“Organizations are the sum total of their people. Like any other community, organizations bring people together on the basis of beliefs, skill and the value they individually add to the achievement of defined goals.However, in the name of efficiency, we have created a differentiation between ‘work’ and the ‘rest of our lives’.
We treat ‘work’ as separate – as a thing to do or a place to be, clock in the required hours, learn new skills and cope with high pressure in order to progress. Once ‘work’ is done, we try to switch off and unwind.Be The Change: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. – African ProverbThis differentiation reinforces the myth of ‘individualism’ – the cultural belief that an individual’s successes or failures are a result of his / her own effort and ability.
As a result, in the modern workplace, we consider connecting with co-workers more of a necessity than something that is enriching and valuable. Over time, such a mechanical and dispassionate view of our work life can create a disconnect that can hurt, rather than help us.The main question that arises in all this is, where is our joy? How do we keep ourselves going?Where is the inspiration with which we approach each new work day?Inspiration can be hard to find when action is prioritized over everything else.
However, there is an ageless idea that has been proven to bring happiness and a sense of fulfillment into the life of any individual, community or organization. That happiness is created through positively-oriented relationships.Inspiration Positively-oriented relationships go by various names: team-work, buddy system, mentorship, social capital, coaching, etc. Research on organizational development tells us that networks of compassionate relationships help create successes and support in times of failure.
Given this knowledge, it is in our interest to focus on building positive relationships that allow us and others to flourish.”