My Story

So you get that I am passionate about people loving what they do.    My life purpose statement is “To re-humanize the workplace.”  I’ll tell you why now.

I grew up in Vancouver in the 60’s and Toronto in the 70’s.    The hippy movement was in full swing.  I didn’t realize how much I took on the values of that time until much later.    Vancouver had very much a “California North” feel to it.  Even conservative Toronto couldn’t escape the movement towards freedom and love.  I went to university in the late 70’s when the economy was booming, my parents were well off, and the sky was the limit.  My professors told me that I was entering a marketplace where I would have a solid career full of successes including raises and promotions.

What actually happened was that I was the lowest woman on the totem pole and treated like a servant (slave).   I was a junior administrative assistant.  Here were some of my duties:  serve tea and coffee to a boardroom full of men who watched me carry the tray to the boardroom table; buy my boss’s wife a birthday present; pick up his dry cleaning.  I asked myself – did I go to university for three years for this shit?   The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I noticed all the partners (male) going to the bank of elevators and leaving the admin staff (women) at their desks.  When I asked the receptionist what was going on, she said there had been a bomb threat!  How despicable.

In admin jobs that followed that, I continued to be frustrated that no one wanted to hear my ideas, and I really wanted to be involved in decision making.   Even when I was a middle manager, one Director told me, “I’ll do it, you’re just a small cog in a big wheel.”  Wow!

I wanted to be heard.  I wanted to be respected.  I wanted to contribute.  I wanted to be part of something BIG.  Instead, I was made to feel small over and over again.

Now, I run my own business and I try daily to live “on my purpose.”

What I want for the world is for people at work to be heard, to be respected, to feel like they are contributing, and to be part of something bigger than themselves. This is an achievable dream if those of us who feel the same make changes in the way we behave and state what we expect in the behavior of others.

Our Business – Why We Do What We Do?

Most businesses have a Mission or Purpose Statement which is the “Why” we do what we do.  

Unfortunately, the mission statement is often developed by the founders, owners and/or senior management and never touched again.   In my last posting, I talked about individuals having a life purpose statement, and that it will likely evolve over time.  The same goes for a company mission statement. 

Mission statements should be inspirational, but should also be easily understood by stakeholders.

Here’s some examples of vague Mission Statements:

Dell: “To be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve.”

Huh?  A bunch of marketing jargon with the word, “Computer” in the middle.

American Standard: To be the best in the eyes of our customers, employees and shareholders.

Snore.

Here’s some examples of great Mission Statements:

Disney:  "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere."

Coca Cola: “To refresh the world.”

The point is, a business needs to have a purpose for being.  Why are we here doing what we do?  It needs to be a purpose that management and employees believe in and strive towards.  This is the first step in bringing purpose and meaning to people in the workplace.

Next, I’ll talk about how to bring sustainability to that purpose and meaning.

A Life Well Lived

RIP Roy Nasr.

My last entry was about the importance of having, and articulating a life purpose statement.  I don’t know if Roy had articulated it or written it down, but he certainly lived a life on purpose.

Roy Nasr died tragically one week ago today, doing one of the things he loved – cycling. Rather than focus on the circumstances of his death, I’d like to focus on how Roy lived a purposeful life.

I was privileged to have met Roy on many occasions – watching him race in the same triathlons as my husband Mark, socializing with him and his beautiful family at cycling events, and gratefully receiving his generously given career advice and help.

Roy Nasr was the COO of Abela & Co Catering.  He was one of the most active triathletes in the region - he was past Arab Triathlon champion and finished third at the 2011 World Triathlon Championships in Beijing; he won the 2012 race of Batroun Triathlon; and he was co-founder of TriDubai.

There has been an international outpouring of love, admiration, and grief over his death.  The Gulf News has published articles every day about Roy, and here are some of the quotes from family, friends, colleagues, and associates:

“Wherever and whenever he participated in triathlons or ironman competitions, he represented and raised the name of Lebanon…May he rest in peace, Roy was an unbelievably rare and indescribable character of his kind… he was such a humble, gentle, sporty and joyful person. He was a very close friend, cousin and an inspiring athlete to myself and others,” Najib, a top Lebanese triathlete himself.

His close friend Ian Le Pelley, with whom he co-founded TriDubai, was lost for words as he confirmed the sad news to Gulf News. “Sad, very sad. I am lost for words,” Le Pelley said.

How Roy’s children could speak so eloquently at his funeral is both admirable and heartbreaking. His daughter Tala said, “I’m so grateful to everyone for all the support you’ve given us. It warms my heart to know how many people my dad has touched.”  His son,  Elie said that his dad’s shoes may be too large to fill but he said he will get inspiration from him.  “It was knowing where he stood and having the ability to guide everybody else.”

