LP Bhanu Sharma
Whether in a family or an organization, a social group, or even a nation, ever wondered what it is that keeps people together? What is that common bond, something like the common thread in a garland, that is invisible yet keeps all the flowers together in some unexpressed harmony? The answer, beyond doubt, is: Love. Yes, love is the primary reason why people come together, stay together and perform together. To love and be loved is the most basic of human needs. And it is the absence of love or a seeking for more love that causes people to go away from organized and unorganized groups.
You might argue that people come and work in an organization for money, prestige, social security and other reasons. You may think that love is nowhere apparent a reason. To understand why love is the basic reason, you must know that love takes many energy forms such as belongingness, shared goal, money, prestige and security. To put it in other words, all these are different forms and expressions of love. Love is the basic connecting link. It is the only reason why all of us are here on earth and what we seek to experience as we expand our identity in different groups in society.
As human beings, all our efforts and activities are directed towards obtaining and experiencing more love. And employees are no exceptions to this. An organization that can offer the optimum blend of different elements of love – including but not limited to salary, allowances, perquisites, stock options, good working environment – will be able to attract and retain the best talents and attain the heights of productivity and growth. People perform at their best when they are internally motivated and the work environment is such that it enables them to feel and experience more love. This is exactly the reason why people give their best (and sometimes in the form of their own lives) to their family, social groups, religious symbols and country, despite the fact that none of these institutions make any monetary payments to their members.
An employee performs best when he/she loves these four elements of an organization:
- The Work
- The Team
- The Work Environment
- And the purpose as to why the organization exists in terms of what mission it is supposed to fulfill and how it contributes to society.
If all these four elements fall in line, we can expect not just ordinary performance but also miracles in an organization. And if all the employees feel the same way, the organization will turn out to be a super-performer and will transform the way business is done. This is the secret of how great organizations are created and sustained over a long period.
Like attracts like. What goes around, comes around. Since every individual is made of the universal love element, he/she will naturally and spontaneously look around for a working environment that fosters love in the form of authentic and deep connection and belongingness. Another very important secret of love – it is always mutual or two-way. Human beings love something that loves them. To put it more succinctly, you naturally tend to love what loves you. So, naturally, an employee loves an organization that loves him/her.
Since this element of love is deeply rooted in every human being’s flesh, heart and soul, there is simply no shortcut or manipulation possible in the natural mutual exchange among creatures that is experienced as love. This simply means you cannot fake or create a substitute for love. Just the way love is an inbuilt mechanism in every individual, there is also a natural sensor to identify love and shared connections within each of us. This natural sensor unfailingly senses true love and shared connections among individuals and groups.
Sharma is a spiritual leader and educator.
