SPREZZATURA! This is the motto of the GSA Convention 2022. This year’s Convention Chair is Rainer Petek. In an interview with blink.it, he shares his personal success story from the last few years: Facing the unknown with ease. Rainer provides concrete tips in the interview for speakers, consultants, and leadership positions on how to upgrade work digitally.
This is the GSA Convention 2022
I am probably not the only one who had to Google the motto of this year's GSA Convention: SPREZZATURA – according to Wikipedia, the term describes the ability to make even demanding tasks appear effortless.
The idea thus goes beyond the mastery of an art or scholarly knowledge and implies a way of presenting oneself as advantageously as possible in society.
Wikipedia article on Sprezzatura
For most of us, the past pandemic years have been tumultuous and exhausting. For speakers who thrive on stage presence, however, much has changed. Therefore, this year at GSA Con 2022, one question will be particularly central: Presentations and "social distancing" – how does that fit together?
Rainer Petek: GSA Convention Chair 2022
This year’s GSA Convention Chair is Rainer Petek, who set himself a goal at the beginning of the pandemic:
I wanted to be able to say in hindsight: 'My reaction to the pandemic was one of the greatest success stories of my professional career.'
Rainer Petek in an interview with blink.it
A key element to Rainer Petek's success story: The connection with other people. The exchange among each other to learn from one another and help each other. Therefore, an event like the CSA Convention will also contribute significantly to enabling speakers and trainers to continue to make a living from their passion.
About the person: Rainer Petek describes himself as "a mountain guide for the entrepreneurial north face." As a former professional mountain guide, he combines his experiences from extreme situations with strategies for corporate management: Confidence in dealing with uncertainty – a skill that was particularly advantageous during the Corona pandemic. More at www.rainerpetek.de
Rainer Petek in an interview with blink.it
To learn more about this year’s Convention Chair, we recently held an interview with Rainer Petek. In it, Rainer explains what tasks he has as the "Program Director" of the GSA Convention and what methods he has used to digitalize his business.
Shortcuts to the individual topic blocks in the video
00:00 – Rainer Petek introduces himself
01:30 – About the role of the Convention Chair
03:20 – Impact of the pandemic on Rainer's work
06:56 – Tools for the uncertainty of the Corona pandemic
11:37 – Pandemic over – Back to normal? The future of online measures
13:34 – Rainer Petek's tip for speakers on online work
16:08 – Does Corona force learners to take more self-responsibility?
Rainer Petek on the future of work
The 5 most exciting quotes from the interview with Rainer Petek summarized here in writing:
1. On the shock of the pandemic and a promise to the future:
The situation in March 2020 was already existential for me. I am a family man, I have two daughters and built a house. The calendar was suddenly empty, and I couldn't even have set a goal in that situation. But I made myself a promise for the future: When this is over, I want to be able to look back and say: The journey there was amazing.
2. On dealing with the unknown:
We have all experienced firsthand how fragile our entire constructs are and how much the notion of security is an illusion. (…) Therefore, we must make the switch to recognize that uncertainty is not a specter of dread, but rather an invitation: The invitation to shape our future.
3. On online offerings as the "new normal":
Online offerings are now seen by customers as a completely natural part of consulting projects. I hardly have consulting projects that run solely in person. This is a significant enrichment for all of us.
4. Working in person vs. working from home:
Companies, including employees, have learned the experience: We function even when we are unprepared and all sitting at home. You have to provide a reason why I should come back to the office now.
5. The infrastructure of offices must change:
Work will never be the same as before. We will experience entirely new forms of hybrid collaboration. Offices will change, and they need to become more hybrid.
