- är frågan många människor ställer sig ….
Jag undrar; vad är det som händer med Sverige?

Det som händer i Malmö är så mycket större än Malmö. Det är ett tecken, av flera, på att vår samhällsstruktur och våra värderingar i Sverige är på väg isär. Vi behöver ta en runda till kring handling och konsekvens och göra ett grundligt värderingsarbete för att enas om hur vi tillsammans ska ha det i framtiden.

Vi (jag, du och våra politiker) pratar om den kriminella problematik som visar sig i Malmö när det egentligen är ett socialt problem som tar sig kriminella uttryck. När vi bara pratar om poliser och extra insatser till denna myndighet skjuter vi oss i foten! Polisen är inte utbildad i att hantera sociala problem på hög nivå.

Kan vi sluta pressa polisen till att lämna den yrkeskår dom är utbildade inom för att gå över till en yrkeskår där dom inte har den kunskap som krävs? Det är en orealistisk förväntan som skapar stressade poliser.

Däremot; psykologer, terapeuter, socionomer och/eller pedagoger är den yrkeskår som faktiskt är utbildade till att förebygga, förhindra och hantera sociala problem. Ge mer resurser även till dem.

Lyckliga människor bränner inte bilar; det är det förtryckta människor utan hopp om framtiden som gör oavsett kön, ålder eller etniskt ursprung. Det är ett mänskligt grundläggande behov att ha en viss nivå av att kunna bestämma över sitt eget liv. När vi som människor inte upplever att vi har denna möjlighet gör vi motstånd på olika sätt.

Familjen och hemmet ska vara en trygg plats för ett barn att leva i. Den tryggheten borde alltid finnas och föräldrar borde vara skyldiga att skapa förutsättningar för att denna trygghet råder och att den bibehålls utifrån bästa förmåga.  Om tryggheten inte finns hemma är det skolan som blir avgörande för barnets utveckling. Där blir kontakten med de vuxna viktigare än någonsin. Om tryggheten uteblir på båda ställen är barnet helt utlämnat och blir sårbar och mottaglig för gängtillhörighet, kriminalitet och olika former av missbruk.

Klasserna består av över 25 elever många gånger som en eller två lärare ska ha någon slags koll på under ett antal år (i bästa fall), en ekvation som har visat sig fungera mindre bra. Det kanske blir ett bättre resultat om man:
- begränsade antalet elever i varje klass
- ökade antalet pedagoger för varje grupp
- anställde psykologer och terapeuter som fanns för både lärare och elever

Jag tror att detta skulle kunna leda till en tryggare skolmiljö för lärare och elever och ett högre studieresultat.
Vad tror du?

Lägg resurser på friidrottshallar och duktiga idrottsmän/kvinnor som kan instruera, stötta och utveckla våra barn och ungdomar. Lägg resurser på fritidsgårdar med utbildade pedagoger som kan finnas för ungdomar på kvällar och helger. Ge ökat bidrag till ridskolor, fotbollsklubbar och idrottsföreningar som redan finns och skapa fler.

Uppmuntra eldsjälarna, ge stöd till människor som inte bara pratar utan som också agerar, där finns den riktiga påverkningskraften och stödet som kan få Malmö och Sverige på fötter igen.

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När ska vi (jag, du och våra politiker) sluta att använda ordet andra eller första generationens invandrare. Jag tycker att det är dags att säga, första generationens medborgare. Vi blir på detta sätt alla medborgare utan ett förtydligande, som i vår tid, bara skapar exklusion istället för inklussion av medborgare.

Det vi ser i Malmö är desperation och förtryck av 1, 2, 3 och 4 generationens medborgare som vi måste ta på allvar. Detta är deras sätt att kommunicera att många saker är fel i vår samhällsstruktur och att det måste ske en förändring. Några väljer att bränna bilar några väljer sverigedemokraternas politik (som inte är isolerat till södra Sverige utan utbrett från söder till norr) oavsett måste vi ta alla dessa reaktioner på allvar och starta den konstruktiva dialogen som, i detta skede är, den sokratiska.

