Category: Humanity

“It’s not personal, it’s just business” is BS.

30 September 2020 / Andrew

The words “It’s not personal, it’s just business” are all too common. I’ve had them used to me, my staff and friends. And I’ve often read them in the media.

The reality is, of course, that all business is personal.

Every interaction we have with another human being is personal, founded on human to human relationships. When we start to think that “it’s just business” takes priority over personal, as a human and leader we have failed.

Of course we can and must make business decisions. But as soon as we talk to the people who are impacted by the decision, we need to remember, it becomes very personal to them.

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If you find yourself about to utter the words “It’s not personal. It’s just business”, then please pause for a moment…

Look the other person in the eye, and realize it’s probably personal for them!

Then … adjust accordingly.

“Treat others, the way you would want to be treated.” Easy to talk about. Hard to do.

28 February 2020 / Andrew

Treat others, the way you would want to be treated!

This is a post about how The Golden Rule is easy to talk about, hard to think about, and harder to do!

You could read the post.

You could put it into action, right now, for one person!

Easy to talk about…

At face value the Golden Rule is a great concept, although I’m not sure how it became golden or a rule.

Most world religions have a form of the rule, although its best known in the west through Jesus words, where he indicates that the essence of the bible is to live this way.

You’ll hear it talked about with kids, in schools, at churches, in communities and even in the business world.

And it’s easy to talk about, probably because we would all like people to treat us that way.

Hard to think about…

Pause and consider these questions:

Consider that challenge your friend is going through right now. If you were that friend, how would you want to be treated by the real you?

Put yourself in the shoes that person who is ‘unjustifiably’ grumpy with you. If you were that person, with all their feelings, beliefs and experiences. How would you want to be treated by the real you?

Ponder being a homeless person on the streets. How would you want to be treated by the real you?

Think about how it would feel to be a parent with a starving child in the third world. How would you want to be treated by the real you?

Harder to do…

In all honesty, my answers to those questions are often not reflected in my actions.

Which could be disheartening, because I can’t help everyone in the world.

But I can help one!

And I can do that today.

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Imagine a world were even 10% of people truly completely lived the Golden Rule.

Or imagine working in an organisation where everyone, always lived the Golden Rule first and foremost. (Hint to my coHired & Agoge teams this is essence of ‘love people’)

Or imagine our own life, how radically different would it be if we chose to treat others, the way we want to be treated.

What if treating others, the way we would want to be treated,

stopped being some abstract golden rule,

and instead became our life mantra?

One talent children must have for jobs of the future.

29 July 2019 / Andrew

In the past, most jobs were about manual labour. Back then strength and physicality won the day.

Currently, the good jobs use your mind. Your brain, your creativity and your ability to think set you apart. As knowledge workers, the company basically pays us for our brains.

Now, with Robots doing the manual work, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) doing the knowledge work faster than we can (without needing to sleep), what will the best jobs of the future be?

In the future, the best jobs will be about person to person, human to human connection.

As Robots and AI do their thing, the people who will be the most valuable are those who can connect, care, and help with a genuine authentic heart.

The future of work is the heart!

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Recently after pitching coHired and was I told “You’re the only company who is using AI [in HR] who are actually putting ‘heart for people’ into what you do”. Which is not a surprise given our vision is ‘People Matter ∴ Do Good’ with a core value of ‘Love People’.

We believe that AI will have a huge impact on recruitment over the next 5 years. But we also believe that jobseekers want (and deserve) dignity. That only comes when the people in our company have not just brains (and they are incredibly smart), but more importantly heart.

If you want to know what to teach your kids to set them up for the future?

Teach them to love people.

Compassion is the only acceptable response

29 April 2019 / Andrew

Disappointed? Yes. Appalled? Often. Outright angry? Sadly.

This describes some of my emotions as I’ve read various opinions in the weeks following the Christchurch mosque shootings. Christians up in arms about the call to prayer; a Hamilton City Councillor suggesting we “move on”; criticism of wearing the hijab; Katie Hopkins ranting from the other side of the world; and off course Destiny church protesting across the road from the mosque.

Before you think I’m about to question your beliefs or opinions I’m not … so relax.

So, why was I disappointed, appalled and angry?

Because these comments aren’t what compassion looks like in action. Or what love does.

Compassion and love are so much more than pity or sympathy or even empathy.

Pity: I can see you are suffering.
Sympathy: I care about your suffering.
Empathy: Me Too – I feel your suffering and grieve with you.
Compassion: I’m here with you, beside you, ready to help. “You are us.”

So what does aroha or love in action look like?

Hint: Having all of the above!

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Yesterday President Trump said he had the “deepest sympathies” for the most recent synagogue shooting in the US. Compare that to how Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern responded. She acted with kindness and compassion and love and aroha. She showed love to the people directly affected and demonstrated compassionate leadership to the rest of us. If I was a victim connected with that horrible day I’d have wanted more than pity or sympathy or empathy. I’d have wanted the Prime Minister to show compassion and love.

Which is why I’ve been disappointed, appalled and angry.

Because compassion should always be our response. And if we can’t or aren’t prepared to really show compassion, probably best we shut up, keep our opinions to ourselves and stop criticising the people who are.

Action speaks loudly!

NB: At best I had empathy. Which is a challenge to me in and of itself.

I can’t imagine war

25 April 2017 / Andrew

I can’t imagine what it’s like to go to war.

I can’t imagine having the courage to leave my family. To say goodbye to those I love.

I can’t imagine being shipped off to some distant land to fight for people you don’t know.

I can’t imagine long periods in trenches. In jungles. On battlefields. Bored. Exhausted. Cold, wet and scared.

I can’t imagine entering the battle. To be ordered into such great danger that my life is no longer in my hands.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to start shooting. At humans. Real people. To take a life.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to see people killed. Not just people, but friends. Close friends. Killed right in front of my eyes.

I can’t imagine being shot. To feel the excruciating pain. To know I am in the middle of nowhere. In the middle of a battlefield. To fear for my life.

I can’t imagine returning home. Emotionally and physically scarred. To have the scenes, the sounds, and the bloody images locked permanently in my mind.

I can’t imagine.

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I also can’t imagine our country. Our life. Our freedom. Had you not imagined our freedom for us, and then given everything.

I can’t imagine we could ever thank you enough.

THANK YOU for giving more than we can imagine.

Explorers

19 April 2017 / Andrew

When I was a kid, before you could ‘google maps’ the entire earth, I day dreamed of exploring the vast pacific ocean and discovering some distant new island.

Nowadays, explorers are mostly people from ages past, that we watch in documentaries, or read about in children’s books. I don’t know of any parents who want their kids to grow up being explorers.

But explorers is exactly what we should be.

Explorers are brave. Bold. Adventurous.

And to explore means to search. Scrutinize. Investigate. Discover.

Which means we can all choose to be explorers.

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We still need explorers!

You & I have the opportunity every day, to discover something new.

We can explore new cultures by talking to a stranger. We can explore new foods. We can explore new neighbourhoods. We can explore new ideas.

We can explore anything.

Anywhere.

Anytime.

If you are brave enough.

Category: Humanity

“It’s not personal, it’s just business” is BS.

∴

“Treat others, the way you would want to be treated.” Easy to talk about. Hard to do.

∴

One talent children must have for jobs of the future.

∴

Compassion is the only acceptable response

∴

I can’t imagine war

Explorers

∴

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