Building People Up not Breaking Them Down
World 2.0 has a silent mantra running through it’s veins: “Build people up, don’t break them down.” Beneath the blogs that you follow, the business management books that you read, and the message of the grass roots movements you will find that they all collectively share this mantra.
Building people up starts in our own minds (building ourselves up), then extends to our family and workplace. From there it extends to how we as collectives interact outside of our human scale relationships – in big corporations, with investors, and international relations.
Breaking people down is the informal and unspoken rule of old style business. Financial growth at all costs was the mantra even if it means usurping and depleting energy from external sources. Verbal abuse to those below you? Sure. Physical abuse of overwork and poor conditions? Yes. People in this case are merely sources of energy to use and abuse to reach some financial goal. I know this still exists but the goal is to end it.
In World 2.0, with our focus on building human-centric businesses we no longer see humans this way. People are no longer pieces of meat to be abused. A person is untapped potential waiting to be built up. When empowered and invited into the conversation, people come alive with potential. When you build people up you encourage them to do the same with others (and be warned: the opposite is true as well). Building people up doesn’t only feel good, it makes economic and social sense.
Look around - your family, your office, your community, your country. Are you interacting with people who are in the business of building people up versus breaking them down? Building people up starts with you. And likewise, the cycle of breaking people down stops with you.
Get on the wagon… share your stories… be part of the conversation and make some change.
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Me? I co-own a small music management company. We build people up by engaging in non-violent communication, asking our employees questions about how we can run our company better, and asking them how they want to grow personally. It’s a small, small dimple on the world’s problems. But it’s a start.
Hi Ben,
Arrived at your blog through a link on Seth Godin´s blog some time ago. Since then, it´s my start page.
I was a musician myself back in the day (I´m from Spain and now live in the States) and really like your approach. Managers and industry peeps weren´t (many still aren´t, I´m sure) anything like what you preach here.
The thing is I´ve been meaning to leave you a comment for some time and here it goes: my small dimple on the world´s problems is sort of like yours. I´m an Engineer and certified coach too and recently decided that giving people the gift of being listened to, wholly present, without judgment and asking them questions that help them [CLIC!] inside is a good one to give.
To me that´s what coaching does, so I´m focusing on that. People need to understand that nobody does anything wholeheartedly if the act is not freedom-based; how many jobs and relationships are based on breaking people down this way? Also, like you say, that we have infinite potential that needs to be unlocked. In my opinion, these things happen when something [CLIC!]s inside. I´ve experienced it and witnessed other people experienced too. [CLIC!] would be my way of expressing that which triggers the BUILDING UP process.
So thanks for the inspiration in your words. Hopefully soon they´ll reach deep enough for me to publish my gift offer on my blog to those who want to receive it.
I like Joaquins point, there is a certain point at which something clicks that starts the process.
My flat mate (a Drummer) recently took up the guitar because of Brian Wilsons album “Smile” which would be the [CLIC] point mentioned above. This album sparked a huge curiousity in notes for the first time in several years, now hes draining every source possable for information on melody, harmony and general musicianship while he was once focused only on the rythm.
Back to the main point though; I’m a sound engineer and when taking on a band with little studio experience, I help them throught the process explaining points about music they might not of experienced live. They may be good musicians already but once their comfortable they can turn into pro’s. Seeing this change is so radical its funny…
Joaquin~ Thanks for saying hello and contributing your thoughts! I completely agree with your coaching comments. I find that it is a wonderful way to connect and help people see what’s inside. Keep up the great work!
Josh~ I agree, there are so many ways to open people up and get them to click with something. Here’s another great story that might jive with you: http://sivers.org/weidman