Work at its best, then, is about connection, engagement, and commitment. As the poet Kahlil Gibran said, "Work is love made visible." Echoing Tolstoy, he gave examples of work done with love:
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart,
even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection,
even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy,
even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection,
even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy,
even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
I believe knowledge business like consulting is no different. It may be a little harder to visualize... How do you research "competitive differentiation" with love? How do you write reports on facts and figures with love?
But that's what we have always done at my company. We have always kept our sights on things like consumer lifestyles, values and social consciousness, because we believe businesses start with people. Corporations are made up of "people," and the products and services that they offer are created to serve the needs of people. What we do for our client organizations ultimately serve the needs of our family, friends, and lovers. A simple, but often overlooked fact.
This Monday morning I would like to go into my work with this thought in my heart. How do we bring out LOVE MADE VISIBLE in consulting business? A worthy question which I would like to challenge all my colleagues with.
