Strive to be wise: The case for more wisdom at work
With January’s promise (and pressures) behind us, I’ve re-evaluated my goals for 2019. I paid particular attention to what it means to be wise, why it matters, and what we can all do to cultivate wisdom in our work lives. Have a read and see if this resonates with you.
Choose a word for the year
A dear friend brought this trend to my attention after a mutual colleague suggested picking a yearly theme (i.e., one word) instead of setting goals for the new year. Our colleague has done this for several years, and works diligently to make that word permeate each facet of her life. I was game to give it a try.
My word for 2019 is abundance.
This isn’t about excess and wealth. It’s about an overflowing fullness. In 2019, I aspire for more — more of what I love and more of what makes me (and my communities) flourish.
In my work world, that means focusing on two important ideals: wisdom and trust. They both play a grounding role in how I interact with clients and colleagues, and are worth paying attention to in 2019. Today, I’ll focus on wisdom.
Why wisdom?
In 2018, my dad sent me a note along with an opinion article from The Globe and Mail. Written by Jonathan Rauch, a researcher from the Brookings Institute, the piece shone a bright light on wisdom, a “distinct, measurable and precious human quality, one that is vitally important and for which there are no substitutes. ” It’s a quality that has “all but disappeared from the everyday lexicon.”
Rauch points out, “these days, ‘She’s so smart’ is the highest of compliments, but when did you last hear, ‘She’s so wise’? Parents and teachers urge children to strive to be happy, successful, fulfilled and more, but how often is a child urged to aspire to wisdom?”
It’s so true! This struck a chord. The more I learn about wisdom, the more I realize it’s a quality I’ve always valued and something we all need more of, especially in our working lives. That’s usually true for ourselves and the people around us.
What is wisdom?
Wisdom is tricky. It’s easily confused with other things. Wisdom isn’t intelligence and it’s not knowledge. It’s something way bigger. It turns out, the concept of wisdom has been common throughout the ages all over the world. Amazingly, it doesn’t mean different things to different people in different places. The concept of wisdom is universal. Using standard psychological tests, researchers reliably identified people and behaviours that are deemed ‘wise’. Wisdom is the sum total of very specific traits and abilities, each of which contributes to the others:
- Being able to look at phenomena and events from different perspectives
- Showing concern for the common good
- Coping with uncertainty and ambiguity
- Being in control of feelings and emotions
- Using pragmatic knowledge to resolve personal and social issues
- Having the capacity for reflection and dispassionate self-understanding
As noted by Rauch, the best part of wisdom is that it can’t exist in isolation. “You cannot be truly wise on a desert island by yourself. You can be shrewd, resourceful, intelligent, skilled and much else besides. You can exhibit various elements of wisdom: putting yourself inside the head of a rescuer or possessing useful knowledge about survival or making levelheaded decisions. But as long as you are a society of one, you are only potentially wise.”
Wisdom at work
Work environments are often designed to reward wisdom’s opposites: reactivity, self-promotion, etc. But with just a few practical changes, we can cultivate wisdom at work:
Really listen to alternate points of view.
Now more than ever, we tend to discount anyone who doesn’t think like us. When I’m uncomfortable with someone’s perspective, I try to acknowledge that discomfort, then lean in and show a willingness to compromise.
Maintain emotional and intellectual stability in uncertain and ambiguous scenarios.
As humans, we like clarity and certainty, but life rarely gives us either of those gifts, particularly at work. My solution? I strive to exercise good judgement even when situations are complex. I focus on regulating my emotions when the going gets tough.
Be self-reflective.
Without self-reflection, we feed ego-centeredness and move away from team cohesion and effectiveness. I regularly ask myself questions so I can understand how I’m seen by others. What am I really like to work with? How do others perceive me? How can I be more transparent about my shortcomings?
Become wise
I’m so grateful for the wise people in my life, and want to provide that same wisdom to my clients, partners, colleagues, mentees, and friends. I know that our projects will be more rewarding if we bring wisdom to the foreground this year. Consider the wise people who exist in your life and what their wisdom affords you. Emulate it in your own way and see where it takes you.