A View of Current Reality Through the Lens of Possibilities!
What If’s:
What if we regarded our planet sacred ground – and as good stewards, our decisions and behavior nurtures and sustains our planet for our children and generations to come? What if people placed a high value on products and services that worked in harmony with nature? Imagine the innovation that would result from that mindset.
What if our societies valued people, families, and communities above money, status and things?
What if we put our children first? Most societies around the world make decisions and take actions that are not consistent with valuing and respecting children.
What if girls and women fully discovered, developed and lived their dreams? What would the world look like? I believe females have qualities and behaviors the world desperately needs. Most of us have a deep commitment to nurturing the growth and development of life. When confronted with conflict, most women and girls seek peaceful solutions; violence is rarely their choice. Women trust their intuition - we make decisions with their hearts as well as their minds. When the feminine voice is authentically heard in partnership with the masculine voice, we will have all the mind and heart power to collectively overcome our challenges and create a new and better world.
What if our schools were the center of our communities – imagine our schools as community centers?
What if it was against the law for schools to not have libraries and textbooks, and caring, competent teachers?
What if every business adopted a school?
What if corporations not only had “take your child to work day” which is great – but also had take a middle school or high school student to work – a young person who is “at risk” from poor schools & communities? These children never see this world - it might just ignite a dream.
What if organizations strived to create places worthy of people’s commitment? What if they unleashed the human potential and the human spirit? Imagine workplaces where the culture fostered creativity, innovation and growth and development? Imagine the phenomenal products, services, environments and results, they would achieve.
What if money was viewed as the results of out efforts and decisions rather than the aim? What would we measure and value? Albert Einstein had a sign hanging in his office at Princeton that read:
Albert Einstein
While working with Popular, Inc., I had the opportunity to work with an innovation team packed with young, bright people from four subsidiary companies of Popular, Inc. Richard Carrion, the CEO of Popular, charged the team with coming up with a breakthrough, leading edge internet product. He gave them the mandate to develop the product better, faster and cheaper than anything on the market. He gave them permission to break the rules of hierarchy. They ignored corporate policies regarding structures and boundaries. They were not paid a dime more in salary and yet they worked like their lives depended on it. They developed close and meaningful friendships, they had fun and they successfully achieved the mandate- better, faster cheaper. They did it for the thrill of creating something new and meaningful together and for the opportunity to contribute and “polish their gifts”. Richard Carrion, the CEO of Popular, Inc. understands the power of values.
“…The most successful companies are ones that because of their values and what they stand for, win the hearts and minds of the people that make them up. I believe that no organization can thrive if it’s not bound together by a common set of values.and, profit-maximization as a value won’t cut it. It won’t unite people and move them for a prolonged period of time.” Richard Carrion, CEO & Chairman Popular, Inc.
I believe corporations and organizations will face tremendous challenges in he near future- the ability to attract and retain the best and the brightest people. My daughter and many of her friends cannot phantom working in “the office” as we define it today. Many of them graduated from prestigious Ivy League schools and are leaving careers they invested many years developing: lawyers are abandoning the practice of law, MBA’s are leaving the firms and corporations. Young people are bailing out of formal organizations, in record numbers, opting for freedom and an environment where they can innovate and do meaningful work over simply making money. Most institutions and organizations simply are not welcoming places for human beings. We have the opportunity to fundamentally rethink our organizations. We can design them for living, breathing human beings.
We human beings built the institutions, organizations and communities that are struggling today. We have the capacity, the intelligence and the creativity to re-conceptualize, redesign and to rebuild them. If we find the courage and the will to tap into the collective minds hearts and imagination of people in our organizations and communities we can create healthy, nurturing, sustainable places. Don’t we deserve more for and from ourselves?
May all your beautiful hopes and dreams come true!
Michele
Transformation Catalyst
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