Vi (jag, du och våra politiker) måste våga titta på vår integrationspolitik med kritiska ögon och med alla generationer av medborgares bästa i åtanke. Här måste vi föra en dialog och utforska olika åsikter. Denna dialog försvåras för att vi (jag, du, våra politiker och MEDIA) är skoningslösa i att döma och kategorisera åsikter som utmanar och ibland även skrämmer. Vi katergorisera enligt följande;
- Rastist
- Sverige fientlig
- Trädkramare
- Manshatare
- Kommunist
- Kapitalist
- Egoist
osv …. Listan kan göras lång …tyvärr!
Om vi slutar med att döma varandra så fort vi inte vet vad vi ska säga och våra åsikter går isär kanske dialogen når upp till en högre, mer konstruktiv nivå.

Den sokratiska dialogen!
Nedan följer några tips till oss men främst till våra folkvalda politiker som har makten och skyldigheten att föra denna from av dialog med varandra och med folket:

- Jag vill gärna förstår varför du tycker som du gör, berätta mer, vilka problem ser du i vårt samhälle?

- Utifrån ett demokratiskt styrt land, med den grundlag som råder och med ambitionen av att ha ett väl fungerande välfärdssystem, hur ser din lösning ut på dessa problem som du upplever?

- Hur ser du på förhållandet mellan stat och medborgare när det gäller rättigheter och skyldigheter?

- Vad är det vi ska ta med oss ifrån den grunden av värderingar, lagar och regler som råder i dag vidare i framtiden anser du och varför?

- Vad säger det om oss och vår syn på människan och mänskligt värde i vårt samhälle enligt dig?

So what are our interests?

1. a NEED
Necessity for survival. Needs are universal like safety, food, shelter, sense of belonging, sense of participation, love, power and influence over our life.

2. a WANT
We all have different unique set of wants (desires). Desires come from within but are also strongly influenced by our culture and the society we belong to. If we let others influence our desires to much we can end up feeling lost and confused.

3. a GOAL
The goal is individual and is based on our WANT and NEED

So, a conflict of interest is;

”When achieving my goal is interfering with the achievement of a goal for someone else”

We have different ways – different strategies – of achieving our goal, even though needs are universal, we are striving for our needs and wants in different ways. Our strategies are based on our experiences growing up. Which strategies, behaviours where helping us back then to achieve our goal?

If I grew up in a home where love and affection where given to me by my parents unconditionally and I felt safe and secure, my chances of developing healthy ways of interacting with others while achieving my goal are greater. If conflicts and discussions where dealt with constructively and if I as a child felt included and respected in my home it will increase my chances even more. That upbringing will provide me with knowledge and tools to use when my goal is threatened and there is a conflict of interest going on.

If I felt unsafe growing up, if there where conflicts going on and I feel insecure in my home that will have a great impact on my strategies for achieving my goal in the future. If conflicts, discussions and arguments where dealt with in a destructive way that will most likely also be my way of dealing with similar situations in the future.

Conflict of interests are necessary for our development as humans. We need to figure out our strength and weaknesses to develop and become better. We do that by interacting with other people as we are trying to achieve our goal. We need people that can lead with example of how that is done and we need a constant dialog about how we interact with others.

We need to increase self-awareness, self-knowledge. We can achieve that by facilitated reflection and by using feedback in a proper way.

source: Joining Together by David and Frank Johnson

2011 is coming to an end. Maybe it´s time for a survey among staff. Here are some questions that covers some of the important stuff.

1. Role Satisfaction
Are you happy with the roll you have and the responsibilities that comes with it?

2. Teamwork
Do you think that we are efficient and productive in our teams?

3. Rewards
Do you feel appreciated in our company?

4. Leadership
Do you believe in our decision makers and do you believe in our future as a company?

5. Communication
How would you describe our communication structure?
Do you feel that decision makers are accessible and available?

6. Training and Development
Are you happy with the way you have developed within our company and what are your thoughts regarding future development?

