I was asked recently to contribute to a still to be published on line conversation about ‘humanitarian values in the workplace” The conversation really got me thinking. Those of you who work with me in credit unions will know my perhaps infamous line; ‘one of the great things about working in credit unions is how nice we are to our people, and one of the most frustrating things about working in credit unions is how nice we are to our people.’ Unfortunately I believe that when we talk about incorporating humanitarian values into our businesses, we fall into hierarchical and paternalistic traps that ignore the importance of learning and growth for everyone in the organization. We are often too nice, and then, when behaviours or actions don’t change we become “the boss”   We often miss the point that we are all human beings, not employees, not consumers, not economic beings. We are best served in business relationships by mutual transparency, respect and integrity. And I think the foundation of such mutual work comes from a focus on mutual learning and development. In short, if someone is not working at an acceptable standard, don’t be ‘nice’, hold them accountable. That simple change in our behaviour as leaders will add more humanitarian values in the long run than hundreds of “respect in the workplace” training sessions.

Philosophers Hannah Arendt and Grace Jantzen note that the western world uses a strange word in English to describe ourselves; mortals. Yes, we will all die, and in that sense we are mortal. But, more importantly, we are all born, and thus are all “natals.” Natals have life, possibilities, hope, creativity and we are always growing. And it is here that I think we are being too ‘nice’ to people when we talk about “humanitarian values.” Learning requires mistakes; learning requires courage to make intrinsic changes. If I’m your manager, and I fail to hold you accountable, you will likely not grow and learn. If I am your manager and you fail to hold me accountable for a commitment I made to you, I will not grow and learn. Learning requires that I be held accountable, that is part of being a human. Humanitarian values then are not simply making sure that I am ‘happy.’ Humanitarian values must include that part of being human that is growth and learning.

Now of course, bullying, force, and anger are the antithesis of learning and holding each other accountable. In order to make mistakes, we need security and safety. We need to improve the level of emotional, spiritual and physical safety in many organizations, but that should not be done at the expense of mutual accountability, growth, challenge and learning.