June 10, 2011

 

In Evolution - being more of you:   

 

Institutional maturity    

 

We interrupt our regularly scheduled email message to insert
a "sidebar" into our examination of the importance of emotion
and emotional maturity; let's look at what I will call
"institutional maturity."

You've no doubt heard about the debacle at Delta airlines this
past Wednesday whereby the airline charged U.S. servicemen returning home from active duty in Afghanistan for their
"extra bags."

To me this is a perfect example of institutional immaturity;
an institution or company that has lost sight of its emotional sensitivity and humanity. As a result, the institution or company
has failed to learn, grow, innovate, and mature.

Okay, so maybe I'm being silly expecting institutions and
companies to be aware of the "emotional aspects" of their
business.

But, maybe I'm not being so silly. Any company or institution
functions to serve; it serves its employees and it serves
humanity in one way or another. As such, I've got two
perspectives for you to consider.

First, I would assert that when individuals become more
emotionally healthy, balanced, and sensitive...so will the
companies they work for.

Now, I know it's not quite that simple...but it's a good starting point. And we need starting points.

Whether it's from the top down or the bottom up, it doesn't
really matter; more emotionally mature individuals will create
more sensitive, service oriented, mature companies and
institutions.

Second, witness the airline industry.

From my perspective, the airline industry is one of the
most "immature" business sectors in America. Why?

Because in the ten years since 9/11 they have failed to get their
act together.

Not only have they failed to get their act together, air travel in
this country has gotten progressively worse. From charging for pillows and baggage, to rude service and unseemly delays...the airlines have shown no creativity, innovation, or desire to renew, revitalize or reshape their industry.

The auto industry has already recovered nicely from our 2008
recession, so has Wall Street. The auto industry has even paid
back most of its stimulus loans.

So, what's up with the airlines?

Lack of emotional maturity. Seriously, the airlines have been
stomping their foot in a decade long tantrum worthy of a terrible two year old. They simply don't want to do what it takes to turn their industry around.

They don't want to solve their union problems, their service problems, their management problems, their security problems
or their routing and hub problems. The only problem they've
solved in the past ten years was bolting and bullet-proofing the cockpit door. Duh.

They don't want to solve their problems and no one can make
them. The nation is dependant upon them. And like with Wall Street, if they don't want to come clean and stand in responsibility and accountability for their own failed business practices...they won't. Period.

A better example of "emotional" institutional immaturity I could
not ask for.

Companies aren't unlike people; we are a microcosm and macrocosm of one another. Our companies and institutions are
a reflection of us.

Just like people, businesses can become emotional addicts;
they avoid dealing with the tough issues by becoming endlessly entwined in minutia and politics. Or, they can become excessively mental; wielding control by focusing only on profits, policy, and rules...with no sensitivity or humanity built into the business.

And so, they fail to mature. The airline industry has failed
to "emotionally" mature. It has failed to face up to its
challenges, make necessary changes, or to tap into the deep
well of American ingenuity, creativity, and innovation.

Emotional maturity is as critical to businesses and institutions as it is to individual people.

Without emotional maturity business cannot positively,
powerfully, and productively learn and grow.

Without emotional maturity business cannot tap into substantive and provocative creativity, ingenuity, or innovation.

Without emotional maturity, business cannot achieve
sustainable success.

Without emotional maturity business cannot...evolve.

(P.S. The continuation of yesterday's message will go
out Monday!)

    

 

(For more about the concepts in this message, go to "Energy: the science
and spirit of you," "dear kgs: I am a thinking person, but I tend to get
caught up in analysis" & "Mastery: the quantum path to your heart" at www.kellygracesmith.com.)

 

Copyright © 2011 kelly grace smith All rights reserved.