The Manifesto

Our American work culture is evolving.  We’ve lost track of the very distinctive value that Human resources bring to making our businesses prosper.  If we are to capitalize on the unique value of Human beings at work, the fundamental relationship between people who are employees and the people who manage them must change, again.

The American work culture has gone through plenty of change  since the industrial revolution.  In the last 25 years particularly, financial pressures forced us to move away from taking care of employees to expecting employees to manage their own careers and create their own job security.  But, we overshot the mark. We made this move without attending to what it meant, for employees as well as those who manage them.  And who would know how to make this transition?  We may have vaguely foreseen the result of unfettered capitalism, but who knows where to go from here? The social contract between employees and those representing employers changed once in recent history, and has to change again.  American business as we know it never had to do this before.  In our attempt to make up for giving too much, we overcompensated by giving too little.  And thus, in our ignorance, we unintentionally squandered the innate worth all Human beings bring to the table, simply by virtue of being Human.  Having overshot the mark, we now need to regroup.

We all need to take responsibility for how our interactions at work impact each other and, thus, our organizations’ effectiveness. It’s given that the days of implying unconditional security for employees are over, as is the attitude that employers owe us that.  And yet, we have to attend to what we DO owe each other and even expect and demand of each other.  We must all take responsibility for accomplishing our work and, at the same time, for respecting each other as Human beings in a deeper way than ever before.

Over and over the Human beings in our workplaces are marginalized, as if the task to get done is more important than employees feeling as though their contributions make a difference.  Human beings at work can take instruction and get things done.  But when we engage all of what makes us Human, including the legitimate needs for meaning and belonging at work, our organizations will capitalize on the abilities that are particular to Humans alone. We will see people creating ideas seemingly out of nowhere or accomplishing the impossible by trading on the power of relationships.  When all involved see the sacredness in their relationships and in everyone’s role and contribution, our organizations will experience the true competitive advantage of its Human resources.

Being Human means having very Human needs, such as the need to contribute, to be appreciated, to make a difference, to belong. These must be addressed in every encounter. This attitude must permeate every interaction. We can start to adapt to this way of working by learning to earnestly revere each others’ needs, even if we don’t understand or relate to them.

My wish is that one day we all embrace the belief that there is an inestimable power and potential in Human beings treating each other Humanly. One day our society and the world will grow and prosper in a whole new way because each employee does their work from a place of knowing they play a legitimate role and truly make a difference. The commitment to taking responsibility to honor each other’s worth is not only a decision but also a journey, and through our struggles to see this vision in action, we realize its power.

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