Report from the Charter for Compassion Business Call July 22, 2014
Business Metaphors
Introduction to the Call
Marilyn Turkovich, Program Director for the Charter for Compassion, welcomed participants and our speaker to the call. The speaker, Darshita Gillies, has asked that people on the call spend the first few minutes exploring their thoughts on business, compassion, and their vision of the two.
A brief intro for Darshita is found in the recent Charter Newsletter. In addition, information about Darshita’s work is included below. Darshita now lives between UK and the Azores. She is interested in looking at ethics, morality, and consciousness of business. She is involved in the “Business Alliance for the Future” along with Andrew Himes (ED for the Charter) and others. Further information on Darshita Gillies can be found at this site.
SPECIALITIES & PASSIONS
- Design, train & take people on Conscious journeys around the world to unleash their creative potential as leaders
- Train individuals & executives towards ICF Coaching accreditation
- Develop & effect technological and other innovative solutions to connect individuals and organizational teams with their Life Purpose
- Coach & consultant to entrepreneurs, leaders, coaches-consultants, & international organizations globally.
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Consulting in the corporate world since 2008 as coach, consultant, facilitator, designer & trainer, serving cross-sector corporate leaders & coaches globally.
- Over 7 years industry experience across financial services sector in particular as Business Planning Manager to Regional Director (S&SE Asia), Investment Banking & Strategy at Standard Chartered
QUALIFICATIONS
- Professional Coach (ICF) & Trainer – Consciousness Coaching®, South Africa
- Chartered Accountant – Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Ranked 47th in India
- Masters of Commerce & Business Management – University of Mumbai
- B. Commerce – Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai
- The School of investment Banking, Mumbai
General Discussion Prior to Darshita's Presentation
The call began with an open forum for participants to make comments or pose questions about the intersection of business and compassion.
Randy Schenkat: Thinking of self-compassion. How do insights that leaders have into themselves bear on the capacity to have a compassionate organization?
Jeff McEldowney: (Seattle) Business background in banking. Sees progress in businesses with vision planning and embracing diversity. However, getting that to move down into the culture of the business is more difficult. How to embrace and move theory into practice?
Michelle Bachman: In real estate business. Question mirrors what she just heard. Wants to create workplace that is economically, environmentally, socially responsible. Looking for ways to do that- benchmarks.
Lesa Walker: Has taken course in “design thinking” based on empathy for the customer/consumer. How do we also incorporate “3D” compassion (caring for others, self, and the Earth) in the initial thinking and design of what we invent and produce so we do not encounter unintended detrimental consequences after the product is created? Need full “compassionate impact thinking.”
Steve Mason: (North Carolina) In music industry--big transitions with merging are happening in his current business. He is in training side of the company. How do we balance compassion in business--doing the right things, connecting, including caring and compassion, balancing during transition along with the discussion of profits?
Barbara Bradley: Is in healthcare--nursing field. Healthcare industry often loses touch with compassion. Wants to explore healthcare and compassion.
Robert Riley: Albuquerque. Retired engineer and social worker. We all know we need compassion in business. But bottom line is considered to be monetary return to the investors. Whole structure of articles of incorporation needs to change so that bottom line is the wellbeing of the community and natural environment.
Presentation by Darshita Gillies
Thank you for all the sharing. We have a wealth of experience on this call and a wealth of interest and concern. Context: Darshita is speaking from a deep space of humility and a space of an explorer--curious and wanting to make sense of what is happening in the world, how we connect the dots, and how to increase what we ought to do instead of what we have just been following. Comes from a place of knowing that the answers are within us. Goal is to spark that space of DNA of compassion that we all share within us and to kick-start connection and making first leaps to take compassion into business.
If we look at business objectively, it helps to get a frame for what’s happening in the world. We can look at business as something we have inherited over the years. It has evolved over time. Now we have come to a point to see that maybe what we have done is not considerate enough, not compassionate enough. It is not necessarily sustainable. We need to make systemic changes but also immediate changes.
