UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?

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An anthropologist proposed a game to the kids in an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told the kids that who ever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he told them to run they all took each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying their treats. When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself they said:
”UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?”

‘UBUNTU’ in the Xhosa culture means: “I am because we are”

Filed Under: Love People Tagged With: culture, love, love at work, Love in action, sharing, teamwork, Ubuntu

Love Works

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: christine miller, love, love at work, loving kindness, transformation

Lovebirds

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

Filed Under: Articles, Coaching Tagged With: christine miller, love, love at work, loveworks, servant leadership, transformation

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”

Filed Under: Love Stories Tagged With: christine miller, love, love at work, loveworks, loving kindness, success, wealth

Mapping Love at Work

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: BMW, bonuses, christine miller, love at work, loveworks, personnel politics, sustainable, transformation, transformational leadership, work