It’s between past and future, tradition and progress, parents and children. It doesn’t take a crisis to bring the gap to mind. Any change, any attempt, any opinion to do things differently, will do.

Suggesting a change seems to question the honorable basements of tradition and of those who build it. Change contains criticism of the status quo – if others suggest it.

If you are the one to bring the topic to the table, because you are equally visionary like for example Columbus or Da Vinci, you may feel smiled at or criticized but surely tied down by those refusing your idea for change.

Sounds familiar?

It’s like singer-songwriter Cat Stevens’, better known as Yusuf Islams’ song “Father and Son” (featured in “Tea for the Tillerman”, fourth studio album released in November 1970).

While he recalls that his own father would pretty much let him do what he wanted, the artist wrote the song more “for those, who could not break loose”.

And maybe also for those who don’t easily want to because they’ve established a business together and want to see it develop and thrive over time. That implies careful consideration. And movement: from now to tomorrow. Movement implies change. And even if from now to future doesn’t necessarily mean from good to better, the simple fact that continuity is the path from now to future means that things can get into the way.

Standing still is no option since time won’t, either.

Been there, seen that

Preserving and re-using experiences is a very different attitude, because it’s up to you to make an educated decision about what to use and what
to leave behind. Or use on a different occasion better suited.

In any way you’ll “think a lot, look at everything you’ve got” to quote again, and then you decide actively and mindfully based on as much information you can possible get your hands on.

Had humankind devoted itself to preserving tradition as the only, the sacrosanct greater goal, we’d probably be carving any mails with our hand-ax.

But humankind is capable of change. Singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, born as Steven Demetre Georgiou, is a great example. Not only because he changed his name according to meaningful stages in his life.

He wrote “Father and Son”, as a dialogue between young and old:

“It’s not time to make a change! You’re still young, that’s your fault. There’s so much you have to know.”

Is youth a fault only redeemable by aging?

Seniority and age are often used synonymously for richness in experience. Experience is information, knowledge, things you have seen and done and that you now rely upon.

However, you can get information and support to make sense of it no matter how old or young you are. Youth is neither fault nor excuse. So, are seniors the true problem? Are they like anchors, able to provide safety but also to impediment?

I was once like you are now. And I know that it’s not easy, goes the song.

Neither is sailing on at tensed anchor cable or just swinging at anchor, getting around but not getting anywhere else. Here is the thing: Our predecessors and parents, our seniors all know. They know, because they once were young, too.

But no matter how old or young we may be: The actual question is how to make an educated decision based on thorough thinking and well weighed, valuable information?

Take your time, think a lot, think of everything you’ve got. For you will still be here tomorrow, goes the song.

It’s the tomorrow that defines the game. What will be important tomorrow? What successful changes where there in the past that brought you to today? And what changes do you need to make today, for “you will still be here tomorrow”?

Change sounds like chance. And like chant – and it’s the chant, the song that bridges the perceived gap and unites the generations, whether you play it on an analog or electrical guitar, it’s still the same song of a business both young and old would like to see developing and thriving also tomorrow and beyond.

Saskia Riedel
Marketing and Communications
H&N International

Kira Döhring
Marketing
H&N International

Change sounds like chance. And like chant – and it’s the chant, the song that bridges the perceived gap and unites the generations, whether you play it on an analog or electrical guitar, it’s still the same song of a business both young and old would like to see developing and thriving also tomorrow and beyond.