Would like to zoom out of current context and look at whole planet as an interconnected system. There are three great “divides”: 1) Ecological—conflict between man and nature; 2) Socioeconomic—conflict between man and man (inclusion, nationality, political, everything human)--how humans are disconnected; 3) Inner potential vs. Self—the divide within human beings, a disconnect between inner highest potential and what we do; difference between what we do and what we aspire to be. These “divides” are the tips of the iceberg.
We have many programs addressing these divides. Personal development programs, environmental programs, etc. If look at these divides, businesses engage in the whole spectrum of these divides. Most businesses address the symptom--the divide. How do we look at the systemic changes that are needed to address the root causes?
Example: Crisis of environment: in a few years we may not have access to clean water, forests, etc. Now the primary model for business is to make a profit, and it is based on unlimited growth. Yet, resources ARE limited. We have to share and use the resources we have wisely so each human has access to basic necessities. Huge challenge to address these systemic changes.
“Business Alliance for the Future” includes networks of those who understand the paradigm that resources are limited and we cannot just look at profits. How can humans survive and nature flourish? How do we make profits within this framework? Aiming to bring these networks together and create a powerful platform where businesses have a voice and can mobilize power to change laws and the framework and metrics for businesses.
The blind spot of leadership today is that it is overly focused on what we need to do and how to get that done and rarely reflects on who we are and what is our intention. As a positive example, Tesla opened up its industry to share its research to make energy-efficient cars. This is what it is about--sharing resources so all can benefit from the research and help make an eco-friendly system. It is imperative for individual leaders to enter into a compassionate space and be willing to think of society without any fringe benefits.
What if leadership is not just the CEOs? We need to embrace the leadership we have in each one of us. What is it that I can do to make a change when coming from a space of compassion? Maybe I can connect people or do something else. Move in the direction of compassion. How do we facilitate this?
Before compassion, there is courage. The first step is awareness. The second step is to move into your “love mind.” Change from “fear mind” to “love mind.” Compassion compels us to give another a chance to upgrade their consciousness. Help people see how actions have negative consequences and help them see a way to make it better.
Question/Answers
PK Wiley: Enjoyed Darshita’s talk. PK is a Gandhi scholar. Wondering if what you are really asking is whether we can we leave this model that the goal of business is for profit? The purpose of business and life is service to the interdependent relationship we are in. Profit is secondary to the necessity that we agree on the role of business is to serve society. [See PK's comment that she said in below.]
Darshita: In my opinion when capitalism becomes conscious, there won’t be capitalism left.
We are a mass of 7 billion living on the planet. Culture change in a small organization is difficult and culture change on a mass planet scale is very complex and difficult. We may need a more advanced way to interact--need to engage in inanimate and animate parts of the ecosystem.
Jeff McEldowney: Darshita mentioned the networks of businesses practicing compassion. Are these large organizations? Can you talk more about these organizations working in a compassionate space? Who are they? Where are they? What industries?
Darshita: The organization is the “Business Alliance for the Future” which has about 50 members. Includes some large networks of businesses and some individuals from organizations interested in compassion. She listed some of the businesses, including the Charter for Compassion. Goal is to be a truly global alliance. The “Alliance” can serve as a model and prototype for businesses around the world. First need to convene leaders of the networks and map the ecosystem of the networks. Now there are 5 initiatives of the Alliance in the US. Teams in the alliance are now mostly based in US, yet have global impact. Initiatives focus on: diversity and inclusion; changing the business metric (measurements); how all the moving pieces fit together and creating a grand strategy, including politics; how to transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy. How do we create context for new collaborations that result in new ideas and approaches?
Marilyn: Please send info to Marilyn that you want included in the Business Call Report. If you don’t want your email shared with the group, let Marilyn know. Darshita’s email will be in the Business Call Report so people can contact her for follow-up questions.
Question for the Breakout Groups
How could I best empower the organizations I engage with in upholding a compassionate way of being a business or business leader?
