Whilst inclusion, diversity and plurality are extolled and proclaimed with force and slogans, today’s world is becoming increasingly intolerant of error, approximation, and options: look for the mistake…
The binarity of solutions is certainly a simplification and even an opportunity for certain brains that are increasingly ‘standardised’ and not very inclined to reflection, but it is becoming detestable that this ‘yes or no, but above all nothing else’ approach is being held in high esteem.
Tolerance begins with accepting the right to make mistakes, to approximate, to make choices. It’s hardly a question of accepting everything and anything, but rather of having a margin of appreciation that is one of the foundations of life in society.
However, it seems that the principle of “whoever is not for me is (necessarily) against me” is becoming the rule. Current geopolitical challenges and social debates are, unfortunately, the dirtiest examples of this.
A former mentor of mine once explained to me that to do the right thing, you must have done the wrong thing and learnt from your mistakes. This common sense seems to be increasingly lacking in today’s professional world. The “you are fired” of a certain former American president is a sobering thought, even if it seems to be becoming the rule: at the drop of a hat, people are replaced, fired, and/or made redundant.
As a customer, you obviously want perfection and quality. But you must be prepared to pay the right price. On the other hand, when something goes wrong, you don’t have to get half the republic up in arms, call the media and take legal action within five minutes…
As a result, most large companies and their employees no longer dare to take courageous or logical decisions, on the pretext that their image could be tarnished, that the financial consequences of legal action could be disastrous, and so on. It is not and never has been possible to please everyone, and this has been the case for centuries. So, what has changed?
The ‘cons’ and ‘antis’ have become much more vocal and virulent thanks to several phenomena, not least social networks. Put another way, their ability to cause trouble has increased tenfold, and they can ruin a company or a career with just a few clicks, posts, or other messages on social media.
Europe is also much more inclined to equip itself with a legal arsenal and rules that Anglo-Saxon countries have known for a long time and in which the ‘legal’ box is part of everyday life. My baker didn’t salt the bread enough, lawsuit; the restaurant waiter was too slow, lawsuit; my neighbour winked, lawsuit. Am I exaggerating? so little…
Life is a constant trial and error for most of us, a quest to do the right thing and achieve the best for ourselves and others, an invitation to try new things while respecting others. While this is well tolerated in most ‘non-professional’ sectors, it no longer seems to be allowed at work, in professional relationships.
Yet partnership is the best solution in many business situations. It requires a little thought, moving towards each other rather than against each other, finding a common path rather than opposing each other. Fortunately, there are many examples of how this can be done. So why not make it a rule?
We think that the younger generations will be able to find the right recipe, because if they don’t, their professional lives could quickly turn into a nightmare, and nobody wants that for them!
Good luck with the process, happy reading and see you soon!