Economically Rational Hope

Hope as a commercially reasonable dimension would be a valuable aspect in organisation's identity, writes Äripäev's Columnist, Communications Expert and Meditation Teacher Heleri Michalski.

The influence of organisational culture on efficiency, and how certain traits might predict organisational growth, has been researched since the mid-20th century. By the 1990s, the understanding had emerged that a strong organisational culture is a key tool for improving performance. Mission, vision, and values are now familiar concepts to all. Depending on whether they are truly followed, these have become either a guiding light or a running joke for employees. In short, if words are not followed by action, and brand promises are not upheld as examples, those three concepts often become fodder for humour among employees, witnessed in coffee corners and sauna benches. Satires easily find resonance, so an organisational identity that is just paying lip service, certainly does more harm than good to its public reputation. However, those who have witnessed effective results from applying a company’s values might consider incorporating a fourth element–hope.

"Hope" met in the small businesses in Cambodia. *

Something New

At one point, during my time in Cambodia as a so-called digital nomad, I started noticing an interesting phenomenon while browsing the menus in cafes - especially those that had become gathering spots for Westerners. Alongside the usual company introductions (who we are, how our business started, etc.), the mission, vision, and values were, of course, stated. But then I noticed something new – hope. “Hope” or “Our hope.”

Once I was aware of it, I began looking for it in more places and realised that the expression of hope wasn’t a one-off but rather a shared practice among the local people.

It made me think: what if, in Estonia, when consuming products or services from a company, ordering an organisation’s expertise, or collaborating with them, we could be sure that their people were working towards something greater? That their daily activities and behaviours, including ethical choices, were guided by the thought that “we are working together because we share a common hope.” For example, that together we can be healthier because we offer cleaner food.

Sounds naïve?

An Economically Viable Dimension

In recent years, value systems have expanded anyway. New technologies and the impacts of societal and environmental shifts have significantly changed our way of life, and companies and organisations have had to adapt. In response to these challenges, alongside vision and mission, concepts such as sustainability and digital transformation have emerged.

So why not hope too?

After all, we need to buy food from somewhere, we need to eat it somewhere, and our wallets open for those providers who think (at least in words) beyond mere profit. Similarly, we need to source clothes, choose a home or building materials, order services, and interact with government institutions.

Whether we like it or not, at least for Estonians, greed as a separate character has been familiar to us from folktales for centuries, yet we still perceive it with reluctance. By now, there are already dozens of studies confirming that a shrinking number of people allow themselves mindless consumption and guilt-free pollution every day.

Similarly, an increasing number of people need a meaningful use for their expended energy and the assurance that their hard-earned money is being directed towards a resource that will be used with dignity.

Hope in the Toolbox?

Sure, it’s highly likely that even now, some “ethical businesses” use unethical methods, hiding deliberate wrongdoings behind noble goals. But better than nothing, right?

So, what kind of hope did I encounter? I encountered hope for the benefit of children's education. Hope that wanted to engage and educate local workers. Hope that wanted to see local people thriving in their company and succeeding in life. Also, hope that encouraged the surrounding local community to adopt a mindset of dignity in terms of working and rest hours for their employees.I also encountered hope that said it was still on the path of hope. Clever, isn't it? Hope isn’t solely the domain of vegetarian cafés. Upon closer examination, you’ll see that hope is already being used as a tool. It is particularly recommended for testing in companies offering healthcare and social services, as it plays a crucial role in change management, helping staff to see positive outcomes and enhancing their resilience and adaptability. If you’ll think about it, hope is the starting point for any business success. If there is no hope that a future business will succeed, a different reality is not even possible. Hope that something can change is a crucial precondition for enacting change.

A Night That Won’t Be Forgotten

There’s a phrase: “Things you cannot unsee.” This is often used in connection with internet moderators who protect us from content we’d rather not see online. For me, one such experience was a night spent in Cambodia, in an otherwise peaceful, Buddhist-influenced little town. It turned out that someone staying in the same accommodation as us was a citizen with a recent war trauma. For weeks, they had likely been trying to silence the distressing images in their mind with all kinds of legal substances and an unidentified cocktail of other substances, as far as we could tell. The chaos with which this person aimlessly wandered the place, without realising where they were headed, forced even the accommodation owners to lock themselves behind closed doors. I must admit, it was one of those nights where every cell of your body and brain senses that the key to survival is not to fall asleep – life is more than at risk.

I won’t deliberately describe all the ordeals, but I will say that we only got out unscathed because we had the hope that compassion and kind words would overcome the evil force. The same force that had been fuelled and empowered by things that also cannot be forgotten.

One day, perhaps, we will be able to return to our normal lives in Europe (as we remember it). Even if we can go on holiday with our families in peace, we won’t be sure for a while yet who we might encounter along the way and in what state, nor how to deal with the situation.

Hope is something we might need as currency in real terms. Therefore, it makes (economic) sense to start sowing the seeds of hope today.

*The article was originally published in Äripäev, the largest Estonian digital journal focused on entrepreneurs. ** I use flashbacks from my digital nomad life that inspired me to write these articles and made me think about work (environments) on a broader scale. Sometimes a foreign scene helps us think and see things we otherwise hardly notice or take for granted.