BROTM (3) Abri.

[dutchpp]

Post number 3 of the December BROTM sequel

Abri.

I walked my dog on the North Sea beach yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately it was a very grey day and the temperature was gradually dropping to approximately 0 degrees Celsius. The wind from the North East blew straight from Siberia and was very cold.
When I walked back to my car on the parking spot on top of the dunes I passed this installation.

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It is named “Abri” and was constructed in stainless steel by two Dutch artists in 1993.
Abri is a French/Latin word which was incorporated in the Dutch language, in French Abriter is the word for shelter, in Latin Aprīcārī is the word for staying warm. In the Dutch language the word “Abri” is used as the name for the little shelter you use when waiting for the public transport buses or trains.

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I wanted to try the device so I climbed the stairs and sat down on the little bench. I immediately felt a lot more comfortable, the parabolic dish really offered shelter from the cold easterly wind.
I spend some time there to watch the ships navigating to the North Sea channel and Amsterdam.

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But there was another hidden aspect.
When you sit on the little bench your head is placed exactly in the focal point of the parabolic dish. The dish is aimed at the low water surf line which is not visible in the photo due to the high tide.
And suddenly you realize that your hearing capacity has improved enormously, you can hear the birds on the beach, you can hear the waves breaking, you can hear people talking, I even thought I heard Mick Taylor play the solo of a familiar Stones song.

As a former manager, I know that listening well is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership.
This could be the ultimate management support device, it offers protection against external storms and bias and seriously increases your listening capacities.
I am going to write a letter to Santa immediately, I want a portable one for Christmas.

[Spin_Drift]

Nice and interesting post, thank you.

[Durnik]

this one won't do much for blocking the wind, but, it is portable.

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"northwestreverb.blogspot.com/2015/09/ear-trumpet-concert-listing-of-new.html"

and my first thought on seeing the parabolic dish was 'I'll bet that focuses sound well'!

my first thought on reading your post was on the ref to 'wind from Siberia..' - don't often see that reference in mid n. america.

thanks for the post.. I'm with you on listening/focus, and that wonderful parabolic dish.

[dutchpp]

Thanks Durnik appreciated!
I first heard the phrase "straight from Siberia" a couple of decades ago when I visited the airport authority of Stansted airport in the UK. They had just built a new terminal with the entry and exit doors located on the eastern part of the building, they invented a clever heating/opening an closing system for the doors.
I sometimes use the phrase although it's usually factually not completely correct. The high pressure system that affects the weather in Western Europe in this situation is usually located above Scandinavia and the North western part of Russia af couple of thousand kilometers west of Siberia.
A picture of a similar situation, in the small circle the Netherlands in the ellips on the right side the Oeral mountains and as you know Siberia starts East of the Oeral mountains.
russische beer.jpg

[bluedog225]

As a former manager, I know that listening well is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership.

Interesting observation.

[dutchpp]

As a former manager, I know that listening well is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership.

Interesting observation.

Does it surprise you?

[Jimmy W]

I thought about a listening device when I saw the photo. I used to have a cheap parabolic microphone that was pretty effective. When I was deer hunting, I thought about making a much smaller version of the thing in post 3, but more like cupping your hands behind your ears.

[dutchpp]

I thought about a listening device when I saw the photo. I used to have a cheap parabolic microphone that was pretty effective. When I was deer hunting, I thought about making a much smaller version of the thing in post 3, but more like cupping your hands behind your ears.

To be honest, that's the main purpose of the installation, however the name actually is "Abri" and incorporating the shelter effect in the story makes it a little bit more interesting
The prevailing winds in the Netherlands are West/South -West, the dish is useless as shelter during Westerly winds

[George Jung]

As a former manager, I know that listening well is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership.

Interesting observation.

Yeah, I liked this, as well. IME - 'managers' are more interested in directing others, not so much hearing feedback.

Like the OP.

[dutchpp]

I'm not a management guru, you can find 10000+ management books with advice. But IME listening well is the ultimate way of bonding people to yourself as a manager.
They want to be successful and you need to be successful to achieve the company and your personal management goals. Really listening to them and sometimes actually use their remarks and advice makes them feel serious and valued. That makes the actual directing and managing rather easy, even in some of the seriously complicated organizations/jobs were I worked.

The hard part? Your own ego sometimes gets in the way of your listening skills, you must learn to switch it off and listen open and unbiased. It took me a few years.

[Durnik]

"..and as you know Siberia starts East of the Oeral mountains."

well, I do now. 0-:

truthfully, my Siberian geography was never that good.

still, nice turn of a phrase - I felt it in me bones!