Popcorn Session
The popcorn session is a time when kernels of wisdom from the small breakout groups can be shared with the larger group of participants on the call.
Randy Schenkat: Encourages Deborah to find and share the full citation for the study on leadership that shows the higher you go in an organization, the less empathy you have. (See below under Resources: Jane Mitchell’s presentation).
Peter Smith: Experiencing other cultures and people at the extreme end of poverty is a great transformer. His organization, “Communities Without Borders,” sends people to Zambia where they make friends, teach, paint schools, work with kids, etc. Transforms people of all ages--high school to adults.
Barbara Bradley: Excellent group discussion. Resources will be made available from the Wharton School of Business, CCARE, and the Center for the Greater Good. One idea is to consider awards for people who show compassion--this can be done in colleges/universities, etc. Lee Mun Wah - director of movies and documentaries about diversity- highly recommend his website. Will share it. (See under Resources below).
PK Willey: Emotional intelligence is critical. Need to create a “trust” movement in this country. Businesses are hampered by lack of trust; they are afraid of being sued, afraid of being held responsible. Basic connection begins in trust, and then we can exercise compassion.
Barbara Kerr: Mention of key books: Twelve Steps for a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong; Catching up with Jesus; Active Hope: How to address the mess we’re in without going crazy. (See under Resources below.)
Angus Skinner: Resonates with trust issue. Expression of love is important. Narcissism and selfishness have to be recognized, not ignored, and faced up to, but this does not require a diminishment of love and compassion in our society.
Yasmin Anderson-Smith: (Washington DC) Importance of embracing personal values and connecting those with organizational values. She strongly connects with the importance of trust and civility. Proliferation of messaging in ads to include love and happiness--she has just noticed that and is monitoring.
Closing
Andrew Himes (Executive Director of the Charter): New phase of the Charter; we launched a membership drive about two months ago. Members commit to affirm the Charter principles and to be part of the movement--a conscious contributor. Now close to 1000 people have joined and contributed over $35,000. Encourages people to join. Pay it forward.
Comment
Submitted by P. K. Willey Diwan
I have been thinking for some time on this issue of social trust. Historically, we turned away from the importance and value of solid trustworthy relationships with the advent of cash in the 1830's (in my area). Instead of keeping ones relations responsibly balanced, people could just put cold cash on the counter, and walk away, no reciprocity of any sort, or even, later, politeness, required.
Peter Maurin, a notable philosopher, associated with the Catholic Worker movement, observed that by paying taxes to the state to take care of community members who were unable, we moved the burden of responsibility for one another, what is basically, our human duty, away from ourselves, to the state. Since then, the disconnection has increased dramatically, and now the education of our young, care of our parents, and several other aspects of familial responsibilities towards care and upbringing have also been given over to the state.
As Darshita notes, "Compassion and Courage" have to go together. Without a degree of fearlessness towards one another, the exercise of genuine compassion, meaningful interaction, and actual assistance, are stymied to a large extent. To re-establish human trust with one another, we have to agree, first and foremost, in the `first world' nations, that we will not seek to hurt one another legally or otherwise. We have to replace the vision of our rights, with those of our duties, the foremost duty being our duty to be broadminded, tolerant, kind, human beings.
At the same time, as Angus Skinner of UK noted, there are narcissists, evil is an actual force. We do see this all around us, portrayed in detail in the media. Somehow, the movement for kindness, for compassion, must become rooted in the reality that this force exists, and passivity before it, is what has brought us to our current state. Without the creation of a culture of visible interdependence, the grossness of narcissistic personalities is not kept in check.
We are in such a conundrum, it is difficult to know how to proceed. I liked Pete Seegar's last advise to us all - that the efforts of little teaspoons are what is going to matter. As a little teaspoon, if, perhaps if there was a way to start a movement for returning trust to society, it would be helpful. At the same time, there must be a way to safeguard the abuse of trust.