7. Knowledge Utilisation
Are we as a company using your knowledge and your skills in the most appropriate way?

8. Values
Do you agree upon values and ambitions within our company?

Do you know why your personal show up every morning at the office? Do you know what drives your staff?

For some people, its all about the money, but for most people in general, and for people  in the adverting- web- and communication industry specifically, there is a lot more to it than just the salary.

In our line of work (adverting- web- and communication industry) a lot of people have combined their hobby and their interest with their work. This days good people can be picky and they rather work with something inspiring, challenging, developing and fulfilling than work for dollars.

The Herman Group (a firm of Strategic Business Futurists concentrating on workforce and workplace issues) published a very interesting result from the most complete list of articles about employee retention in the world. They have listed the top 5 reasons for why people resign from their work and this is across industries and disciplines by the way.

1. It doesn’t feel good around here.
Culture issue, company’s reputation, the physical conditions of comfort, convenience, safety and the clarity of mission.

2. They wouldn’t miss me if I were gone.
If I dont feel important through inclusion and collaboration I lose motivation

3. I don’t get the support I need to get my job done.
Too many rules, red tape, or incompetent supervisors or co-workers,

4. There’s no opportunity for advancement (not talking about promotions …)
The issue here is learning, sharpen their skills and pick-up new ones, the desire is for training and development.

5. Compensation is the last reason people most leave. That’s a brash statement, but it’s true. Workers want fair compensation, but the first four aspects must be strong. If they’re not, but money’s high, you’ll hear people say ”you can’t pay me enough to stay here.

If you don’t now what it is that drives your staff and if you are incapable of fulfilling their incitement you will lose good people.
I´ll be happy to help you to retain them.

When you do something you do not have to because someone else thinks you should even though you do not want to – you have to re-consider!

If you feel you have to do something that you do not want – make sure that it is for your own sake and not for anyone else. Once you realize that, you will want to do it!

There are things we do for ourselves because that is consistent with how we want to be perceived. Even though it is a help to someone else it is still for our own self-image’s sake and for our own perception of how ”loveable” we want to be!

The future depends on the fact that we value our own ”loveableness” widely. The fact that we are acting in solidarity and sympathy towards our fellow human beings - FOR OUR OWN sake will be crucial …

… a friend asked me. I shared one of many theories with him …

It is easier to manage other people’s  rejection if you understand what the rejection is all about. That can actually lead a person in to a behavior that is deliberately rude and arrogant and consciously breaking the healthy social norms. Then you know the reason why people do not like you and you have some control over other people’s rejection of you. You have some level of understanding for the social systems and you control it to a certain level.

Unfortunately, it is a non-constructive behavior that probably leads to greater dissatisfaction among colleagues.

It is important that you as a colleague understand that this type of contra productive behavior is a result of having experienced not being liked and not understand why. The experience of being excluded can have deep impact in the way we interact with other people.

The recommendation is to clearly communicate your opinion of this person’s behavior. For example:
- When you formulate you like that (repeat what he or she said), I perceive you as arrogant
- When you do not respond when spoken to, I perceive you as nonchalant
- When you criticize the non-relevant content, I perceive you as stubborn and difficult to work with

Be generous and communicate the experience you prefer
For example:
- I would prefer if you express yourself in this way instead (give a concrete proposal on the formulation) Then I would feel respected by you.
- I would appreciate if you answered me when I talk to you. Then I get a confirmation that you have listened to me and I feel included
- If you can sort in your criticism and communicate that which can lead to improvements that would make it easier for me to take your criticism seriously

The purpose is to educate, support and develop your employees in social behavior. This person has probably not received the support of personal and social development as he or she needed while growing up.

There are some rules that help you give feedback:
- The I-message
Do not talk for anyone else. We think, or they think or there’s a number of people thinking that… does not work. Stand for your experience as YOUR experience.
- Do not value
Do not talk about what is right, wrong, good or bad. It is different for everyone. Try to tell us what you think. Words like arrogance, nonchalant, stubborn and uncooperative are negative experiences and he or she will most likely understand that.
- Be specific
Give clear examples of the behavior you see or phrases you hear. Then the person can make the connection between behavior and consequence
- Give your feedback one to one
There may be a number of people who share your experience but if you communicate that all at once it will probably be too much and the person will feel attacked and treated unfairly.

