3.5.2 Passion In The Workplace

What I described in the Introduction to this Chapter is what usually happens in a family. Mostly, the reason that a parent will kiss a 7-year-old’s cut knee better is because of the love that the parent has for the child. He is drawn into the care-giving role without thinking about it.  

Now what do we usually do in a healing type workplace?

That is, an agency, whether voluntary, private, or statutory, whose responsibility is to support people who are in distress?

There are many workplaces where people who come in feel a sense of connection – I am not denying that – and it assists greatly in the healing.

But in far too many healing environments this may not be the case.  If someone comes in emotionally vulnerable or hurt, the first thing that often happens is that they are assessed.

This usually involves answering a lot of questions, the vast majority of which do little to alleviate the hurt.  The one-way knowledge flow paradigm mentioned in a previous Chapter is generally adhered to in this process.

The belief that someone has to be formally assessed, with a practitioner asking questions and the person in distress answering them, before any decision is made as to what the practitioner might do, or the agency does, is so common that it is almost beyond our ken to think that there could be another way.

But there is. 

Imagine what would happen if, in a helping agency, instead of being assessed on arrival, a very hurt person’s distress was immediately alleviated, even if that was done by simply listening to their story? Or even, before they tell their story, making them feel at home!

I propose that what would happen is that the hurt person might feel a sense of power.  They may even begin to think ‘I matter more than my condition’, or, indeed, ‘I might be able to help myself here’.

And suppose the listening was accompanied by the person feeling cared for, or even loved?

The parent kissing the child’s cut-knee better was drawn to do it – without thinking or planning too much – because of the love (one of our root foundations) that he has for his child. A workplace is, of course, different. Love has the power to heal, but because of its associations with losing a sense of ourselves (i.e. falling in love, romantic love, sex, no boundaries etc.) it’s a bit risky for the workplace.

But love, connection and relationship are a lot wider than that.

Now, if we compare love and passion we can see that the lines between them are blurred.  What I mean is, if we love something we are usually passionate about it, and vice versa, i.e. if we are passionate about something it is probably because we love it! 

And I argue later on that love is connected to both Creativity and Leadership. There is no one more creative than a lover.  If we are passionate about something, really love it, but it seems beyond us, we can find all sorts of creative resources within ourselves to make it happen!  (Remember, here, emergence, from our Chapter on Systems Theory which we also named as a root foundation in the Chapter on Universal Theory of Change).

In my experience, passion, creativity, and love all seem to be very threatening to the bureaucrat or, generally, the Pillars because the system doesn’t feel in control of the entities (whether they be organisations or individuals) that are passionate, loving, and wish to be creative.

The unconscious purpose of the bullying power of mediocrity that we mentioned already) may well be to keep everything safe, non-threatening, harmless, and above all controlled.

But – I have some very good news for money-conscious bureaucrats!

The up side of employing creative people with passion who love what they are doing and letting them at it, (within, of course, the boundaries of the workplace), is that productivity is far higher among such people. (There is a lot more about this in the Chapter on Leadership).

It is self-evident that people are more likely to get a lot more done if they are doing something that they love, and are passionate about.

In my experience creative people often struggle with boundaries, and need a little assistance, but they also respond well to common sense. So leaders may have to bend the rules a little, have flexibility, take a few risks and be courageous enough to be firm about boundaries.

But, trust me, it is worth it.

Passion induces energy, creativity, and tenacity.  And we are all innately creative anyway – that is, creativity is available to every individual – not just to those who are considered to be creative people.

Creativity is a necessity in any modality for effective work with families in our Focus Group.