At a recent Work & Flourishing summit organized at Harvard University, I posed a question to an audience of chief executives: Is there one question that could cultivate human flourishing within your companies and communities?
I pointed out that Harvard has already given us that question, literally carved in stone. Just across from the summit convention, etched in stone on the Department of Philosophy building, lies the inscription: “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8). This ancient question prompts us to reflect on what it means to be human – our relationship with the divine and with each other, our purpose, and our place in the world.
The Common Sense: The Benefits of the Enlightenment
For centuries, we pondered these questions by looking at the sky and the beauty of creation. We marveled at the beauty of each other. But then came the great Enlightenment, a movement very much like our corporate boardrooms, with everyone questioning everything. All of this questioning brought greatness after greatness, evidenced by the development of new fields, from economics to neuroscience. The Enlightenment is my favorite time in history. It’s not just the age of reason and the scientific method. It’s the era when, as a human race, we developed common sense, sympathy, and sensibility toward each other, improving our living standards, bringing individual liberties, and laying the groundwork for our democratic systems.
But as much as I love the Enlightenment, the emphasis on data and measurable results also shifted priorities, obscuring the deeper question of human flourishing. We might have traded gazing at the stars for analyzing spreadsheets.
The Challenge: Reintegrating the Ancient Question
The challenge now is to reintegrate the ancient question into our modern lives. How can we encourage reflection on our humanity within the context of our communities? Perhaps by fostering a culture that values not just productivity, but also common purpose, connection, collaboration, and care. Perhaps by encouraging conversations about what truly matters to employees and community members.
By rediscovering the forgotten question, we can create environments where people can not just perform well, but flourish.
This is just a starting point – what are your thoughts? How can we cultivate human flourishing in our own communities?