Hopefully you will offer a new perspective and a greater understanding and hopefully this person will try a new behavior that will make your interaction more pleasant.

Good Luck.

A group that works can do it because of different circumstances and some of them may be coincidental. However, most groups are not blessed with fortunate coincidence or events. They work because of hard work, great knowledge and high ambitions for their employees.

If we start by defining a functional group. It is a group that have well-being members, the group is in a phase where implementation and productivity are in focus and the group deliver the desired quality and reach their goals

Here are some explanations to answer the question, Why some groups work:
- Each and everyone are in agreement and agree on common goals
- Everybody wants to participate
- Each and everyone contribute
- The leader have good self-knowledge
- Members have good self-knowledge
- There is an understanding of group development among members
- Efforts are valued, acknowledged and criticized
- Each and everyone can manage feedback and use it as a tool
- The group consists of individuals who complement each other’s characteristics and motivations
- The transparency is high
- Reconciliation and monitoring is done continuously
- Responsibilities are based on, theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge, motivation and capacity
- In the common objectives, there is room for personal skills development

and more …

It is a big task to create a working group and for many, far from pleasurable. I, on the other hand, thinks that the task is incredibly enjoyable.

… Google is investing again in their employees. Google provides all employees, ALL employees (23 000), a rise of 10% and a bonus of $ 1,000.

With …
- 16 restaurants in the area, all with free coffee, drinks and meals
- The opportunity to work on own projects during working hours
- Free day care for kids
- The ability to wash their clothes during working hours
- Free transportation
- And with the possibility to have Google invest several million in your idea without guarantied ROI

… makes Google the number 1 place to work at every year.

I do not think that their pay rise and their bonus offer reduces their chances to end up on top of that list again.
Furthermore, their investment is likely to increase loyalty, motivation and commitment from their staff, which most likely will show across the entire organization.

Lecture by Micke Ahlström

- 50% av all the 4-year olds in Sweden are spending time on internet

- most of the people are viewers, some are reviewers and the smallest group are contributors of the content and the conversations going on

- i am contributing and will do so even more now. I also want to view and review more than I do to day

- internet is growing with 60% every year up until now

- 1/17 people in the world have facebook

personal reflection: We need to draw the map of this new world we have created and identifying the new countries and their strategies

- at the moment there are some countries that are very powerful like google, facebook, youtube, ebay, wiki  (at least if you use the measurements of our world as we used to know it … ; )

Lecture by Jocke Jardenberg

- internet is a fantastic democratic tool

- 7/10 got the news of Michel Jackson death on facebook. The second thing they did was google Michel. The third thing they did was visiting wikipedia …

- in 2020 the internet will have the capacity of 6 billion brains

- knowing that, know that what ever we think of the internet in the future,  will be wrong

- dont be a part of the problem, be a part of the soulution

- data, information, knowing, understanding are 4 different levels of personal responsibility that you need to embrace when it comes to knowing and understanding the information and the data on internet

… and sooo much more, thanks for an inspiring day …

”Be honest, do good, make active chooses so you can be transparent. This goes for companies and private persons in professional and private situations. ”

Fem meningsfulla konversationer i veckan ökar välbefinnandet.

Det visar sig att innerliga konversationer bidrar till lycka mer än vardagligt kallprat. Forskare kan inte slå fast vad som kommer först (om lyckliga människor pratar mer innerligt för att dom är lyckliga eller om innerliga konversationer skapar lyckliga människor) men det är ett faktum att innerliga, djupgående samtal ger en positiv effekt på människans välbefinnande.

September numret av Modern Psykologi har skrivit en artikel om forskning som bedrivits av professorer i psykologi vid Washington University kring samtal, samtalets fokusområden och samtalets påverkan.