On this day...end or beginning and how to change the lens

Celebrating the 10th March 2009 - the day after the markets officially bottomed out

The time had come; in a virtually numb state I slowly descended the stairs from our first floor offices in Birmingham downwards, through the door which led onto the factory’s 60,000 sq ft production facility. I was part of a small procession; I was walking behind two men who, despite hardly knowing them at all, were now entrusted with one of the most important thing’s in my life – our family’s business.

We were in complete silence with my head bowed downwards and my gaze fixed firmly on the heels of the man in front; the walk feeling as if I was heading to the electric chair and these men were the guards ensuring they delivered me to my fate. At 4.32pm, I stood in front of the workforce which had obediently followed orders to gather on our shop floor. It was Tuesday 10th March 2009 and I was about to make an announcement that would change lives forever.

Earlier that day, I had returned from a lawyer’s office where I had signed an Affidavit to place the company, founded in 1903 by my great grandfather, into administration. It was a decision that fell firmly on my shoulders although, as I’m sure you’d expect, had taken some time to arrive at. I was part of the fourth generation and had stood in exactly the same spot some seven years earlier when my third cousin, Martin, announced to the whole company that I was now the new Managing Director. On that occasion I recall the energy, ambition and excitement as I contemplated what was possible in a new world, a world that I had dreamt of as a young girl – one that meant I’d run my own business.

When I’d returned from signing legal papers, I’d written several personal letters to employees, one being my own Personal Assistant, Barbara, who had checked on me constantly during the preceding few days always saying that she knew she couldn’t be privy to the details of what was happening. The letters each apologized for what was about to happen and I’d placed them on desks before being summoned to the Board Room in anticipation of the final walk.

Once all gathered, the crowd of employees looked back at me, many of whom had worked for the firm for over 25years, as had their fathers before them. I could see the concern and confusion mounting. It seemed like a life time before silence finally fell and a strange eeriness replaced the chatter. As I had explained a short while earlier to the men who had accompanied my last walk as Managing Director, this was to be my final duty and the last job as an officer of the company and one I had to do and do right. The Insolvency Practitioners offered to speak on my behalf but as had happened often, my stubbornness and pride kicked in. Although I didn’t have a clue how to even begin, I took a small step forward, lifted my head, paused and began with:

 “Ladies, gentleman, friends and colleagues. It is with the deepest sadness and much regret that on behalf of my great grandfather and my whole family, I can only apologise but there’s nothing more I can do. Today I signed papers placing the company into voluntary administration. I’m so sorry.”

I’d hardly completed the last word when the Administrators stepped forward and said that they had letters for those who would be losing their jobs with immediate effect. I felt as if I was disappearing in the sea of chaos and panic but, opposite me, a lady who had worked in our accounts office for many years was looking directly back at me. She mouthed, “are you okay?”  How could she be asking me this? It had always been my job, and responsibility, to make sure everyone else was okay. Amongst the madness she had spotted that a single tear was rolling down my cheek. Another person walked up to me and rather than anger or to see what their future held, they put their arm around my shoulder.

With the focus now on the letters being handed out to those being made redundant, I managed to slowly step to the side so I could hide my tears. Just at that moment my phone rang, I’d forgotten it was in my jacket pocket. I looked at the screen and saw “Mum calling”. In a split second I visualized what had happened the two days earlier, on the Sunday, when I’d had to visit my parents home to tell Mum that our family business would be closing. Mum was a third generation shareholder and the business was from her side of the family. We’d always had a challenging relationship with us often being at odds. The fact that I’d joined the family firm when she was actively discouraged due to gender, while her older brother became a director, had not really helped things.

“Hello…” I had surprisingly answered the call while trying desperately to appear balanced and ‘normal’. With an instinct only a mother can have, Mum panicking responded with “What’s happened?”. I could hardly reply – the words just wouldn’t come. More urgently she asked again “Danian (my full name), what has happened?”

At the same time as the words left my lips the full emotional wave came crashing all around me, “Mum. It’s done. It’s over”. I was falling to my knees holding the phone with my mum, possibly for the first time in my life, reassuring me and saying it was okay and everything would be alright. She was desperately trying to connect with me and hold her little girl together. It was to be a turning point in our relationship.

This was the start. This is the story of GLAS*.

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What you've just read has been taken from my proposed book's introduction (part of it) and how my own journey was the beginning of GLAS*. I used to recognise this day, 10th March, as the anniversary of the end of my family's business in 2009. Now, this day will symbolise the creation of something that inspires and impacts peoples lives (or components of their lives) for the better.

*Global Life Alignment System

GLAS is an open collaborative system that focuses on alignment across age, situation, relationships, activities and more. It looks at how to impact results and outcomes by focusing on the source and ensuring there's an anchor (purpose). It's origins were founded in family business and have impacts many for the better since, however this system is so powerful it can be used for children, families, individuals, businesses, projects and pretty much any other aspect of life. Contact me directly for any information..