Look down from the Balcony

 

The Balcony

Most people who go to a party enter the hall through the front door and are usher themselves onto the dance floor of chitchat. They hurriedly say hello to old friends, graciously introduce themselves to new and sidestep boring associates with corner of the eye precision as they strategically work their way around the room to the real person they came to see. After that contact has been made, the party either begins or they are free to leave. Very few people take interest or make an effort to go to the balcony. After all there are energy-sapping stairs to negotiate which take energy and time to escalate - not exactly the life of the party! While this happens at parties It is much the same in the office, at workplace and even family where you go to make your connections for the day and then leave. But what really happens in the balcony or gallery? and who goes there?  

Many Leadership consultants, they also call them gurus - a more religious term, have written about the strategic vantage point the balcony provides for business organization and management. From the balcony you can see who comes in and goes out -without them seeing you. From the balcony you can observe the various cliques in the room. You can observe the systematic routine of waiters, cleaners and security personnel engaging their craft with professionalism and poise. From the balcony you can observe the lovers and those who have been forced to come. If you take your time you can tell which stories are being told in the various groups and predict with mint accuracy the collisions, collusions and consequences are going to happen next in various corners of the room within a few minutes. By sending a note to the cooks, the musicians and lighting affects you can actually dictate the mood of all the guests in the room. If you are keen enough you can influence the evening like the conductor or an orchestra or execute the vantage of a military general. For those who have watched spy movies like double Agent 007, Nikita, Luke Skywalker or Black Panther, you will notice that the best place to enter a party is not the front door, but the balcony. The balcony holds the power of intervention, intention and strategic innovation. The most influential negotiations take place there - everyone else is on the menu!

In case you think that the balcony is only for some people and not for others, you are mostly mistaken. With time we all get moved to the balcony at some stage of life and grudgingly or diplomatically take up our place in the house of lords and watch parliamentarians make laws with predictable outcomes with no power to change what may take place. In the balcony we gasp in both awe and horror with a great deal of soothsaying wisdom - some of which we could have used when we were on the dancefloor. But now as a supervisor, manager, father, mother, friend, enemy, relative or retired CEO we must watch the party from the balcony. The power to change things is gone. It is a sort of numbing experience to know that you can do nothing about your own past, wayward offspring, global warming, the atomic bomb, genetic engineering, systematic evil or world war 4, 5 and 6! It is out of your hands. But it certainly need not be a place of dead pan sorrow - DESIDERATA is quite helpful here. The party will go on until you take your place in the sand.

Here are somethings you can do though; when you are at the party, take some time to go check out the balcony. It might make you a better dancer. If you are in the balcony, periodically come down and enjoy the show. Not everyone needs to know what you know. So next time you enter a room scan the balcony. Know that there have been people there before you. You might see their pictures on the wall, but remember too that there are many more who will come after you. Take the words of a wise teacher; enjoy the moment and don’t worry overmuch about tomorrow. I heard the Chinese say, the past is gone, the future is unknown, but the present is a gift! Treasure every moment you get in the hall.

Allan Bukusi