Brain supplements Executive Day 2016

It was inspiration for both brain and heart when Generic Mobile visited Stockholmsmässan on November 8 at Bestseller PR's full day with some of the world's leading speakers. Just like last year, Generic Mobile's sales organization had invited some important customers who also got to take part in future scenarios, strategic success tips and even heartbreaking stories from the Victoria Hall stage.

The latter included Monica Lewinsky's story of how, in the late 1990s, her private life was publicly exposed in newspapers, radio and television around the world. She was also one of the first victims of cyberbullying on a young internet. Deeply moving was Nando Parrado, one of 16 survivors of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes who was trapped in freezing temperatures at almost 6 000 meters for 72 days before rescue. More business-strategic and sales-oriented were the presentations by management consultant Stephen M.R. Covey, Silicon Valley-based Nilofer Merchant, andfuture strategist Mike Walsh.

INSPIRING

The day was full of impressions and wise insights and experiences conveyed from the stage. The moderator was the journalist Lydia Cappolicchio, who also answered questions from the packed auditorium. Both Generic Mobile's salespeople and managers from the invited customers Telia, Tele 2 and CUB were satisfied with the day.
- "It was inspiring in many ways," said Fredrik Åhlén, Product Manager at Telia Company, which runs Call Guide.
- "Perhaps not primarily because you learned something new, but because you were reminded of things you know in a new way by skilled leaders. I think you got inspiration on a personal level as well, as much as professionally, said Fredrik Åhlén.

TRUST - THE FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS

Stephen M.R. Covey from the USA started the day by talking about trust and confidence as the most basic and important ingredient in successful business and sales. Without trust, everything becomes more difficult, takes longer and costs more. This is true in the small and the large, in private and in
organizations, between the company and its customers and in society at large.
Trust is the foundation that makes it possible to create something good and achieve success with what you do.

Stephen Covey is an entrepreneur and advisor on leadership, ethics, trust and effectiveness, and has written the book "Speed of Trust", in which he breaks with the idea that trust is mostly about soft, social factors. Trust is an economic factor, Covey argues, that can be measured and learned - something that can make organizations more profitable, people more supportive and relationships more energized. At the seminar, he described the methods he uses to help companies and leaders create and build trust.

NEW TALENT - PURPOSE & GOALS - CULTURE

Nilofer Merchant, who is based in Silicon Valley, USA and has started numerous successful businesses over the past 20 years, talked about our time as "the Social Era" - as opposed to the industrial era and the service society. She said that success in business in the 21st century requires us to "look around the corner", be willing to relearn and tear down traditional organizations. Merchant highlighted the ability to find talent, purpose and culture as the key elements of modern and successful business. She also reminded us that the best ideas can come from where you least expect it. Therefore, EVERYONE in an organization must be involved in the development.

CLICK WITH COMPASSION

Monica Lewinsky recounted her traumatic experiences in the late 1990s when she was exposed in the media worldwide because of her affair with then US President Bill Clinton. It was a heartbreaking story in which she revealed, among other things, that she was close to taking her own life. Monica Lewinsky's speech - she did not take any questions from the audience afterwards - concluded with demands and hopes for the media society and each individual's responsibility for their online behavior: "We must begin to watch, read and hear news with compassion for those involved. We must learn to click, or not click, with compassion. Clicking is big business," said Ms. Lewinsky.

CONSTANT CHANGE

Mike Walsh, who calls himself a "futurist", went on to give a much appreciated talk entitled "Designing your business for the 21st century". He talked about how we need to study and learn from our children to understand how trade and business will work in 20 years. The generations that grew up with digital opportunities and services from the beginning behave differently compared to previous generations. Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy that designs businesses for the 21st century and sits on the board of The North Alliance, Scandinavia's largest marketing group. His key advice was: "Break the rules and routines! Hire people who are triggered by change and the unknown. Use data to examine the internal culture".

ALMOST DEAD

The last speaker was 66-year-old Nando Parrado from Uruguay. His story left no eye dry. He received a standing ovation after his talk, which was not only admiration and fascination but also compassion and sympathy. Nando Parrado was one of 16 survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash, when a Uruguayan rugby team en route to Santiago de Chile suffered bad weather, pilot error and a horrific crash into one of the mountain peaks at the top of the Andes at almost 6,000 meters. The plane was torn apart and the front section with the cockpit and nine rows of passengers plunged 2500 meters down a snow-covered slope. It was a miracle that all 45 passengers did not die immediately.

29 people survived the crash. It took 72 days before rescue arrived. The search for them was called off after 10 days because the assessment was that no one could survive in such conditions, including 30 degrees below zero at night, for more than 48 hours maximum. But many did. Partly through teamwork and an almost unlikely ingenuity. Nando and two comrades trekked in freezing temperatures, after weeks at the wreckage, through inhuman hardship and for weeks from the crash site to the nearest mountain village. By the time they were rescued by helicopters, 13 more survivors had died and Nando weighed 45 kilograms less. He and those rescued were almost dead.

The story was heartbreaking and painful, but also contained life lessons that left an impression on everyone in the audience. Nando Parrado, who was 19 at the time of the accident, said: "I never thought I would experience love. After the accident, when I lost my mother, my sister and my friends in the rugby team, and after the rescue, I thought life would be empty. But it has become so full. I've gotten to race cars that I love, I met my wife in Belgium. We have been married for 37 years now. I have children and grandchildren. My father, who drove me and my mother and sister to the airport that day in 1972, lived a long life. I am grateful and happy and enjoy life. I have been lucky."

"What I want to say - to those of you responsible for the business and success of your companies is: Live in the moment, intensely. Love and cohesion between people is the only important thing!"

IMPORTANT WORKING DAY

- A day like this can be an important working day, a day of inspiration, new impressions from skilled speakers and space for reflection," says Ivar Uttergård, Business Area Manager for Generic Mobile's messaging services, who took the initiative for Generic Mobile's participation together with customers at the Brain Supplement Executive Day.

- We go to work every day and are efficient and high-performing. I am glad
that our partners at Telia Company, Tele 2 and CUB took the time to join us and found the day rewarding - as did I and my colleagues at Generic Mobile. We will do this again!

Text and photo: Mikael Nilsson
for Generic MobileFour of Generic Mobile's participants at Hjärntillskott Executive Day 2016. Closest to the camera Anders Lagher, Senior Account Manager at Tele 2 (left) and Fredrik Åhlén, Product Manager at Telia Company (right). At the center of the lunch table Susanne Widlund, Key Account Manager and Magnus Rasmusson, Product Manager, at Generic Mobile.