DON'T DWELL

I have realised on reflection, in the last few weeks’ blog, that I have spoken about social enterprise a fair amount. This might be because the current issues surrounding Benefits Street, benefit changes and welfare reform have really got under my skin and at the same time, seeing the people that we support being vilified yet again in the press.  

I’ve heard the people living on ‘Benefits Street’, being called Thatcher’s children. I would describe them differently. I would describe them as the products of her policies. 

I don’t want to focus on Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister, the past is the past. However, I do think that its pertinent that while we’re seeing people on our television that are unfortunately a product of some of her policies, at the same time we have the current UK government with potentially more draconian measures. It makes you wonder what the UK will look like in 30 years’ time when we see the full ramifications of their legacy.  

We have certainly become much more aware of the long term effects that certain social policies can have. This is why organisations and businesses that are socially aware are so important in our socially minded country. But we are all human beings.  There is a fine line between organisational ambition and social good. Social purpose is our driving force but we must also strive to create a good atmosphere for doing business and this is where the notion of building positive relationships becomes imperative. 

It is very easy to get into conflict with people in business. In fact, many business people are at their most natural when they‘re at war. To me, this is detrimental on so many levels. The impact can range from destroying the business you’ve built to at best losing a friend. You also waste valuable time in the process. I believe that life is too precious for this time to be spent ruining rather than building relationships. Business, after all, is conducted between people and dictated by the interactions we have with each other.  

Human relationships can be provoked by motive or desire, which rings particularly true when it comes to business. But one of the most important things we can do, as leaders, as workers and as people is to admit that we’re wrong when we’re wrong, and forgive when we are wronged. 

As my hero Nelson Mandela said:

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” 

Holding on to resentment is detrimental to relationships. Everything that we consider business, like life, is also rooted in a relationship of some description. There is a lesson to be learned in the way that we treat these in business and the part that forgiveness plays in this.

Forgiveness should be practiced in any given situation, whether that is in work or in play. The conscious act of forgiving requires sacrifice and taking the risk to become vulnerable- to put your hands up, humble yourself and let go of resentment. 

Life is too short and there’s too much needing done to waste time and energy holding on to the hurt and disappointment of the past.

My challenge to you this week is to identify a friendship or some sort of relationship that has been broken or harmed and do what you can to reconnect with it.