher purpose. And such a transformation is only possible if the people in it have their self-awakening.
This is also how I find meaning in my work as an OD practitioner. In the future, I’m sure I’ll meet with new challenges as the companies and societies are braced with greater paradigm shifts. And I know for sure, that in this time, the work to create open heart and open mind connections will be meaningful.
I say goodbye to one chapter of my life and embrace the new chapter as the Chinese new year begins. I’ll continue to learn and share on this website, hope that our life paths will cross again soon.
P.S. I have a sentimental feeling as I wrote my farewell letter, but I also feel that the cause that we’re on will transcend boundaries. I see the meaning of this work as relevant to all organizations today, and in a way I’m just going towards a direction that the life force is sending me to. I trust whatever direction that maybe, I’m using my best capacity to serve the world. And that is enough for me. Since I developed the website, it became a journal for me. I guess this is also part of the work that life brings. Something just want to be written and I finally have a space to do that?
