Dimitri Marko
I brought my digital background to Paradigm21 in order to contribute to the development of online activities. I have since specialized in facilitating and training the development of collective intelligence and collaboration.
I joined Paradigm21 in early 2021 to expand my skills and expand my field of action to help organizations focus on humans.
The biggest challenge I've faced in my evolution
The most difficult thing was to understand, and especially to accept, not to take anything for granted. I've been trying not to repeat my mistakes for a long time, but it took me many more years to understand that you shouldn't try to repeat your successes without first questioning them. Change and evolution also means improving what has worked.
What matters most to me in the emergence of a new paradigm
I hope that everyone will find what they are looking for and will be able to blossom. All organizational structures, and all ways of managing an organization have good and bad, and none can be recommended without knowing the context of the organization. I think it is important for individuals to also be aware of this context, and to understand whether it is conducive or not for them.
A professional experience that has particularly influenced me
I experienced the transformation of a company "in the other direction". Initially very collaborative, there were many opportunities to demonstrate leadership, and responsibilities and accountabilities were very well distributed. It wasn't perfect, of course, but everything looked different from the way my relatives lived their professional lives. As the company grew, it became a little more conservative, or traditional. When we didn't know how to handle a conflict situation, we added managers. When an employee expressed frustration or dissatisfaction, the problem was resolved with a small raise or a more prestigious title, ignoring the real problem for at least a few months. "The boss said that" has come to replace constructive brainstorming, and punching the table has nicely become the primary mode of decision-making. This experience taught me two important things:
- Several things I did not want to experience in my professional life
- This transformation was not a bad thing, it was simply what the owners wanted, and trying to change them was not my role.
My favorite sport
Basketball It is my favourite sport, the one that generated all my teenage dreams and that allowed me to meet exceptional people. I've watched it, I've played it, I've refereed it and I've taught it: I've invested a lot of time, effort and love in this sport, and it has paid me back well. For me, it is the perfect sport because it requires a full investment of the body and mind. Beyond the physical effort required to play basketball, the brain is in effervescence, because a game is “nothing else” than a succession of decisions that must be made as quickly as possible. Playing basketball is the perfect escape for me, and a way to relax while having fun and expending energy.
One thing I couldn't live without
My phone. Beyond the convenience it offers to organize my weeks and days, and to allow me to work where I want, when I want, if I want, it is this phone that allowed me to keep a simple and efficient contact with my family and friends when I was living abroad, and that allows me today to keep this same contact with the people I met during more than 5 years spent overseas.
One thing from my bucket list
Complete an Ironman triathlon in less than 10 hours (but already in less than 11 hours to start). For me, it is the ultimate test that requires pushing one's physical and mental limits, and a constant commitment to lifestyle, discipline and self-understanding.