  

Not only was Roy loved and admired in life, he has left a legacy.  

The organisers of the Batroun Triathlon 2013 have changed its name to ‘Roy Nasr’ Batroun Triathlon.

And his wife’s eulogy at the funeral articulated Roy’s most important legacy, “He left me with his two greatest achievements — our beautiful daughter, Tala, who was his pride and joy, and our son, Elie, who’s working very hard to shoulder the immense responsibility [left behind] by his father,” Tina.  “God bless all of you. And God bless my love, my hero, my world.”

Let’s all learn from Roy the importance of living a life on purpose.  

RIP Roy Nasr.

What is Your Purpose?

If you can articulate your life purpose or noble goal, you know that everything else seems to fall into place.  You know why you get up in the morning.  You know why you make small choices and decisions – everything is aligned with your purpose.

But what if you don’t know or can’t articulate your purpose?

Of course, the first thing I’m going to say is “Work with a coach!”  There, I said it.

A life purpose or noble goal always involves helping other people in some way.  Becoming a millionaire, skiing the most difficult slope, dating the hottest woman/man aren’t really life purpose statements.  They can certainly be goals, but once achieved, then what?  When we have a PURPOSE in our lives that involves helping others, we have a meaning for living, and maybe even a legacy to leave for the next generation and the world.  It helps us feel connected, whole, and fully alive.

Inversely, when we don’t have a life purpose, we live for the short term.  We jump between priorities and directions.  It’s hard to articulate why we do anything.

Here are some ideas for writing a life purpose statement:

Firstly, think of a time in your life when everything fell into place – it could be an event, a day, a period of time.  Think about what you were doing, who you were with, what was magical about it.   What I want here is for you to connect to the feeling you had at the time.  What happened to time?  Who were you?  I’m guessing you would like that feeling again.

Secondly, think about someone who has made a positive difference in your life.  What were some of that person’s characteristics and values?

Thirdly, think about one commitment you have made in your life that you would like to see millions of people adopt.

Then write a sentence about who you are (maybe use a metaphor, ie compass, lighthouse, captain) and the change you want to make in the world.

Developing a life purpose statement is a process, not an end result.  It may take weeks to develop your first statement, and it will most likely continue to evolve throughout your life.  Be patient with yourself and the process.

Most importantly, a Life Purpose statement is about who you are BEING, not what you are doing.

Go forth!

Human Beings in the Workplace

Shouldn’t business contribute to everyone involved?  Shouldn’t it make us bigger, stronger, more confident, richer? I say, Yes!

What’s actually happening out there?   In corporate, employees are often treated like robots – expected to perform because they receive a salary.   Employees in retail, at least here in the Gulf, are often paid a small salary with minimal benefits.  They are housed somewhere far away from their work place and bused in for their shift – sometimes many hours before and/or after their shift.  When they have time off, there is nowhere to go as the housing is far away from everything.   They often send a large portion of their wages to their family in their home country with little left to enjoy their lives.

Then, surprisingly, employers are perplexed as to why these people aren’t engaged and aren’t performing!

We need to ask, “What is the purpose of our business?”  If it is to create something new, bring something exciting to the world, or make the world a better place, wouldn’t that be great for everyone?   If it is to pad the pockets of an already wealthy owner, then how can we expect employees to perform?

Employees are HUMAN BEINGS.  They are not objects, robots, androids, drones – you get where I’m going.  

Some employers are content to continue treating their employees like objects because they are making profits.  This business model is not sustainable.  When employees are not engaged, they do not perform – they hold back on sharing information, expending energy, and giving good customer service.  Some employees may even be sabotaging businesses intentionally or committing theft or fraud.  The good ones leave as soon as they can.

Treating employees like human beings makes GOOD BUSINESS SENSE.   Increased engagement, improved productivity, talent retention, employee loyalty, etc.

How does a business get this ideal employee?   Superb on-boarding, excellent training, genuine caring about them, their family, and their career path, praise and thanks.  And a lot more.

Watch this space!

Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace

How many people do you know who complain about some aspect of their job?  Most of us need to work to keep a roof over our head and feed our families.  But that's not all work should be about.

Anita Roddick, the now deceased founder of The Body Shop, said "Work should be the incubator of the human spirit."  This is what this blog is about.

Doing work we love, working with people who we care about and who care about us, and contributing to something bigger than ourselves - that's my dream for everyone!  Businesses need to learn that this is the only sustainable model of business success there is.

So, starting today, I will be writing daily posts on how to create an ideal work environment - both for the employers and the employees.

Watch this space!