5/5/2020–I’d update this idea by adding a simpler description of love in the context of work: “love = acting out of long-term interest for all stakeholders (self, peers, family, shareholders, etc.)”.
9/16/2018–Life can be simple. At least that is what I’m telling myself right now. I have always over-complicated things by overthinking. Having what felt like a stroke helps put some things into perspective. It seems like acting out of love at all times is a pretty simple and effective way to live.
I now know what it feels like to be unable to communicate. It’s frustrating, confusing, but in a couple ways oddly amusing. I feel I should resume writing a journal, hence this. That way I can communicate permanently!
I’m testing a hypothesis at work. It’s that if we show love in every way, to everyone always (as Bob Goff said in Everybody, Always), then the business results we need will follow. Furthermore I’m guessing it’s the most sustainable strategy to achieve any results. If we do everything out of love, and always remember to ask ourselves, “What would love look like in this situation?” the outcome will be profit, revenue, and retention of effective talent.
So what would love look like beyond what we all think about? What is love beyond smiling at each other, saying please and thank you, and seeking to understand? I’d say there are countless ways that we can show love at work, though it wouldn’t look like “loving” is what you’re doing. Even though these behaviors are not called “showing love” usually, I’d argue that starting with love in your heart and mind before making a decision or acting will lead to the most effective behaviors.
A few examples:
I’m invited to meetings everyday. How would acting out of love lead me to reply and react to these meeting invites (for each behavior, consider it’s what we know we’re supposed to do, but we say it’s “professional” or “effective”, even though love would also lead us to act this way). If I want to show love to the person inviting me, shouldn’t I avoid accepting if I know there’s a decent chance I won’t make it? If I accept, should I schedule time to prepare? I should surely make sure I do what I can to be on-time, right? Should I decline or propose a new time if I really don’t have enough time to prepare? How would it look to show love to myself? Do I decline the invite if I am pretty sure that isn’t the best way I can use my time (also a way to show love to your boss, team, shareholders, and customers)? In the meeting, could I show love by contributing considerately, interrupting only for clarification? Do I ask questions when I don’t know something important? Wouldn’t all these decisions lead to business results over time?
What would acting out of love lead me to do when I know I have bad news to give? Do I schedule a heads-up town hall to announce an upcoming change? If I can’t announce it in-advance, do I schedule a meeting to announce it, plus 1:1 meetings with each team member to tell them how the news will affect them personally? Do I rehearse, putting myself in the shoes of the affected party?
What about how I manage my time, generally? Do I do it with purpose, with an eye toward the key work I’m paid to deliver? Do I ensure I spend the appropriate amount of time on what I’m paid to do? Do I go home when working later won’t lead to more of what’s most important? Do I eat well and get plenty of sleep so I’m my best self for others, including my loved-ones?
At work, results come from what we do. Some of the most common “things” we do are to communicate (including decisions), create work, manage time, and decide what not to do. All of these activities can be done with love in mind. Sure, we can try to be “right”, “disciplined”, “respectful”, “competitive”, or any combination of nice-things-to-be-at-work. Still, why try to remember multiple ways to behave, when love is a single source of the best actions?
Consider love toward self, boss, team, customers, shareholders, business partners, everyone. At the end of the day, what would be more reliable? If I want to show love as best I can, won’t I spend a ton of time figuring out what the right thing to do is for my business, to whom I’ve committed my effort? When we don’t make the right decisions, won’t love encourage forgiveness, trust, learning, and honest improvement?
I don’t know what the evidence to support or to refute my hypothesis will look like. I’m not controlling any variables. Still, I know what love leads me to do when I’m remembering to follow it. I don’t always remember or choose to, but love for myself lets me off the hook on those days.
Qotw: “If this were dead simple, what would it look like?” – Tim