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My recent posts on photography, organization, and leadership sparked interest and inquiries. I'll illustrate with two recent activities I delivered what I have to offer.
"Observing the World, Revealing Ourselves» was a workshop involving a team of 12 executives from a French CAC 40 multinational company. The objective was to help the participants reflect on their individual and collective Selves, and explore how to interact beyond words and mental representations. It took place within an ambitious program of Leadership Development. It was a lovely experience, a moment of experimentation and togetherness. It combined an introduction to Mindful Photography, and a suite of assignments guiding people to create photographs, that would reflect their Selves, what they have in common, and ultimately express a “Group Self” (see the picture). People particularly appreciated the dimension of slowing down and “finding Flow” underpinning the activities, which is at the core of creativity. Photography helped an introvert client of mine, co-founder of an IT company, to regulate his emotions and prevent recurring anxiety crisis, in an aggressive business context. By externalizing emotions with snapshots, he was able to calm down more easily; he developed a self-reflection practice with pictures, and he built a regulation strategy. Lastly, he turned it into a creative routine, finding moments of resourcing, of qualitative time and positive emotions he could transpose in his role. These two instances highlight the primary directions of my work : 1. Assist executives in developing a different connection to their environment, more creative and intuitive, and grow presence, self-awareness and essential leadership abilities, that can only be learned experientially. 2. Help individuals strike a balance between well-being and sustainable performance at work, through creativity. I share what practicing photography brought me during my corporate life. I believe that what and how we photograph reflect who we are. As Minor White wrote, “…all photographs are self-portraits”. And this is invaluable.
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The question may sound weird, as companies, educational and professional institutions have long offered mentoring programs. However, I see an increasing interest in programs that address modern issues, such as the transition to new forms of governance and work, or to assist Board members in making decision in uncertainty. Mentoring is a strong human relationship, a joined search for excellence, where the experience and the mastery of the mentor meets the talents of the mentee, in a cocreation work. What makes that, in a fluid world driven by acceleration, permanent change, and de-construction, experience and passing on are valued? A few observations from my practice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjR74w_GFWE&t=59s  In this excellent story from the French newspaper Le Figaro, high level athletes describe how "Being in the Zone" or "Finding Flow" is crucial for them, even beyond pure performance. Studied by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the field of Positive Psychology field, “Flow”, or "Being in the Zone" is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity, and ultimately of fulfilment. We are "in the Zone" when we completely use our Mastery to confront high, or even the highest, challenges. Flow is reached when Action meets Consciousness. Athletes and artist are familiar with it and, as expressed in the article, look for and value it. In the daily life, it can be a compass to guide us towards what we are best at, to find Meaning and motivation, and to consolidate our identity. In the business context, Flow can be an approach to performance, that combines Creativity, Authenticity, Excellence, and positive emotions. How to create the necessary conditions for Flow in demanding roles and uncertainty?
And you, when and how do you reach Flow?  I am delighted to share the recent publication of an academic article by Joaquin Lopez Mugica and Thomas Whyke, in Asian Studies, about my early Photographic work “Shanghai in JPG” (see link to the PDF at the end). I conducted this documentary project about the urban transformation in Shanghai between 2004 and 2008, when living there. The authors elaborate a theoretical perspective about Documentary Photography, and how I tried to express a visual relation between space and time, in a period of deep social transition in China. They apply the concept of Chronotope developed by Mikhail Bakhtin. Shanghai in JPG was a seminal project, the first documentary one I conducted in China. For 10 years, I documented places, trying to grasp of sense of what was happening, and about to change the face of the world. I was trying to find my place and sketch my personal story herein. I was a Finance Director in a global corporation, an “amateur photographer” in the noble sense of the term, as rightly labelled by the authors. A wanderer, like in Poet Du Fu’s song, travelling the world, Asia and India, for 25 years or so. Conducting documentary projects helped me build a dialogue, a resonance, with the country and the people, e.g. my Chinese and Asian colleagues, on a different basis. I connected to bigger life constituents, a country, a culture, History, and to people with worldviews and social conditions different of mine. I took on another personal dimension, more conscious of wider stakes, and questioned my goals in life and values. As an introvert person having responsibilities in a high-speed industry, photography helped me find moments of creativity, of reconnection with myself, and of Presence, in unknown environments, in what was not called “Acceleration” yet. What does it mean today? Nothing to deal with nostalgia, then and now. Photography is about Presence and Continuity. That makes it relevant to explore our identity in a fast-changing world. Today, I share with my clients what photography has taught me, to help them deal with acceleration. You can still buy a copy of the “Shanghai in JPG” book, now a collector’s item, published by legendary Beaugeste Gallery owner and curator Jean Loh. Please proceed through the website (see below) or message me. With a big Thank You to Joaquin and Thomas! LOPEZ MUGICA, J., & WHYKE, T. W. (2024). Representations of Post-Industrial Shanghai: Industrial Chronotopes in Documentary Photography. Asian Studies, 12(1), 355–387. https://lnkd.in/e5B9eWwN   Jean-Philippe Gauvrit - Rebecca Rowan - Vangelis Kalos - Dr. Neil Gibson - Adrian Flint The first ever cohort of the PG Cert Therapeutic Photography course offered by Robert Gordon University graduated last week in Aberdeen. It was a wonderful day, I was delighted to meet my friends from all over the globe, to celebrate that unique moment, make pictures together and share our projects. Some of us could not join, but their spririt was present. We come from different countries and horizons (therapy, education, social work, coaching etc..) and all of us are committed to helping people be more conscious of the world and of themselves, and improve their condition, through Photography. It was a also a great opportunity to warmly thank our Course Leader Neil Gibson for his tremendous work, dedication and support.
