Managers: The Answer for Social Impact

Preamble?

Humanity’s future unfolds moment by moment and if we remain locked in resistance to each other’s point of view, we miss the obvious - each other - in favour of a position or ideology.

Intractable social issues such as homelessness, addiction, mental illness, and domestic violence, represent some of the greatest unmet needs in the global economy. Ingrained in these social issues is that individuals lack a sense of worth, dignity and purpose, due in part to unresolved trauma.

While seeking external solutions to the world’s most wicked problems is a worthy pursuit, supporting individuals to realise their innate power to facilitate change in their own lives is just as important to expedite individual, family, workplace, and community wellbeing.

Michael Porter and Mark Kramer expound in their paper Creating Shared Value, “the competitiveness of companies and the health of its communities are closely intertwined…it makes sense for companies to reconnect their success with social progress.”

As companies shift their priorities to align with consumer demand for social progress, the workplace – and managers in particular – have a unique opportunity to act as a preventative force when it comes to the resolution of intractable social issues.

Hypothesis

To fundamentally solve intractable problems in society, the environment or governance, it’s possible the humble manager (you) presents the best answer by extending relationships with colleagues and helping team members realise their worth (self-actualise) [1]. This is limited by people due to unresolved trauma. It’s these?actions that ultimately acknowledge a person’s dignity and their purpose/potential [2], assisting them to develop the capacity they need to affect positive change in their lives and the world around them.

Ultimately, this will afford companies and then government the ability to focus on opportunities that further unite and advance humanity, solving?major challenges to our individual and collective thriving rather than focusing on symptomatic issues. ?

Start with People (Society)

To solve issues of the environment and governance, we must solve the issues of ourselves in society. But how do we as individuals make a difference when the problems are so immense?

The humble manager holds the key. Managers spend 8+ hours per day with their teams, giving them a unique opportunity to frame the work experience in a way that develops (rather than diminishes) human potential, by helping individuals to recognise their intrinsic worth.

When an individual realises their worth, they have the power to identify and remedy situations where their worth is not being reflected. This corrective ability advances humanity as it allows individuals to safeguard their wellbeing as well as explore and validate their own potential. It supports individuals to perceive opportunities within challenges and have the confidence to use their assets and act with sustained focus to bring a desired outcome to life.

If a manager can aid in raising the sense of self-worth, dignity, and purpose?of their direct (or indirect) reports then productivity and the behaviour of people when they aren’t being managed or supervised will likely be better. This effort has practical benefits for both parties, without any additional investment.

Acknowledge an Individual’s Trauma Rather than an Ideology.

“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie

Trauma is the result of chronic or extreme emotional distress, and it triggers physical, neurobiological responses that can result in result in mental and physical pain and disease. It impacts our sense of self-worth, our view of other people and how we perceive our capabilities.

Unresolved trauma leads to destructive behaviours that decimate interpersonal relationships. It is an issue that underpins some of our most complex and entrenched social issues such a family violence, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, unemployment, and chronic diseases and impacts individuals irrespective of social (race, gender) or economic standing,

When understood, trauma can also assist individuals to uncover intrinsic value developed as a direct result of coping with traumatic experiences. Understanding the impact of trauma is a better way to build bonds with your team and impart a sense of worth and purpose for each individual team member.

The opportunity and responsibility of a manager has always been great. Now the stakes are enormous. By establishing an environment of acceptance, where authentic discussions can lead to personal realisations of how trauma impacts human potential, managers can advance individuals towards meaningful purpose and prosperity.

Focus on Betterment over Blame

To transcend trauma, an individual needs an experience of acceptance and to contribute value to themselves and others.

Blame, rooted in denial and anger and conceivably derived from unresolved trauma, too often drives divisive action. When this is ingrained in organisational policy, the effect fuels a narrative that keeps injustices in place, indefinitely.

Policy that denies valid experiences of trauma can have the effect of ingraining shame and self-punishment which diminishes self-worth. Conversely, policy that focuses on oppression, disempowerment, and the need to save and enable, serves to ingrain victimhood, creates glass ceilings where none exist and prevents the creation of value for self and others.

When policy swings towards either pole, organisations miss the balance necessary to support individuals with varied experiences of trauma to realise their full potential. This prevents productivity, innovation, profitability, and faster progression towards the resolution of social issues.

Einstein said it best, “No problem can be solved from the same level of thought that created it.”

Workplaces are integrated systems of humans and assets. If you want to improve the efficiency and productivity of any workplace, it makes sense to look at humans first.

