Imagination: The Key To Successful Job Creation

'You see things; and you say, "Why?"
But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"'
George Bernard Shaw

The news is sadly full of layoffs taking place. Thousands each month are losing their jobs. The grim spectre of the 1930's Great Depression comes readily to mind. However, there is a non-documented period of history, 30 years ago in Europe, which paints a different picture, one of much greater possibility. Non-documented because it was pre-internet time and no one thought to record what took place.

In the late 1970's British Steel were laying off thousands. The steel industry, as it was then in Great Britain, was no longer viable. Massive steel mills were closing down. Communities supported by the steel industry suffered profoundly the loss to their local economies.

Into the picture came Patrick Naylor, to run the job creation arm of British Steel. He had the imagination to recognize two important truths:

1. A steel worker has dreams too.

At that time, it was considered that a man who worked in steel could do only that. Therefore there was no hope for him when the industry died.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand,
imagination points to all we might yet discover and create."
Albert Einstein

2 There is a tremendous wealth of human energy and resource in every community.

What does this mean? When an industry closes down, its employees are not stripped of their imagination, talent and capacity for creating wealth. Quite the reverse. The demise of one large industry potentially releases individuals to generate greater economic stability than was there before.

"Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm,
and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things:
first, an ideal, with takes the imagination by storm,
and second, a definite intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice."
Arnold Toynbee

England in the 1970's was emerging from the notion that a person worked for 48 hours a week, 48 weeks a year and for 48 years of their life in the same organization - a relic concept of the industrial age. It has since been recognized that a person may now have several vocations in one lifetime, more than one dream to fulfil.

Not only did Naylor have the vision for job creation, but he also had the skills and ability to implement the vision, creating lasting jobs in communities, potentially devastated by high levels of unemployment. Above all he was a believer in the process. Subsequently, his practical experience turned belief into knowledge and understanding.

When job creation teams had been set up within steel closure areas, Naylor went on to run Job Creation Limited, a private enterprise addressing other major industries in Europe which, through changes in the marketplace, were downsizing or shutting up shop completely.

"There is hope in dreams, imagination,
and in the courage of those who wish to make those dreams a reality."
Jonas Salk

The forces of negativity were legion. Non-believers, and those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, such as the unions wishing to retain their membership, tried and sometimes succeeded in blocking a job creation project.

Job Creation Limited was paid on results: new jobs established over a period of time. As a one time small business owner himself, Naylor recognized the most important factor in securing new wealth:

3. The key to successful job creation

A person with a business idea needs help, both practical and psychological, to translate their idea into a successful enterprise. They need support at hand to avoid the pitfalls, and ensure a positive outcome. You can't just throw money at a start up project, walk away and hope it will work. In the 1980's, British banks made that mistake. As a result, they created a lot of unnecessary business failure and human misery.

In response to my last week's post 5 Ways To Turn On The Power Of Your Love, Jason commented that "the power of imagination is so under valued in our culture". I agree.

You may recall Imagine sung by John Lennon:

If you have been recently laid off, the future may seem very bleak for you. My heart goes out to you. My hope is that in President Obama's job creation initiatives there might be programmes similar to those run successfully in Europe 30 years ago.

When Patrick Naylor was engaged in Job Creation, I went with him to some of the industrial closure areas. To enter huge shut-down factory buildings -- cold, damp, desolate and devoid of people gainfully employed in them -- was gut wrenching for me. Later, these empty shells were transformed into industrial villages with new hope, fresh enterprise and sources of greater wealth and well-being than before.

History could repeat itself.

True to his own philosophy, Patrick Naylor now fulfills a long time dream of running very successful small hotel in Cornwall, England - The Camelot Hotel.

"They are ill discoverers that think there is no land,
when they can see nothing but sea."
Francis Bacon

Have you been laid off, and how are you dealing with it? Do you have a business idea that you would like to make happen? What does your community need that you might provide as a business?

***

Anne offers Clear Results Consultations to people facing turning points in their lives and gives monthly Possible Dream Meetings. A pdf copy of the Clear Results Self-Assessment is available; and a copy of the pdf guidelines for Possible Dream Meetings that can be run in any home. Please get in touch with me if there is any way I can be of assistance to you.

I would love to hear from you, either as a comment here or contact me at Clear Results.

Comments

[Russell Small]

Great article Anne!

The historic quotes in this article support their contemporary examples very eloquently and which makes this information timeless.

I like that you give a lot of great ideas and information to today's job hunter, who likely feels lonely, depressed and discouraged. I especially like the idea about using the imagination to look forward versus behind. We tend to look at our past as a measure to determine our future but if we use our imaginations as they were supposed to we will see a future where anything is possible.

Thanks for another informative piece and for helping people to not only dream again, but to dream BIG!

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Russell Small

Thank you! I hope you join me in imagining a truly wonderful future that we can now all be moving towards.

I appreciate very much your comment.

Anne

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Anne, what a lovely and wonderful post!

I have always 'imagined' what if would be like if John Lennon were still alive. He was a visionary and one of my favorite icons.

Deb and I had the good fortune of writing a book that Yoko was a contributor also Paul McCartney and Linda.

Thank you for this messaqge.

Ed

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Ed,

Thank you! John Lennon certainly left us with a great message. What was the book you wrote?

I appreciate your showing up here!

