Posnan

new market

I’ve been in Posnan, Poland this past week. I had every intention to continue to post while I was there, but as Murphy’s Law would have it, the place where I stayed had very spotty internet connection and I didn’t have the time to go look for a internet cafe.

Officially, I was in Posnan as a workshop leader for Negotiation Days IV. I worked the conference last year and enjoyed myself so much that I jumped at the chance to come back and be apart of the team. I ran three workshops, one on building effective teams, one on coaching, and one on Alpha Leadership.

Unofficially, I spent time exploring the culture. I am amazed that people are people no matter where you go. I think we like to believe we are different, but we’re not. I know that’s not a revolutionary thought and others would dispute my
claim, but as I sat in the New Market watching people go by on their way to work or school, or shopping, familiar scenes bombarded my senses. I could have been on any street corner, in Europe, or America or another place tied into the global village. What I saw: C&A, Lee Wranglers, Henri LLyod, Nescafe, Nike, Reebok, Puma, Spiderman 3, Orange, Imax, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, 3 lads with school bags and Ipods in their ear, ladies pushing prams, a girl with white trainers and pink laces wearing faded jeans, a 10 meter poster plastered on the side of a building with a stylish woman and stylish man in black looking down on the passerbys as if to say wouldn’t you like to be as cool me…

So at the macro level the view looks the same, but of course when I looked at the micro level interacting act with people on an individual level, I found mostly wonderful friendly people very strong in tradition, but equally eager to learn new things.

3 Comments

  1. Jeremy May 16, 2007 at 7:22 pm

    Hi Clay,

    Remember when we went to Posnan in September 1994?

    –Jeremy

    Reply
  2. Soulcruzer May 16, 2007 at 7:31 pm

    It’s changed so much since then…amazing place!

    Reply
  3. Mathias May 28, 2007 at 9:04 pm

    Hey Clay,

    the seminars in Poznan were great – thanks for the great time and lets stay in touch.

    Cheers from Germany,

    Mathias

    Reply

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