Resources
During our breakout group discussions, various resources are mentioned—other organizations, articles, books, films and more. We have received the following from people who participated in today’s calls, and we would encourage you to read through, identify those that may be useful to your work, and reach out to them to broaden your network as well as the network of the Charter.
Books
Armstrong, Karen. Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life (Knopf, 2001, 2009). In this important and thought-provoking work, Karen Armstrong—one of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world—provides an impassioned and practical guide to helping us make the world a more compassionate place.
The twelve steps she suggests begin with “Learn About Compassion,” and close with “Love Your Enemies.” In between, she takes up self-love, mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and “concern for everybody.” She shares concrete methods to help us cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion, and provides a reading list to encourage us to “hear one another’s narratives.” Armstrong teaches us that becoming a compassionate human being is a lifelong project and a journey filled with rewards.
Barnes, Peter. Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Regaining the Commons (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006). The commons, all the creations of nature and society we inherit together and hold in trust for future generations, are under siege. Our current version of capitalism--the corporate, globalized version 2.0--is rapidly squandering this shared heritage. It is driving us headlong into social, economic, and environmental collapse. From Social Security privatization to deregulation of the airwaves and global warming, the threats to the commons often seem insurmountable. Peter Barnes has an answer: it's time to "upgrade" capitalism by reclaiming the commons.
Barnes shows that the market, like a computer, is run by an operating system, one that inherently gives the "right of way" to profit-maximizing corporations who redistribute their profits to only a sliver of the population. And governments--theoretically set up to preserve the commons and police the corporations--are inadequately designed, often facilitating the depletion of the commons.
Barnes proposes an alternative to our current self-destructive path: Capitalism 3.0, an update that includes innovative features to protect the commons while preserving the basic processes that have made capitalism such an effective economic operating system. Capitalism 3.0's major breakthrough is the addition of an asset-preserving trust, a market-based legal entity, neither privately owned nor government run, which would set limits on our depletion of the commons and pay dividends to all of us, the collective owners of the commons.
Just as residents of Alaska currently receive dividends from state oil wealth, a trust model for the commons institutionalizes the contract between generations and between humans and nature. Through the responsible employment of markets and property rights, this new version of capitalism would preserve the principal for the future while paying dividends to today's trustees.
Capitalism 3.0 offers viable solutions to some of our most pressing economic, environmental, and social concerns. It is a remarkable look at the future of our economy, a future in which we can retain capitalism's virtues while mitigating its vices.
Brown, Peter G. and Geoffrey Garver et. al. Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009). Our current economic system—which assumes endless growth and limitless potential wealth—flies in the face of the fact that the earth’s resources are finite. The result is increasing destruction of the natural world and growing, sometimes lethal, tension between rich and poor, global north and south. Trying to fix problems piecemeal is not the solution. We need a comprehensive new vision of an economy that can serve people and all of life’s commonwealth.
Peter G. Brown and Geoffrey Garver use the core Quaker principle of “right relationship”—interacting in a way that is respectful to all and that aids the common good—as the foundation for a new economic model. Right Relationship poses five basic questions: What is an economy for? How does it work? How big is too big? What’s fair? And how can it best be governed? Brown and Garver expose the antiquated, shortsighted, and downright dangerous assumptions that underlie our current answers to these questions, as well as the shortcomings of many current reform efforts. They propose new answers that combine an acute awareness of ecological limits with a fundamental focus on fairness and a concern with the spiritual, as well as material, well-being of the human race. Brown and Garver describe new forms of global governance that will be needed to get and keep the economy in right relationship. Individual citizens can and must play a part in bringing this relationship with life and the world into being.
Ultimately the economy, as indeed life itself, is a series of interconnected relationships. An economy based on the idea of “right relationship” offers not only the promise of a bountiful future but also an opportunity to touch the fullness of human meaning and, some would say, the presence of the Divine.
