I’ve been proud to be part of an extended team that has embodied a commitment to honoring the individuals we work with, believing we have as much to learn from each of them as we have to share. Often, the real challenge is in helping the organizational sponsors raise their sights above the level of “minimum acceptable behavior” to envision a workplace where employees are eager to learn about others and to discover their own gifts in the process. Facilitating that kind of climate is the work I love. I’ve come away spiritually deepened and enormously optimistic about the potential for the human race.
My disappointment is, in part, seeded by anticipating working with big organizations who could do so much better for their employees and communities than they are aiming for. Some of these organizations have a lot of pain inside and dragons at the gate. They are missing an opportunity to do well while they do good, and I always have hopes for such organizations to achieve their highest potential in that regard.
Truth is, in a healthier economy, I didn’t respond to such RFP’s. We had as much work as we could properly handle and our clients shared our vision of corporate citizenship and human potential. Today, I’m taking time to look at those kinds of requests I could pass on before, and I’m really saddened to discover how many organizations are still operating in a mindset reminiscent of the late ’70s and early 80’s. At some level, I had come to believe we’d made more progress. Finally, I guess I’m also coming to grips with the fact that there is so much more to be done and the length of time we may still need to work to bring our vision to fruition.
Ah well, no rest for the wicked!
