Who are you? Tell yourself.
My name is Silvia Zanella; I was born in 1978 in Schio, where I also went to secondary school. Then I moved to Bologna, where I studied Communications; after this I gained some experience in Rome and in 2003 I moved to Milan, where I was lucky enough to enter the world of Human Resources. That is where my great passion for this field of activity began: I have been dealing with and studying the future of work for almost 20 years.
Why did you choose this word to represent yourself?
Coming from Schio, it is difficult not to have the word “work” in one’s DNA and I also had the privilege of seeing what work means from an early age in the streets I walked, in the monuments I saw and in all the opportunities of “seeing” work that Schio gave me, especially in its historical aspect. Growing up, and then when I started working, I had occasion to deal with these aspects from a professional perspective, and therefore to specialize in communicating the meaning of work. As the years went by, I realized that it was a theme in constant evolution and transformation, perhaps one of the most important and central issues in the life of each and everyone of us. That is why I chose the word “work”: it is a part of our lives and gives us the chance to launch ourselves into the world and give free rein to our ambitions. Work is a right, but it is also a duty. It is a right to the extent that each of us needs a source of sustenance but also of fulfilment; it is a duty because through work we can all make our own contribution to society, to our own individuality, but also to our community.
To get to where you are, you had to strongly believe in yourself, in your idea, in your project: do you therefore think that believing in something with conviction always makes it possible?
It is true that I have always been very determined and have had very clear ideas since I was a child. I have always wanted to write and I have cultivated the idea of being a journalist and a writer since childhood. However, I believe that thinking we will always get what we want if we want it strongly enough is a little like Walt Disney’s saying: “If you can dream it, you can do it”. This is only partly true in my opinion, as you need some fundamental circumstances that help you to achieve your dreams, but effort and luck are also involved in the process. Believing in what you want is certainly important, as well as doing everything in your power to make use of your talents; nevertheless, you should not think of it necessarily as a personal failure if it turns out that you do not succeed in what you set out to do. This is a bad idea that would not be good for you to dwell on.
Your area of origin is full of inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, writers and sportsmen who, with talent and stubbornness, dedicate every day of their lives to putting into practice what they believe in to make their dreams come true, overcoming their limits. What has the territory you come from transmitted to you? And how do you feel about it?
The area I come from has certainly given me a strong work ethic, an idea of what is meant by commitment, respect for the rules, respect for others, respect for work done and a focus on work well done. I carry a very specific work culture in my genes that is very typical of the northern area of the Province of Vicenza. My relationship with the region, however, is slightly ambivalent: on one hand I am very grateful for everything that this land has managed to give me but on the other I am just a little disappointed that it is not always able to offer everything that it could, either to young people or in terms of cultural and professional opportunities, and that it is not as open to others as it could easily be, given the monstrous amount of money it disposes of.
Are you aware that yours is an “EXTRAordinary” story? And what do you think makes it truly “EXTRAordinary”?
When people tell me my story is extraordinary I always smile a little, but it is certainly a story of great privilege. I am really lucky because I do what I like; I have been able to combine professional satisfaction and career that has been amazing and incredibly rewarding with other passions, above all for writing, which was perhaps my true dream as a child. And so, if I can combine these two things it would be really extraordinary. I know not everyone could do it and I also realize I have been enormously lucky.
