ANCIENT& not so ancient WISDOM
offering a weekly positive perspective

October 2, 2003

The pain from the effort to create deep change in oneself is eased when the focus is on the contribution it will make to others, while recognizing that the change is for us and will ultimately occur in a moment of time once the work has been done.

- Jeffrey Hansler (1957 - )

With the above quote, I'm sharing some of the recent focus of a new program I have been researching and presented. It ties directly to effective communication in the workplace, and I am becoming convinced that companies, whose bottom-line focus is profit, will realize that they have an important role in the emotional development of their employees.

"Companies need to put co-workers before their shareholders, even before
their customers," says Arthur Friedson, vice president of coworker services for online computer retailer CDW Corp, in his acceptance speech at the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement's third annual Performance Through People Award, which CDW received at the Motivation Show in Chicago on September 16.

       Arthur Friedson
Vice President of Coworker Services, CDW

In putting employees first, it will become more common for companies to realize that an investment in the emotional intelligence (and well-being) of an individual will pay great dividends. Creating a nurturing environment, beyond a reward centered environment, will not be easy and many answers are still pending on what works. The key words that deserve attention are process, understanding, and flexibility. The fear delaying the shift is a fear of opening 'Pandora's Box' either through incompetence, an inability to respond properly, and legal liability.

If you care to share your input, stories, and ideas on this subject, I would love to read them (or hear them).

Wishing you great and continued success!

Sincerely,