Humanity at Work

One of my principal interests and intentions relates to the issue of how we can cultivate and express our humanity in and though our work. By humanity, I refer to the essential human attributes of love, compassion, forgiveness, empathy, and other qualities that foster flow, connection, and generative energy.nnTypically, these attributes are not a principle focus of attention in the context of business and work, but they seem to be increasingly relevant and recognized as essential to the success of our businesses, the well-being of our society, and the sustainability of our ecosystem.nnThrough my work as Executive Director of FLOW, I am fortunate to encounter “conscious entrepreneurs” every day who are bringing humanity into the workplace and into the DNA of their organizations. This week I learned about Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes, which has donated over 115,000 shoes to children in need around the world through buy-one-give-one-away model. For every pair of shoes he sells, he gives one away. Building a profitable company, while providing a broader service to society, and, in his words proving that “entrepreneurs can focus on being ambassadors of humanity.”nnLast weekend I was honored to be a Change Agent in Residence at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute on Bainbridge Island, WA. I was deeply impressed by the well-rounded and rigorous curriculum, the intellectual rigor and emotional intelligence of the staff and students, depth of passion and purpose, and the palpable embodiment and expression of humanity that permeated the community and its culture.nnI just returned from a walking meeting with Melinda Kramer and Amira Diamond from the Women’s Earth Alliance, a non-profit that provides capacity-building technical and entrepreneurial training to women in developing communities. While expressing humanity is something we expect non-profits to do, what was exciting for me to find, and which is something I am finding more and more of, is their grounded and balanced humanity, which emanates from a place of wholeness and idealism, rather than scarcity and fear. They understand the essential need for self-care, and for acting in ways that a congruent with their mission.nnAnd this recognition and expression of humanity is not simply the domain of start-up entrepreneurs, sustainable MBA programs, and social entrepreneurs, but is beginning to blossom in substantial companies, even during this time of economic adversity. Companies like Whole Foods Market, REI, the Container Store, and others sustain their commitment to a higher purpose, their recognition of and full engagement of their interdependent stakeholders, and lead from a place of service, rather than greed.nnWhile this is not an easy time for any of us, I think that the extent to which we can reside in our humanity, and conduct ourselves in business and our work from our humanity, we can establish a new, more sustainable fabric for our economy and for the lives that it sustains.nnFor those of you in the SF Bay area, please join Elad Levinson and me, and the 20 or so people who will be participating in the first Working for Good workshop in Mill Valley on Saturday May 2nd. You can find more details here.nnWishing you a wonderful weekend, and encouraging you to feed your humanity.nnYours in Working for Good,nnJeff