Introduction 3
good, we felt they were pitched at a philosophical level. We wanted to add to this important discussion by developing a methodology that would help in making the change happen at a very practical level. Although nobody is getting everything right, we’ve attempted to combine some best practices in a number of key areas that will guide organisations to transform and become more values-driven, purposeful, sustainable and profitable humanistic businesses.
The model defines the key areas that need to be consciously managed, in an integrated way, creating a purpose at its centre that at every investigation led to what we defined as ‘stakeholder happiness’. It’s an obvious truth that all human beings are seeking a state of happiness, although how people define happiness varies. The underlying drivers for self-improvement, community connection, positive social interaction with one another and authentic service to others, are what ultimately bring sustainable happiness to many. We found that many of these key areas were already familiar to any successful business, but it took great effort to identify the attributes that made a successful business humanistic or not. The secret of what makes a humanistic business is embedded in the intention, attitude and overall sense of purpose that is ultimately baked into the DNA of the organisation. In each of the chapters that follow, we explain in more detail each section of the model, and why it matters.
9781472904782 Humanistic Business (977h) final pass.indd 3
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