Eisler, Riane. The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008). The great problems of our time such as poverty, inequality, war, terrorism, and environmental degradation are due in part to our flawed economic models that set the wrong priorities and misallocate resources. Conventional economic measures, policies, and practices fail to give visibility and value to the most essential human work , the work of caring and caregiving. This powerful book proposes that we need a radical reformulation of economics, one that supports caring and caregiving at the individual, organizational, societal, and environmental levels. This ""caring economics"" takes into account the full spectrum of economic activities from the life-sustaining activities of the household, to the life-enriching activities of caregivers and communities of all types, to the life-supporting processes of nature. Eisler exposes the economic double standard that devalues anything stereotypically associated with women and femininity and shows how this distorts our values and our lives.
Macy, Joanna and Chris Johnstone. Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re In Without Going Crazy (New World Library, 2012). The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, the depletion of oil, economic upheaval, and mass extinction together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we’re in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.
Mitchell, Jane. “Managers and their Moral DNA” presentation to IABC World Conference in Toronto. [See the attached PDFs.]
O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Catching Up With Jesus: A Gospel Story for Our Time (The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2005). No story has ever had the life-changing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But too often, this story is weighed down with out-dated theology and metaphysics. For those ready to rediscover Jesus, Diarmuid O'Murchu offers Catching Up with Jesus. This feast of spiritual insight guides us through the tradition and offers the gospel story for us today—imaginative conversations and poetry that bring us into the lifegiving, loving, freeing experience of Jesus.
Smith, Philip and Manfrd Max-Neef. Economics Unmasked: From Power and Greed to Compassion and the Common Good (UIT Cambridge Ltd., 2011). The economic system under which we live not only forces the great majority of humankind to live their lives in indignity and poverty but also threatens all forms of life on Earth. Economics Unmasked presents a cogent critique of the dominant economic system, showing that the theoretical constructions of mainstream economics work mainly to bring about injustice.
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. Hymn of the Universe (HarperCollins college division, 1969). Pere Teilhard de Chardin, a figure-head in the unfolding of a new cycle in the life of mankind, moves us profoundly not only by the amazing lucidity of his scientific vision but also by his love, his immense love, of God, which enabled him to see, everywhere throughout the created world, what the majority of men are blind to: the constant presence of the Creator.
Websites
Peace Grantmakers Network (http://www.peacegrantmakers.ca/en/) The Peace Grantmakers Network works to make society more peaceful and non-violent by leveraging: the expertise of its members, partners and advisors; the power of collaboration among its members and partners; and its strong relationships with those organizations and individuals that work most effectively in the area of applied peace.
SES| Socio-Ecological Solutions provides research and consulting services in the environmental services industry with a focus on social-ecological systems and human-environment interactions. The mission of this business is to help individuals and organizations address the broad suite of environmental management initiatives by focusing on the interactions between people and the environment and finding practical, sustainable solutions. (Submitted by Rozwadowska, Anna)
Share Save Spend (http://www.sharesavespend.com/) Nathan Dugan: “The choices we make with our money can change the world.”
Equitas: International Centre for Human Rights Education (http://www.equitas.org/en#).
Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education is a non-profit organization that works for the advancement of equality, social justice and respect for human dignity in Canada and around the world through transformative human rights education programs.
We equip local human rights defenders and educators to build more inclusive communities and to contribute to social and economic development goals through democratic participation.
Video
Lee Min Wah (http://www.stirfryseminars.com/about/bios/bios_munwah.php) Lee Mun Wah is an internationally renowned Chinese American documentary filmmaker, author, poet, Asian folkteller, educator, community therapist and master diversity trainer. For more than 25 years he was a resource specialist and counselor in the San Francisco Unified School District. He later became a consultant to private schools, working with students that had severe learning and behavioral issues. Lee Mun Wah is now the Executive Director of Stirfry Seminars & Consulting, a diversity training company that provides educational tools and workshops on issues pertaining to cross-cultural communication and awareness, mindful facilitation, and conflict mediation techniques. Thousands of people from government and social service agencies, corporations and educational institutions have taken Lee Mun Wah’s workshops and partnered with Stirfry Seminars & Consulting on their diversity initiatives.