Blessings to you,
Anne

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Anne, We wrote it in 1992. It was called:

THE WAY AHEAD -
A Visionary Perspective For The New Millennium
Richard Gere wrote the foreword.

HH the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Bishop Tutu, President Vaclav Havel, HRH Prince Phillip, Allen Ginsberg, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rupert Sheldrake were also contributors.

Cheers,
Ed

[Pupadup4oBama]

My husband and I are both currently unemployed...but I feel like I have so many ideas about what I want and can do. It's exciting and scary, but that's what makes it exciting.

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Pupadup4oBama

Thank you very much for your comment. It warms my heart to hear that you are excited about the possibilities ahead. Scary yes, but then a lot of worthwhile ventures start off that way because you face the unknown.

I wish you every success in translating your ideas into successful projects.

Anne

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

The Bacon quote is what I like best: just consider the fact that he wrote that more than a hundred years before Darwin and another hundred years before we started to be pretty sure that we all started out as... well, ... fish!

Just imagine what would have happened if they had lacked the guts to look forward!

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

DiogenesOfAlaska

I love what you say! Thank you.

I think, I hope, that there is an underlying drive in humanity to "find the new land" even at times when we seem most at sea. Perhaps this is where the imagination really comes into play - envisaging where we wish to land. Even through stormy seas, our vision draws us forward.

Warm good wishes to you,
Anne

[brandnewstuff]

Another application

www.ussc.gov/orgguide.htm

Create a word over used these days= as creative - good and evil and there are many evil people that will make money using and exploiting others- There is a built in ratio for when that bridges are crossed-

there are punishments -- being creative is one thing- being responsbile is another-

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

brandnewstuff

Thank you for your comment. Responsible creativity is I hope where more of us are heading. That we exercise the choice for caring accountability. I think it is said somewhere that our sins have a way of finding us out.

Creativity directed for good ends and the benefit of many is I believe a gift many of us have available to us if we choose to use it.

Blessings to you,
Anne

[brandnewstuff]

People always USING the Word Create and Creative-- Here is a fact about creative- The Federal Sentencing Guidlines for Organization -- THE FSGO- which no one is more powerful than Congress or the Supreme Court-- I had Time to read all this while recovering from creative violence and using art for a hate crime- The Arts and Racism-

There is a rule for using Creativity for the purpose of committing Evil-- then you end up reading on Culpabilty and complaince to the Rule of Laws

Though Micheal Mukasey is a "piece" and tried to change guidlines - Basic Rule of law principals never changes

So when one wants to create-- If a Nightmare or bad creation occurs Now the Rules and Laws that are applications - as This obviously is not a new to use criminal activity in creative world- the ratio was aestablished for damages -- That starts a 10 million - then add in damages to non compliance to the rule of laws to the Industry involved or involvements

I personally read of past Victims and case laws- That is how a ratio occured and It was to punish those that know better Doing Evil until shown sunshine-- Yes these rules apply with International Laws as well some cases dealt with Overseas and In The United States

[dandypuddin]

Thanks for this. i have decided to spend less time on the business/politics threads and more time here. Better for the soul and morale. We need to remember that in the realm of competition there is depression and scarcity. In the realm of creativity and cooperation, there is only possibility and abundance.

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

dandypuddin

What a wonderful name! Welcome to our Living section - I am delighted you have decided to drop by.

I absolutely love what you say about creativity and cooperation - I cannot agree with you more. There is a saying that energy follows thought. I hope that many more of us may go the possibility and abundance thnking route.

With love and blessings to you,
Anne

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

PS- I changed my opening quote, since you'd already used the one I had. There's so many good ones to use for this subject.

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Among many other things, we are abundant in good quotes!

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Anne,

I just wrote a comment for you and went to post it and poof! It disappeared! So here goes again:

I'm blown away by the synchronicity of your article this week. I just finished writing my post for next week and guess what it's about? Manifesting Your Impossible Dreams! And just so you don't think I'm copying you, I also used the Shaw quote. Wow! We are tuned into the same channel.

It just goes to show this is an idea whose time has come round once again, as Jason aptly points out. Indeed, it's time to fire up the imagination and go for our dreams. Even the ones we think are impossible.

Thanks so much for this beautiful article and Lennon's timeless song that reminds us to "Imagine".

Much love,
Judith
PS- Is Patrick Naylor your husband? A relative, no doubt?

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Judith,

Thank you very much for your comment, the second time around! I love the synchronicity of thought happening. It is almost as though there is one invitation being extended and several of us responding yes to it!

Patrick Naylor is my ex- husband - you are not the first to ask! The Shaw quote is such a good one - could easily bear repeating.

It seems to me that one of the greatest challenges at the moment is that while listening to the news, we still keep afloat with what we can do, and keep doing it until it makes a difference - the difference we are seeking to achieve.

I so appreciate your kind words.

With love and blessings,
Anne

[Jason Mannino - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks so much for bringing forward the important distinction that being laid off does not mean there are no new possibilities and dreams for people. This may very well be the perfect time for people to start imagining and dreaming again!

Thanks!
Jason

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Hello Jason,

Thank you very much for your comment. I do so hope that people will start imagining and making their heartfelt dreams come true. Won't that be wonderful?!

On balance, I am more excited abut the emerging possibilities than I am concerned about what the future may be bringing. Human beings are extraordinary creatures.

Love and blessings to you,
Anne