Habitats for Humans

By Matt Monge

It’s critical that we see organizations as habitats for human beings.

It was while reading Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach that I stumbled across the preceding statement.

That idea, as simple as it sounds, could alter the trajectory of an organization’s culture if applied appropriately. Organizations need to view their workplaces in that way–as environments where their employees are literally living a huge chunk of their lives. Employees are humans; not simply round pegs that fit into holes in our departments.

Leaders have to view their work differently too. It’s not just about projects and products, though that’s certainly part of it. Leadership becomes increasingly human. It’s about serving people and helping them grow and develop–helping them become more appropriately human.

I’ve said it before, but really, we have to intentionally think differently about our respective workplaces. Most of us spend the bulk of our waking hours at work, so our organizations are literally habitats for human beings. They’re places where clumps of humans come every day to not only work, but live.

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