4/01/2006

Psychological capital: seeking a meaning

Jonas Ridderstrale, co-author of "Funky Business" (2000), keep on saying some old words, always valid and still alive. In a recent interview on La Vanguardia (March, 2006) I read what I think is the very sense of every organisation today. Ridderstrale mentions:

"...That’s because in a business, which is not conveying human values, which is not capable to create meaning, its employees are going to create products and services without meaning as well. Every professional in a company must be proud, beyond his/her earnings, because his/her job creates value for all society. Only in this way we also create psychological capital.

- Business’ proud? -the journalist asks.

- But very well shared. Business have many systems for allowing all managers to experience the success and enhance their self confidence, but very few systems for letting all those people bellow, to taste the triumph. Everybody congratulates bosses for good results, but those making possible these results almost never appear on the photography. Making everyone taste the success and increase their self confidence means to create psychological capital, which will be reflected on figures as well".

Lovely. These are the essential reasons for people doing things such as developing businesses, seeking a job or keep on working in these businesses. Since the beginning of time...

Is it going to be hard for businesses to adapt (and re-adopt) this kind of mentality?