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The Generation Game: Where resilience matters

Paul Kudrayby
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Resilience starts within the family and generations first, then grows with maturity and experience, in business and working life. A text By Paul Kudray.

Born in the sixies, I grew up a child of the seventies, when there were only three UK television channels available to watch (if you were fortunate enought to have a TV!).

I was raised on a council estate in a working class family and money was tight. Our TV even had a money meter fixed to it, as did the electric meter too! It was a norm back then. It was a way of surviving and living and we were happy. We were resilient.

A ‘family treat’ happened on Saturday evenings when we would watch the BBC programme ‘The Generation Game’. A TV ‘game show’, then presented by the late Sir Bruce Forsyth who passed away in 2017. The format of the show involved family members, usually two adults, one older, one younger (hence generation link); with the aim to take on tasks and skills and compete against another ‘family team’.

IN YOUR EARS

Paul suggests listening to this song to accompany reading this post!

Light entertainment as it’s called

The family who scored the most points along the way, eventually had the chance to witness a converyor belt, loaded with prizes for a short a time, before having to recall the items one by one a short while later. Only one of the family members did this task.
Whatever items they could remember, they took away with them. The audience shouted to help the person remember what had passed by on the belt. It was indeed… ‘a good game, good game‘ (as Brucie would say!).

Family Matters: Business Matters: Life Matters

I am aware that the BBC is bringing the programme back with new presenters in 2018. There have been a number of different presenters over the years and an absence of the programme from the screens altogether. But the concept of a ‘Generation Game’ should not just be restricted to a TV programme of ‘light entertainment’.

In resilience terms, we share what we see, know and do, with family, friends and work colleagues. Our experiences and our joint working together to take on challenges and tasks; not only to win ‘prizes or rewards’, but often simply to get through life and the business jobs at hand. It matters to us all. We share stories and experiences and we pass the information on.

We work together

Conveyor Belt Principle

In our daily family and working lives, it is a pretty good assumption that somewhere along the journey, you will have been trained by someone more experienced. You may have even trained others who had less experience than you. A generation thing perhaps?

There will be ‘family’ love and protective advice passed down through generations to help you along the way. ‘Don’t go off with strangers’ and ‘don’t play with matches’ are just some examples. All kinds of relevant useful tips and information, sat on a ‘conveyor belt’ we see, receive and pass on, with the aim of being resilient; winning or getting through the ‘game of life’.

If you can think of as a many useful and relevant resilient items and tips today, what would you expect to see on the ‘conveyor belt’ and how many would the next generation be able to understand and recall?

Cyber security, emergency plans, business continuity management, flood water protection, emergency grab bag, mobile phone, pen, paper, stay safe leaflet, fire extinguisher, water, clothing, blankets, personal protective equipment, emergency shelter… cuddly toy?

The Price is Right if you Play Your Cards Right

Ok, so I’m a bit of a ‘saddo’ and I can recall other Bruce Forsyth TV programmes of ‘light entertainment’ over the years. The Price is Right and Play Your Cards Right are pretty universal concepts involving ‘games’ that particpants play to ‘win’.

Modern shows such as The Chase, Pointless, Tipping Point and I suspect, a whole lot more from around the globe, could easily be linked, with the concept of resilience. The taking part that counts or playing to survive, get through to the next heats, playing to win? That is what life and business is about.

We will take on challenges and tasks,
share some knowledge and work together
and be resilient

Everyone’s a Winner?

No, of course there are winners and losers. That is life and business again. For whatever reason, it happens. But resilience is an immensely essential role in the everyday lives of leaders and players. Both in life and in business. The subject should never be totally confined to being compartmentalized into personal and business (organizational) resilience.

Resilience transcends and crosses all walks of life and business, because there is a human, family value to it.

Resilience is not ‘light entertainment’ of course not, but it starts within the family and generations first and then grows with maturity and experience, in the wider business and working life.

We will always be involved in The Generation (Resilience) Game, because we need it.

Paul Kudray

A truly down to earth, grounded individual who is a resilience professional. Helping people and organizations to build and maintain their capabilities to respond to and recover from, crisis, emergencies or disasters. Paul is the ‘resilience maverick’ because he is not like the average resilience professional. Paul wants to help everyone be a bit more resilient because they can! paul@kudrayconsulting.com

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