Thanks for this reminder, this isn’t happiness!
So, I went silent a while ago on Twitter because of what the image above says. In my case, I went too far in that direction and sort of went into meltdown. When there are so many things happening around the world, life becomes overwhelming. Or should I say, living it becomes overwhelming. So, I decided to step off until I regained my equilibrium.
The business world is one arena that I’m conflicted about. We all need to make some kind of a living so that we can survive, but exactly how do we create work that MEANS. We’re living in a moment in time where we’re being faced with understanding what’s truly important. Will we continue to pursue the obsession of physical wealth, or will we expand wealth to incorporate the intangibles that lead to fulfillment of the soul?
Take these two articles on HBR:
- Retailers Turn to “Soft Surveillance” To Fight Customer Anonymity by Robert Plant
- How To Harness The Customer Awakening by Bill Lee
Both describe companies that are trying to stay ahead, and yet they follow different paths towards “success” (whatever it means to a company vs people). Notice how the “caring” perspective is definitely coming from different angles? The soft surveillance technique is something that we are increasingly being confronted with from government as well as from business. It’s leading us down a path that most don’t want to travel unless you’re a writer (aka Orwellian). But the customer awakening recognition is attempting to collaborate with the audience so as to show just how we built ourselves up into the societies we currently live in: together.
Giving a shit isn’t code for anything more than simply caring about more than oneself. As the global populace changes the focus to how life should be lived and what is the foundation for a good life, the message of caring will drive the future conversations of business. Commerce isn’t only about profits, margins, and market shares. It’s also about ensuring that those you engage with are placed at the center of the business. Your audience is much bigger than those who fund your company (aka shareholders). Your audience also includes those people who work for you, those who talk about you (both good and bad), those who pass by you, and those who engage with you. That means everybody. Making everyone happy is impossible, but caring about everyone (and everything) isn’t. That comes from your core being. It’s either your central motivator, or it’s superfluous. Which side of the fence you stand will dictate which article you found more informative.
So please, CARE about something bigger than yourself. That goes for companies and for individuals. And for governments. Etc, etc, etc… We’ve been ignoring the ramifications of not caring for far too long. It shows…everywhere.
Just saying…