What’s next? From September onwards, I will integrate photography in my coaching practice by proposing: · Workshops and Jaunts in Paris and London, and why not in Asia? · Executive and Individual coaching programs, encouraging a regular photographic practice, and aiming at slowing-down, and be performant differently by developing Consciousness and Presence. In the meantime, stay tuned, slow down, enjoy your summer / winter break if any, connect to and learn from the world by making and sharing photographs. And please, feel free to contact me for any questions or projects... JP Can CFOs Rock ? Yes, Absolutely! I invite you to read this inspiring article by Drew Adamek, an interview of Vic Russo, a CFO and a metal band lead singer. When we talk about “creative finance” among peers, it’s often with a knowing smile, a private joke to exorcise from tax paradises or IFRS cooking. But in a constantly changing and ambiguous world, a lot is expected from CFOs, and Creativity should be a top ability any CFO and leader must nurture.
I love what Ric says about transposing skills, “the skill sets that I bring to my day job are the skill sets I really had to bring to the band” such as “thinking strategically and operationally” to drive the band's projects. Being a photographer and a poet helped me a lot during my CFO days. Beyond problem solving and work-life balance, (which is already not bad..) my creative projects helped me to gain self-confidence, to look at the world and connect with people differently, especially in Asia, and to address ambiguity. I am convinced that without my documentary projects in China, I would have never been a Regional CFO. It also helped me better interact with highly talented artists I met, in Project Financing, Tax modelling, Reporting or Process design, or IFRS exegesis. Being a creative person means escaping from a frame, breaking rules, working at a different pace, which is not what Finance leaders are expected to do, and what many companies are ready for, beyond agreed discourses and mantras on innovation. And this is what we need in today’s world... This interview raises two questions: How companies encourage creativity in the daily work and operations? How to nurture a creative CFO’s identity in a very codified profession, and find the right balance between being authentic and respecting codes? I am glad to see that Vic finds his own way there. What about you? How do you nurture your creativity? how do you encourage creativity in your team? Can you rock? CFO Vic Russo is also singer in metal band Diesel America (cfobrew.com) « Et si le coach était un photographe d’identité ? » était le thème de la seconde séance de l’atelier « Coaching et Photographie », que je propose aux adhérents de la SCOUP, l’association des anciens élèves du Master de Coaching de Paris 2 (qui, au passage, célèbre ses 20 ans cette année). En France, R. Sainsaulieu ou C. Dubar ont insisté sur la dimension sociale et relationnelle de cette réalité individuelle. Dans la lignée de Tajfel et Turner, Snow et Anderson ont développé la théorie du Travail Identitaire (Identity Work Theory), qui consiste en la recherche d’un équilibre cohérent entre identité personnelle et identité sociale. Il s’agit de « l’ensemble des activités dans lesquelles les individus s’engagent pour créer, présenter, et maintenir des identités personnelles congruentes avec, et protégeant, leur concept de soi ». L’identité professionnelle et ce jeu (je) identitaire multidimensionnel, me paraissent au cœur de nombreux enjeux, à l’heure de la généralisation des relations de travail virtuelles, et alors que plusieurs théories et affirmations identitaires entrent dans le champ social et l’entreprise (genre, intersectionnalité, retour du religieux etc..). Identité et Travail Identitaire me semblent être au cœur des aspects humains des transformations organisationnelles, des choix personnels de carrière et de vie, au moment où un « Futur du Travail » aux métiers et aux modes encore flous peine à émerger, et où la complexité dilue les métiers, entre « bullshit jobs » et « jobs transverses ». Pourquoi l’idée d’identité fait elle parfois peur, au point que l’on préfère l’approcher de manière fonctionnelle (en la confondant presque avec le « job description »), ou « en creux », (les « forces », les valeurs, le sens, la culture d’entreprise)? Pourquoi est elle si difficile à saisir, à définir? J’accompagne les personnes et les équipes, notamment hétérogènes ou multiculturelles, sur ce thème, avec la photographie, qui est un moyen puissant et non agressif de réflexion et de communication. J'accompagne également des jeunes professionnels sous forme de mentorat, une approche permettant la transmission de constituants importants de l'identité professionnelle. Et vous, comment définissez vous votre identité professionnelle ? (Photobooth - New-York 1934 - Walker Evans)  Je suis ravi d’être intervenu fin janvier à la CCI Seine Estuaire au Havre dans le cadre du programme de formation Plato, pour parler de Résilience Organisationnelle avec des dirigeants de PME. Injonction ou impératif, capacité de rebond plus que résistance, la Résilience de l’organisation est un sujet d’actualité, comme l’ont montré de nombreuses discussions lors du récent WE forum de DAVOS.
