Thanks for a refreshing read. Almost immediately when you started to describe your work on the farm, I thought, "oh, that sounds like sociocracy," - haha. More importantly, though, is illustrating how most work is too similar with being in abusive and traumatic situations. We need to not just revive the typical worker call for better pay or "conditions," but for better, healthier work relationships.
Absolutely, we need a major re-orientation toward relationships-based living. As a teacher, I'm really feeling this in my teaching. The lack of ability to form lasting mentoring relationships with my students is really wearing after 25 years of watching them come and go like leaves in the wind.
I worked for charities for many years which here in the UK mostly rely on local authority contracts for their income. The first I worked for was the most macho-dominated cutthroat organisation I've ever known and I paid the price for protecting my team from the excesses of management edicts. Subsequent organisations I worked for were generally lovely people but forced into macho management just to get a contract and survive.
I ended up working for myself which was much easier, if scarier, but had the downside of being more lonesome. I'm retired now but I resonate with your experience as for a couple of years after retiring I joined a not for profit that was growing heritage varieties of wildflowers, fruits and vegetables in an old walled garden. The day started with "here's a list of jobs - which would you like to do?"! Everyone worked hard and mistakes were accepted as part of the learning process. Sadly it folded as the owner of the garden wanted to earn more money out of it....
Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, money is the enemy of so much good in the world. I can't help but think if we could reverse our current economic rewards model so that money flows toward socially beneficial action, we could (in some ways) reverse our current vicious cycle really fast. Public finance could do a lot towards this.
Thanks for a refreshing read. Almost immediately when you started to describe your work on the farm, I thought, "oh, that sounds like sociocracy," - haha. More importantly, though, is illustrating how most work is too similar with being in abusive and traumatic situations. We need to not just revive the typical worker call for better pay or "conditions," but for better, healthier work relationships.
Absolutely, we need a major re-orientation toward relationships-based living. As a teacher, I'm really feeling this in my teaching. The lack of ability to form lasting mentoring relationships with my students is really wearing after 25 years of watching them come and go like leaves in the wind.
I worked for charities for many years which here in the UK mostly rely on local authority contracts for their income. The first I worked for was the most macho-dominated cutthroat organisation I've ever known and I paid the price for protecting my team from the excesses of management edicts. Subsequent organisations I worked for were generally lovely people but forced into macho management just to get a contract and survive.
I ended up working for myself which was much easier, if scarier, but had the downside of being more lonesome. I'm retired now but I resonate with your experience as for a couple of years after retiring I joined a not for profit that was growing heritage varieties of wildflowers, fruits and vegetables in an old walled garden. The day started with "here's a list of jobs - which would you like to do?"! Everyone worked hard and mistakes were accepted as part of the learning process. Sadly it folded as the owner of the garden wanted to earn more money out of it....
Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, money is the enemy of so much good in the world. I can't help but think if we could reverse our current economic rewards model so that money flows toward socially beneficial action, we could (in some ways) reverse our current vicious cycle really fast. Public finance could do a lot towards this.