In the aftermath of the long habagat, which was quickly trailed by typhoon Helen, we are once again faced with the daunting challenge of getting our acts together and bringing solutions to problems that have beset us every time we are lashed by calamities massive flooding, clogged drainage, informal settlers who refuse to get out of their riverside houses even when the threat of rising floodwaters is upon them, insufficient evacuation centers for the disaster victims and the ubiquitous potholes immediately obvious after the sun shines again, slowing road traffic even more. As a people we have to overcome the “me-ism” that permeates our country, and replace it with genuine respect and collaboration to do something about it.
What we just went through reminds me of the ancient African tradition of self-sacrifice, camaraderie and transformative power of ubuntu. This power can be found within a community where people work together with unity of purpose and kindness. It sounds simplistic, but it covers group management, team building, developing learning communities and personal reflection. Nelson Mandela describes it as “The profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others.”
Stephen Lundin and Bob Nelson discuss the concept in a business fable called Ubuntu! It tells the story of John Peterson, a newly hired supervisor in the credit department at a major big-box retailer. He’s struggling in his job, and the struggle is made more difficult since the people under him are not delivering as efficiently or effectively as they need to. His team is underperforming, driving him to cover for their mistakes, taking on more load himself, working late nights and reporting to the office most weekends to pick up the slack and keep his department above water.
Expectedly, John’s boss, Barb Robbins, comes to him in frustration about the performance of his team, and underscores how the organization’s stakeholders are being affected. She is very transparent and forward about her marching orders — improve, improve, improve. John’s job is in peril since his management approach is tolerating too many blunders.
Simon, a young man from a tiny village in Africa who migrated to America and is an MBA candidate, comes into the picture to help John out of the challenging situation. Simon introduces John to ubuntu. In no time, it changes the way John thinks about himself, the people he works with, and how he runs his group and his life.
Ubuntu combines the elements of the African tradition that most will have great respect for — that listening more and talking less, thanking others for what they have done, expecting the best from others and most likely getting it, and being together bring better results. The lessons are straightforward, apparent and practical. We can definitely apply them to our own advantage.
• We tell ourselves stories to explain the events in our lives. We need to talk about our harrowing experiences, our actions and our disappointments and maybe the joys that came with it. We also need people and institutions with open minds and compassionate hearts that will listen to our woes and pleadings, evaluate what we say and do something about it. Being connected to others provides a necessary opportunity to challenge stories that might be hurting our performance and inhibiting our growth.
• Without each other, we wouldn’t be here, as we are. We’re all in this together. Ubuntu is a philosophy that considers the success of the team above that of the individual. So we choose to help each other, to be confident in our choices, and to remember that each of us contributes in a meaningful way.
• We can’t just do ubuntu. We have to be ubuntu. As African leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “It is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated, or when others are tortured or oppressed.” It speaks particularly about the fact that we can’t exist as human beings in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. We can’t be human all by ourselves, and when we have the ubuntu quality, we are known for our generosity.
• Being busy is no excuse for avoiding things that matter most. Situating this lesson in our own context, we shouldn’t steer clear of evacuation centers and little acts of kindness, like distributing relief goods to disaster victims, engaging a weary mother in a conversation to ease her stress, or serving some hot soup to a hungry kid. The government should seriously look at the gravity of the destruction and start doing things that are truly important, and every citizen should vigorously practice responsibility in thoughts and actions.
• Do the right thing in an authentic way. By getting ourselves or another person involved in doing the right thing, we release the most powerful energy in our universe. The first step is to discover ubuntu in our hearts since it comes from the natural energy within that can push us to collectively make the correct moves, support what is good for the multitude and censure what are obviously self-interested actions.
• Bring trust and respect to others in our engagements. This behavior will give us the benefit of the doubt, for without trust and respect, our efforts to inspire and motivate can come across as manipulation. Ubuntu means respecting the person who does the work and it starts with recognizing and embracing the humanity, equality, and value of each person.
• If we allow differences to define a relationship, we will always be at odds with others. Ubuntu asks: “What do we have in common?” “How can we best work together?” Ubuntu is a “feeling” way of life, but it is not soft. It is a situation where a younger man is able to give advice to older people, regardless of their status in society. But when the commune is threatened by an individual’s behavior, that person must be challenged, or reprimanded and rebuffed when necessary.
• Good work must be recognized all the time. There are two levels of recognition. The first level is to value people simply for who they are. This is the heart of ubuntu, and it must always come first. The second level is to value others for what they achieve, and this kind of recognition is the driver of great performance.
• Ubuntu is leaving what is comfortable and familiar. We do this in order to take on something new and exciting. It is natural to feel unsettled and even afraid. This is where the support and collaboration of colleagues is most important.
• The door to ubuntu is called “open gratitude.” The path to it is marked by our humanity; we follow the path from person to person. Its spirit is found through community, which is created when you find unity of purpose with others. Our prayer is that we discover the success and happiness that come from embracing the humanity of all we encounter.
• Teamwork is critical in tough times. Everyone must contribute. When the team cowers and fewer players are depended on for results, one under-performer can get the whole team crashing. Thus, all the human components in the group have to march on in concert to uphold efficiency. When the components go out of sync, the whole operation is thrown off. Regardless of their individual strengths, all the cogs must harmonize for a max-out performance.
Essentially the book leaves us with these reflections: First, we can be fully human only when we live in harmony with others; second, the work of ubuntu is not done for as long as there are people who think of themselves as “little people”; and third, we are who we are because of who we all are.
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