Comment une organisation peut-elle « rebondir » après une crise, assurer la continuité de son activité et se développer ? la RO peut-elle devenir une approche stratégique ? Quel est le rôle du dirigeant et sur qui peut-il s’appuyer ? S’agit-il de rebond ou de construction ? Nous avons parlé de vulnérabilité organisationnelle, notamment des impensés des dirigeants et des modèles mentaux qui peuvent devenir bloquants lorsqu’ils « s’ankylosent »; accepter cette vulnérabilité est un premier pas vers la résilience... Nous avons aussi évoqué les aspects humains au cœur de ce processus systémique et les acteurs clés qui l’animent. Parmi eux, le dirigeant a un rôle crucial et difficile à jouer, notamment dans des petites structures ; il doit trouver la bonne distance, donner du sens à la situation et un cap, mettre en place le cadre nécessaire pour favoriser le rebond, trouver des alliés, et gérer sa propre résilience. Un grand merci à Nadège DENIS pour son invitation et à tous les participants pour leurs contributions et partages d'expériences. J’accompagne les organisations et leurs dirigeants face à l’incertitude, et je serais ravi d’échanger avec vous sur ce sujet passionnant. Et vous, comment êtes-vous un acteur de résilience ? Décider dans un monde incertain, était le thème de la récente #UEN Université des Entrepreneur Normands du Medef Normandie. Ce fut l’occasion de magnifiques témoignages, dont celui du Général Gallet, ancien commandant des sapeurs-pompiers de la ville de Paris (aujourd’hui responsable sureté de Michelin), qui dirigea les interventions liées aux attentats terroristes de 2015 et à l’incendie de Notre-Dame de Paris. Ce fut pour moi l’une des plus marquantes, une formidable leçon de leadership en situation de crise, et je retiens ici quelques points dont on peut s’inspirer, en tant que dirigeant, et pour consolider la résilience de nos organisations. - L’importance d’anticiper des scénarios nouveaux, peut-etre en apparence improbables, en l’occurrence fondés sur la recherche et la compréhension des modèles mentaux des adversaires, puis de remettre en cause nos propres modèles et processus d’action (attentats de Paris) - Le découplage, responsabiliser et laisser agir les équipes en créant la confiance, déléguer les opérations à son adjoint afin de garder le recul, la vision d’ensemble, la lucidité - Être celui qui donne du sens à ce qui est difficilement verbalisable, pour le partager avec les autres acteurs - S'isoler 2 minutes avant de débuter les opérations de secours de Notre-Dame, « un luxe », pour se connecter à ce qui est plus grand que soi et introduire l’intuition. Comme lorsque l’on entre « dans la zone », en créativité, ce moment de fluidité d’où la création surgit, comme le vide que créent l’artiste avant de monter sur scène, le peintre ou l’écrivain en "reliance" avec celui de la page ou de la toile qui porteront leur œuvre. - Dans l’action, ouvrir tous les sens, être attentif au son de la voix des autres pour sentir ce qui se passe ; la pleine conscience et l’intelligence émotionnelle au cœur du danger, l'appel au discernement. - Un courage et un sens élevé de la responsabilité et du devoir, alliés avec une grande humilité (pourquoi moi ?), derrière laquelle on perçoit des valeurs fortes et incarnés, un leadership authentique et au service des autres. Enfin un dernier mot, peut-etre le plus important en un monde d’incertitude : accepter la surprise.  |
Jean-Philippe Gauvrit
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