Companies for a smile

“Companies for a Smile” – FEBRUARY 2020_ LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

“I want the company to be not just a factory, but a model, a way of life. I want it to produce freedom and beauty because it is they, freedom and beauty, that will tell us how to be happy!”

Who is the author of these words? We are convinced that many might think of some famous American visionary manager. Therefore, consider this thought as a natural emanation of the culture of a country, the United States, which included in its founding act, the Declaration of Independence of 1776, the pursuit of happiness as an inalienable right of every human being. That sentence, on the other hand, was written by Adriano Olivetti, a revolutionary entrepreneur, capable of creating a model of a company that was extraordinarily effective and innovative in terms of production, and at the same time extremely attentive to the values of social solidarity.

Is it possible to reconcile all this? Adriano Olivetti’s was an extraordinary adventure, but also a story confined to a place and time. Today there are many signs that could lead us to think in a radically different way. Opinions aside, scrolling through Gallup surveys in recent years, we find that levels of demotivation at work are very high. In Europe, 40 million workers suffer from ‘work-related stress’, and our country has one of the lowest figures in terms of engagement, which generally corresponds to low productivity, absenteeism and an increase in accidents at work.

Yet, something new is starting to happen. A renewed interest in people’s well-being can be observed in many organisations, and companies are increasingly asking us to help their managers develop ’emotional competences’ to improve their ability to handle potentially stressful and conflictual situations. It is no longer surprising, then, to read of the emergence of the figure of the CHO (Chief Happiness Officer), born a few years ago in the United States, or to learn that in some of the most important universities (Harvard, Berkeley, London BS) there are MBA and Master’s courses in Happiness Management and Positive Organisation, and that in Italy the University of Palermo has organised a course in the Economics of Happiness.

It is on the wave of this spirit that we have decided to make our own contribution: to organise an event that wants to be both a reflection and a meeting between managers who have the courage to think about these issues and the future in a different way. Together we will also have the opportunity to give concrete help to Operation Smile Italia, a medical humanitarian organisation that works with children with cleft lips to give them a smile again.

Many studies confirm that facial expressions play a central role in emotional experience, as it is through them that we communicate our mood and emotions. When facial muscles contract in a certain way, they send a vital signal to foster empathy. Every face is different but the muscles needed to transmit these signals are universal, suggesting that the human face has evolved to communicate these messages, which are essential for a healthy relationship life. Surgically reconstructing the smile of these children means re-establishing a physiological and emotional balance that allows them to fully experience all emotions and be happy.

Knowing the origin and physiology of emotions allows us to increase our emotional awareness and use the most appropriate strategies to avoid automatic and uncontrolled reactions. We can learn to recognise our employees’ emotions and help them to express their full potential because a conscious leader must be able to act on emotional components and inspire people so that they can broaden their vision. The future demands that we know how to develop skills that match our values.

On 11 and 12 March, we decided to cross paths in Stresa, at Villa Aminta, for a training event that could change the lives of many children and nurture our values.

Speakers who are experts in emotional intelligence and storytelling, with scientific and corporate backgrounds, will meet with the Top Managers of the most important multinational companies, to nurture and develop skills that can sustain their “reputation” in an increasingly complex market.

For info: www.unsorrisoxtutti.it