Betterment, or meaningful advancement, of all individuals is where investment of time and capital should go, and this should be reflected in organisational policy. Abraham Maslow captures this view of advancement through his reference to self-actualisation (what one can be, they must be). Social Scientist and Economist Arthur Brooks says, “we feel a sense of dignity when our own lives produce value for ourselves and others. Put simply, to feel dignified, one must be needed by others.”

The fundamental effect of advancement is?abundance mentality: a focus or belief that there is more than what we need available to us, and our choices give us personal power to attain outcomes that matter to us. Managers have the potential to create and prioritise an environment of abundance by authentically modelling acceptance and encouraging people to exercise choices that will create lives that reflect each individual’s intrinsic value.?

The Bold New Skill for Managers

Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Neither a wise man nor a brave man waits on the tracks of history waiting for the train of tomorrow to run over them.”

Abundance requires us to focus on capability, resilience, and opportunity rather than fear, limitation and lack. It’s grounded in presence of mind and hope and creates a mental space where novel solutions can emerge to the most wicked problems we face as individuals and a collective. Abundance is one of humanity’s greatest opportunities and trauma is a major threat to widespread realisation of this opportunity.

When a manager reflects an individual’s worth and assists them to realise and apply their intrinsic value, it has the potential to ameliorate the impact of trauma. This affords them an opportunity to make choices that align with a higher sense of self-worth which leads to realisation of abundance. In this mental space, all people have greater capacity to create a positive future for themselves and the world around them.

For managers: All people have worth and may have suffered some form of trauma. Help your team see their worth by reflecting to them the positive traits and capabilities they may not have yet seen in themselves. An individual’s ability to accept their worth might only come to full effect when they have been able to accept themselves, including their trauma.?

For team members: Ask for development opportunities (e.g., education, experiences, or tools) that allow you to understand how trauma impacts potential and how acceptance could further develop your individual strengths. Ask managers (not management) to have genuine conversations that show acceptance and set expectations of positive growth so you can gather evidence of your capability.

This isn’t HR or an HR policy – It is a cultural trait (behaviour) and a call to arms for each and every manager, whether you work in an office, restaurant, mine or in the field.

In Closing

For humanity’s future to unfold in a manner that supports individual and collective thriving, we must all accept past failings then come together to define new solutions that reinforce capability and opportunity rather than limitation and lack.

We are the systems we seek to change. We are also the main contributors to the health of each other’s environment.

Solving intractable social issues is about creating environments where every individual’s intrinsic worth and free choice can be identified and applied. This enables each individual to bring their best to solve greater social and individual problems - where opportunities are facilitated, and value shared in a way that supports individuals to realise and sustain abundance for the benefit of all -.

We would like to acknowledge current or aspiring managers, the significance of your role, and to thank you for your service to humanity.

Godspeed to all of humanity.

References

[1] Abraham Maslow, Hierarchy of Needs

[2] Arthur Brooks, The Pursuit (Documentary)

About the Authors

Alok Patel - CEO/Managing Partner - Azcende (@alokdocpatel)

Alok is a, 'Future of Cities (Smart Cities, Emerging Technology and Infrastructure),' thought explorer. His gift and strength that allow him to formulate pragmatic vision(s) inspires managers to see greater potential to bring economic prosperity and positive social and environmental impact.

Alok is a positive and driven business executive who has developed his leadership skills over 15 years across the military (Australian Army), management consulting, real estate, and private equity/venture capital. He has developed successful strategies (from corporate initiatives, programs and projects) that create value through emerging technology investments and digital transformation. He is an out-of-the-box thinker whose creativity centres on business models that harness technology and the talent of motivated teams that yearn for greatness. He has worked across large capital assets transactions valued over AUD$4bn, led complex transactions and managed projects with net value worth over $100mil.

Jenna Williams - Social Entrepreneur, Human Capital Development?

Having developed and led several social start-ups and social impact initiatives, Jenna has spent the last 12+ years driving social impact via entrepreneurship and management consulting across the not-for-profit, government and private sectors, with a particular focus on mental health.?

A relationship-centric executive with a deep interest in social change and human capital development, Jenna’s expertise lies in developing robust, influential relationships to help organisations unlock strategic value in times of change or growth. With a track record established through consistent planning, action and timely decision making in the areas of product design, business development, communications and stakeholder relations, her purpose is now set on helping organisations uncap human potential to drive social and business results.