Everyone Matters

Our lives have meaning and purpose. We either help build this world up in love or tear it apart. Ilia Delio

In other words, everyone matters. Everyone!

The Workplace

As a leader in an organization, you may be responsible for hundreds if not thousands of people. They rely on you and your decisions in so many ways. More than you probably have thought about or may want to think about.

Have you ever considered that they may be the breadwinner and that four, five even ten mouths are being fed because of that employee working in your organization? Or that your employee’s children get clothed, educated, and prosper as a result of their paycheck? But even more, have you ever thought about the emotional and psychological impact that you might have? Does you employee go home in fear of their job, worried about their role, feeling disrespected, frightened, or even unnoticed? Do they take this fear out on their family and friends? Do they come to work every day living in a constant state of the unknown?

Society

Have you noticed how people are treating others lately? Flight attendants getting physically and emotionally harmed. Retail workers being beaten because simply because they ask them to wear a mask. Fast food staff at windows being shot at because the order was not delivered as was expected nor not fast enough.

Or on another level, people feel as if they are invisible. They are just being ignored and treated as if they do not matter.

This behavior is so concerning. It is as if we are collectively losing our heart.

Spiral Dynamics

My son turned me on to a concept called Spiral Dynamics. In short, it shows us where we are personally and as a culture in our thought process, values, and behaviors. I won’t do it justice, but we move in different colors and behavior from Beige (starting 100,000 years ago) when they were using instincts and habits just to stay alive, to Purple (50,000 years ago), to Red (10,000 years ago) to Blue (5,000 years ago)-when man started to believe in laws, regulations and discipline, built character and fiber, to Orange (300 years ago) to Green (starting 150 years ago).

Red

Here are the characteristics of Red (10,000 years ago):

· The world is a jungle full of threats and predators

· Please self as self-desires

· Stand tall, expect attention, demand respect.

· Enjoys self to the fullest right now without guilt or remorse.

· Conquers, out-foxes, and dominates other characters.

Green

Let me compare this list to the five characteristics of Green (starting 150 years ago and current), see if you see any of these today, or have we gone backwards as a society. I will do my best to paraphrase:

· The human spirit is freed from greed, dogma, and decisiveness.

· Feelings, sensitivity and caring about others are prevalent.

· We value the earth’s resources and we spread them and opportunities among others.

· We reach decisions through reconciliation and consensus.

· We look for harmony and to enrich the lives of others.

After I review this list, it almost feels as if in some ways, we have retreated as a society and are closer to Red than we are to Green.

Our Responsibility

So, what does this mean to you as a leader in your organization? I believe that companies follow this color scheme as well. And it is up to the leader to decide the type of company they wish to run.

Are they a “Red” company where people do not matter? Where the CEO doesn’t interact with the payroll specialist even though that person works 12-18 hours per day during payroll week? And never thanks them or recognizes them for their work? Or the biller whose car broke down this morning, is struggling to make rent this month and has aged, ill parents living in their apartment? And this person has a key role in maintaining cash flow, so the company survives. Or the receptionist whose husband physically and emotionally beats them, and no one seems to notice or care? And yet, this person is the first and maybe most important interaction that a potential client or public sees or talks with each day?

Or are you building a Green company? Free from conflict? Free from politics? Where how your staff feels about themselves, and their accomplishments is important? Or where everyone feels valued? Heard? A place where reconciliation and consensus matter? A company looking for harmony and is focused on human development and enrichment?

It’s Up to Us!

From my experience, companies and teams that live in the Green succeed long term. Red organizations win battles, but Green companies win wars.

I started this letter off stating that everyone matters. Your company will succeed when every team member feels valued. When the group realizes that everyone has a role, and it takes everyone to perform for the team to win. In the workplace, in the family and in society, everyone matters. It is up to us live in the Green.

Thank you for reading this.

With a goal to “help the next one in line,” Glen Cavallo, a 35+ year healthcare executive has chosen to share the many lessons he has learned with others. Glen does this by serving as a coach/advisor to leaders at all levels of organizations, as a board member and as he presents inspirational speeches at regional, national, annual and awards meetings.