Refresh your idea about organizations!
[Or-ga-na-za-tion] A social entity that has a collective goal and is linked to an external environment. The word is derived from the Greek word organon
, itself derived from the better-known word ergon which means “organ”. -Wikipedia-
When I took a look at the above definition I found out that my picture of organizations was quite limited. And that made me rethink about what organizations are and why they are there.
In most cases, nowadays, a collective goal has been translated into an inspiring vision and mission. Yes we could argue about the fact whether this is window-dressing, to obscure true goals, e.g. earning money, gaining market share and profit optimisation. I choose to give it the benefit of doubt and believe in those inspiring lines that give us direction in work. Why? Simply because most people need it.
What wondered me most in the definition was the fact that it was compared to an ‘organic’ entity which functions in relation to its environment. Now give that a thought! For me it was instantly clear that organizations are humans. No organization has intrinsic value in itself if you take away the human factor. The only value it has , is based upon the value it receives for contributing to society.
The next image that came to my mind was that society is also a concept that is formed around people, and preferably in relation to other life forms. It’s all about life! Why not then put life central in all activities? It’s our reason for being. Doing business should be synonymous to doing social business. There’s nothing wrong with setting targets and earning money, as a means to calculate how you are doing, but the higher collective goal should be about contribution to life.
I wonder how you refresh your idea about organizations, when you read the definition above?