Terri asks:
> How do the rest of you answer the question, why is
> wealth important? Not just a surface kind of answer, like
> for organizational survival or paying the family bills, but
> the more essential answer? Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd
> guess most of you would answer similarly: that
> organizational survival is important in order to provide
> jobs for people; jobs are important so that people can
> care for themselves, their families, their communities, the
> earth. Or to contribute something meaningful to others.
> Or to cultivate personal talents and abilities. Or to
> otherwise live life more fully. How different might our
> workplaces be if we kept these assumptions, as goals, in
> front of us--NOT replacing wealth, but at least alongside
> it?
I've put off answering this question because it is one that I
have thought a lot about, and one that has a lot of personal
meaning.
[I'll be up front and say that this reply may be rather
lengthy; if you're not interested, move on to the next one
now.]
First, I'll address the question: Why is wealth important?
Personal wealth is usually (clearly not always) a sign of the
following characteristics:
1) Excellent money management skills
2) The ability to delay gratification
3) Personal industry and initiative
4) A continual reexamination of what it is important
I could describe some other characteristics/attributes that
I have commonly found among the wealthy, but these will
suffice. It is my conclusion (right or wrong?) that the
accumulation of personal wealth is clearly an ongoing
application of personal mastery. The journey toward
personal wealth, if traveled wisely, can be very personally
rewarding. It is the journey, more than the destination, that
I enjoy, and which gives a certain type of meaning to my
life.
The next issue I'd like to address is why organizations
should seek wealth. In the deepest part of my soul I
believe that the success of an organization is built on the
success of the individuals. An organization should exist to
provide an environment in which people can discover the
incredible potential of the human mind and body. I can't
think of anything that is more inspiring -- excluding, of
course, my religious beliefs.
It is my belief (again, right or wrong) that an organization
that does not allow individuals to discover their own
"greatness" will not survive long. I've made a personal
decision, that every business I engage in, will, in some
form, provide the enabling condition for people to succeed
emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. This is
not an easy commitment to make and achieve. It takes a
tremendous amount of time and effort, especially when
difficult problems arise with people in the organization (see
the thread on Problem People -- LO7859 and on).
In addition to taking time and effort, I think the people
within the organization need to develop a deep loyalty to
each other and to the cause for which the organization
stands . . . whatever that may be. From my perspective
and experience, it is this type of loyalty that provides the
enabling conditions for a learning organization to emerge
and hopefully flourish.
Finally, I'll answer the question, in context of both personal
and organizational wealth: Why is wealth important?
Because the ethical pursuit of wealth -- at any level --
requires individuals to grow and constantly develop their
abilities and their greatness. In the end, according to my
belief structure, individuals are the most important element
of an organization -- and it is for their success that an
organization should exist.
I hope that I was clear, and I look forward to any additional
feedback. I realize that my belief structure and my view of
the world is not nearly as clear and accurate as it could be.
--Benjamin B. Compton ("Ben") | email: bcompton@novell.com Novell GroupWare Technical Engineer | fax: (801) 222-6991
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>