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Love Works

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Love

It's not a word that currently sits easily in the vocabulary or ethos of the typical working environment. In fact, it jars the sensibilities of many when used in association with the workplace. 

But it's becoming more and more obvious that Love is a key ingredient (if not THE key ingredient) to successful, sustainable organisations of all kinds.

Caring, compassion and a greater regard for the whole environment, with evidence that companies are taking a genuinely responsible position and are actively seeking to be better places and be a contribution to the world, rather than a drain on limited resources.

I have done two years of research into the meaning of love in organisations, finding out about love at work, and love working, with leaders, workers and other stakeholders in many different environments from prisons to universities, global corporations to local charities – research which has revealed that whether the word 'Love' is acceptable terminology or not – it is undeniably present in successful workplaces with happy employees and supporters. In fact, it is present in every aspect of our lives, and it is the fuel that can fire the transformation to a world where there is balance, happiness and fulfillment. 

"Without love, there is no life."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

 

Filed Under: Articles, Who Cares Wins Tagged With: , , , ,

Lovebirds

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Violet Masked Lovebird

(Agapornis) Their name stems from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds will spend sitting together. 

I was thinking of an emblem or motif for the 'LoveWorks' project and book, and Lovebirds sprang to mind as a little messenger I could have decorating the pages and drawing attention to particular points.

Here's the first I've created.

 

And another in sketch form 

 

 

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Featured People

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An Audience with HH the Dalai Lama

dalai lama 2His Holiness The Dalai Lama –
The Embodiment of Compassion

Listening to the Dalai Lama sharing His experiences and thoughts, one of the aspects which most impressed me was the amount of laughter – both from himself and from His audience. There is warm heartedness, humility and a lightness of spirit which is very apparent in His way of speaking, and His words are aimed directly at the hearts of His listeners. His message of compassion and loving kindness is based on common sense and practical living, and he is clear in asserting His belief that:

“The purpose of life is for happiness, to survive happily”

One of His central teachings about the development of compassion is based on the importance of childhood influences, particularly the effects of parenting. He reflects on His own childhood, and says he believes that mothers are the starting point of loving kindness. He describes His own mother’s simplicity, an uneducated village woman from a farming background, and immensely warm hearted. Contrasting her love and gentleness with the more disciplinarian approach of His father, he concludes that had he spent more time in His early years with His father he would probably not have been the same person.

“I believe that my altruistic mind and my compassion – the very seeds of that mind I got from my birth and the next few months and years with my mother – that was the real starting point to raise my model of loving kindness.”

He goes on to say to parents:

“What I say is this – give maximum affection to your children. That is very essential to bring us a happier humanity. The main hope for humanity relies on our future generations. So families with children have a special role – to give maximum affection to your children.
And parents – particularly mothers – spend more time with your children

© Christine Miller All Rights Reserved 

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Inviting Love

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The Three Old Men

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard.

She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry.
Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.
“No”, she replied. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

The Husband Returns

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. “Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”
The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a House together,” they replied.
“Why is that?” she asked.

One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends,
and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.”
Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

Wealth Success and Love

The woman went in and told her husband what was said.
Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!” he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”
His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.
She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”

Choosing the Guest

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”
The woman went out and asked the three old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”
Love got up and started walking toward the house.
The other two also got up and followed him.

Which Comes First

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.”

“Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success”

 

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The Spirit of Money

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We know that greed and the dedication to profit at all costs is part of what has gone wrong with the monetary system. 

We know that the planet's resources are unfairly apportioned – some people's portions are almost non-existent, and a very high percentage of wealth resides in the hands of just a few families, nations and sectors. 

We know that unscrupulous employers still treat their staff badly, exploit the vulnerable and turn out inferior products.

But at the moment we still use money as a currency to exchange for goods and services. There are alternative systems springing up – more barter, more skills swaps and suchlike – however for most of us getting our groceries and clothing and paying for the services we use requires a certain amount of money. And for supply and demand to run smoothly, the people who supply our goods and services need to make money so they can continue.

Business needs to make money to survive. It doesn't necessarily need to make huge profits (or even any profits) to be successful, though. We live in a world where the expectation is that we expand all the time, the next quarterly and annual results are what drive many executives, and they are bound up in the expectations of shareholders who demand ample returns on their investments. Zero growth, and a stable, constant economy is not the current modus operandi even if it is thought of increasingly as an option for aiding recovery. 

We have researched alternatives, read extensively and been privy to research carried out by major bodies both in the UK and globally which indicates that good practice as caring, compassionate companies with a loving approach impacts the bottom line positively – with happier employees, contented customers and satisfied shareholders. All Stakeholders – which is surely the inclusive word to use – taken care of and a more stable future in view. 

Christine Miller 

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Mapping Love at Work

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Love Works everywhere

 The Map of Love at Work

We want to know where you find love at work – where is Love present in the workplace?

What random acts of kindness and caring, loving affection and courage do you encounter as you go about your daily life?

Tell us – and we'll add them to our Map of Love at Work! 

 

Sustainable Personnel Politics

Quote from BMW’s press office, talking about how the company restrains top management bonuses in relation to what average workers receive :

“We don’t just want to build sustainable cars. We also want to have sustainable personnel politics. We think this is good for the company culture”.

Filed Under: Love Places Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

On Work and Love

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Kahlil GibranOn Work and Love:

… all work is empty save when there is love;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.

And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart,
even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection,
even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy,
even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,

Work is love made visible.

Kahlil Gibran: The Prophet

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What is a Caring Organisation?

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Does Love Improve the Bottom Line?

Discover the Power of the Caring Organisation

Find out what global leaders say about Love, Caring and Compassion in their organisations. Learn about the history of Love in our evolving culture, where companies came from and why they lost their way as supportive, guiding lights for their people. 

Coming soon –

Results of Leadership and Transformation expert Christine Miller's extensive in-depth research conducted by survey, interview, Action Learning and Appreciative Inquiry into the elements of success in an organisation where Love is present, active and encouraged.

Over 50 leaders of a range of sectors from education, industry, retail, politics, local government, banking, third sector and more give their insights into current conditions and what needs to change. 

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