Great: Conversation on Compassion

Compassion - Everyone has it, but it's easy to get caught up in day-to-day and forget how important it is to exercise compassion in every action we take. When compassion is exercised it tends to spread and grow and a ripple is set in motion - it's so cool. Everything improves - attitudes, productivity, relationships, confidence, etc.

How about compassion in the workplace? That was the discussion for the Seeds of Compassion luncheon and panel discussion I attended on Monday. The Dalai Lama was the honored guest and it was amazing how simple he made it all seem - but he was right! Do good in business, and business will grow. There were other very amazing speakers as well - executives from Starbucks, Costco, and a professor from Bentley College - they all shared the same philosophy (with concrete examples) that said, if the company does right by it's people, it's customers, it's community - the company will be great often outrivaling it's competition (more on competition and compassion later).

It's so true. When I think about examples of companies I interact with in my own life - the ones that try to improve by cutting costs, raising prices without added benefits, etc suffer and eventually lose my business. The ones that have great employees who love their jobs and actually care, the ones that respect their relationship with me and do not abuse it by overburdening my mailbox with junk or gouging my checkbook every chance they get...those are companies that do well, have done well and will continue to do well. If everyone would just learn that corporate does not need to be anti-compassion the world would really be a better place!