Years ago, during a mid-winter morning in China, I was cycling to a soul-crushing job. With depression thicker than a bowl of porridge, the wind blew cold and my jaw stiff. My vision was bleak but I clearly knew I didn’t belong to this company.
I was thankful for the thoughtful friends who worked there with me, and the customer interactions were fulfilling. These things really sustained my spirit during that time but I had one leg out because the company culture was too heavy on mistrust and bureaucracy.
From the irrational salary cuts to overworked staff, the cringy feedback sessions, and high turnover – all signaled that employees were a spiritless tool for profit. Leaders didn’t care to relate with their employees and ask thoughtful questions, they were consumed by the culture of thoughtless doing and telling. And it worked .. until the nation-wide policy change forced the company to fold, unable to adapt to the change.
Such experiences taught me that uncertainty is a constant reality and humans excel in the context of smart relationships which involves listening and asking the right questions. It is a long view held with the music of the heart, and not everyone will hear the music. Nietzsche wrote, “those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
Author
Arya Salehi is a storyteller, comedian, and therapist, co-designing for inclusion.