Have you ever felt that you or others were not being “productive enough”? That is a common thought in many work environments. During the production of major sports events, that is even stronger. Often we feel we have to be at our best all the time, no matter what.
If we take this idea too seriously, however, we may reduce people’s value to their productivity. We are only worthy if we generate more outputs and outcomes in less time. As a result, human things such as dealing with family issues, emotions, personal crises, participating in community activities, or just being sick, become annoying obstacles.
To be a “humanist” means bringing our humanity to the center of our actions. We are human beings and not human doers. Therefore, productivity should be at the service of our existence, not the opposite. When we lose sight of this, we start to undermine the importance of everyone or everything that we consider not “productive enough.”
Let’s look at the Olympic Games as an inspiration. They are essentially a celebration of being human. If it were just about “productivity,” we would limit ourselves to celebrating athletes’ victory with the stereotypical “abled body.”
We would not have the Paralympics, or even the opening ceremonies, the fans celebrating together, the dialogue between nations, the activism to end oppression and discrimination in sports, or the political discussions about how sports could help to build a better world.
All that happens because we know that the goal is to uplift human beings, and not human achievers, even if sometimes this is what stands out for some people. Many individuals and organizations are working to make sports a humanistic space, pushing back the tendencies to transform athletes, sports, and even fans into commodities.
Humanism doesn’t need to be “developed” because it is our essence. But it needs to be remembered and nourished constantly. Each group or person will do it in its way. In Legacy Sport’s case, we work to never see a person as just an “instrument” to deliver technology or project management.
Every Legacy Sport team member, partner, or client is a person who has needs and faces personal and professional issues. We want them to feel that we see and respect that. Even when we cannot help, for whatever reason, we can at least make sure that the person feels comfortable being human. They are not being judged or pressured to go beyond their capacities.
That does not cancel the need for accountability. But when we hold human beings accountable, we offer fair evaluation processes and work with them for improvement. When we only see human doers, accountability becomes a way of disposing of those who are not “productive enough.”
To reach this goal, our methodology is simple: to listen attentively to what people say with their words and actions. Then, to replace judgment with curiosity and ask: where is this person coming from? What is the story behind these words and actions? And where am I coming from when I react the way I do? Then, through dialogue, we reach a common ground that takes into consideration the needs of everybody.
What would happen if humanism was built into the DNA of our companies and work teams? How would this impact people’s happiness – and even their productivity?
TEC – HEART – SPORT is our latest series of articles explaining the mission, vision, and culture that Legacy Sport shares with its community and the world. See below for a summary of each topic we will explore during the series.
Thrill
Expertise
Courage
Humanism
Empathy
Advocacy
Respect
Transparency
Sustainability
People
Olympism
Relationships
Transformation
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