How to Practice Non-Violence in Business Today
Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence includes these six principles:
PRINCIPLE ONE: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
PRINCIPLE TWO: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
PRINCIPLE THREE: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people.
PRINCIPLE FOUR: Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation.
PRINCIPLE FIVE: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
PRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.
SIX STEPS OF NONVIOLENCE IN BUSINESS
Interpreting Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence to business today, here are steps you can take to practice these principles TODAY and co-create the promise of "I Have a Dream" (he was talking to each of our individual dreams that add up to the collective global dream of love, freedom and oneness).
1. Check your Facts: Few things can be classified as 100% factual data. There is far my personal perspective, judgement and opinion that taints true data. Do the research to validate your assumptions and hypothesis.
2. Hunger to Learn: Company cultures that lead all inquiry from a hunger to understand and be curious thrive. Challenge opinions to learn, rather than holding firm to your personal agenda. Meet people where they are on this path.
3. Be Personally Committed: Daily check your assumptions and challenge your own hidden motives. Prepare yourself to let go of the opinions you hold, toward the highest good of all involved.
4. Welcome Open Discussion: When each person on a team can be open to discussing a disagreement, with humor, grace and intelligence, they avoid humiliating and call forth the good in the other.
5. Stand For the Higher Good: When the other is unwilling to have an open discussion, reinforce the bigger purpose of why your company/team exists. Be careful not to preach but connect with common ground.
6. Always Make The Relationship Your Highest Goal: Nonviolence does not seek to defeat the other personally but challenges the values and principles at hand. Better understanding of each other takes you closer to being a 'Beloved Work Community' where great things are possible together.
Thank you Dr. King for inspiring this interpretation. May we come closer to living your principles in all that we do, one person at a time.
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