The Loving Organisation

Haesun Moon

Synopsis

Haesun Moon’s “The Loving Organisation” session explored the profound impact of integrating love, expressed as empathy, compassion, and care, into the workplace. This session, inspired by the work of Apruv Gupta, MD, and Kristin Bodiford, Ph.D and grounded in Khalil Gibran’s quote, “Work is love made visible,” aimed to elucidate how such emotions can be a driving force in organisational settings, particularly in healthcare but applicable to other sectors as well.

During the workshop, Haesun guided participants through various prompts to reflect on their experiences and expressions of love in their work environments. They discussed how love has manifested in their actions, whether through small gestures or more significant acts of passion and advocacy for what they believe is right.

The session also focused on how organisational structures can facilitate or hinder the expression and experience of love at work. For example, participants considered how they might organise or re-organise workplace policies, priorities, and relationships to foster a loving and supportive environment.

The discussion then extended to the sustainability of organisations, where Haesun encouraged participants to connect the concept of love with the three pillars of sustainability: economic value, social impact, and environmental responsibility.

Participants explored how fostering a culture of love could lead to enhanced employee engagement and well-being, which in turn could boost productivity and economic performance. Socially, a loving organisation could improve job satisfaction, reduce turnover, and enhance the organisation’s reputation as a desirable workplace. Environmentally, a culture of care and respect could extend to more conscientious practices regarding resource use and sustainability initiatives.

By the session’s conclusion, there was a shared recognition that embedding love into the fabric of an organisation could transform typical work dynamics and contribute to a more sustainable business model. The participants left with reflective questions about the root causes of their care and passion and how they could harness these to infect others with this “love,” potentially leading to broader organisational and societal changes. The session underscored the idea that when love organises work, it enhances the immediate work environment and aligns with broader sustainable development goals.

How might we relate the workshop to Solution Focus?

The Solution Focus (SF) approach, centred on identifying and leveraging strengths and positive outcomes, aligns seamlessly with Haesun Moon’s “The Loving Organisation” session.

This session explored the transformative power of integrating love—expressed as empathy, compassion, and care—into workplace dynamics, echoing the core SF principle of focusing on solutions rather than problems.

In the workshop, participants engaged in reflective exercises to identify how love manifests in their work, whether through small gestures or significant advocacy, similar to the SF technique of exploring past successes and positive behaviours. This reflection on existing expressions of love helps participants recognise and amplify their strengths and fosters personal growth, inspiring and motivating them to create a more supportive and productive work environment.

The session’s exploration of how organisational structures can either facilitate or hinder the expression of love parallels the SF practice of identifying what works well and building on it. By considering how to reorganise workplace policies to foster a loving and supportive environment, participants can implement practical changes that enhance positive interactions and outcomes.

Connecting love with the three pillars of sustainability—economic value, social impact, and environmental responsibility—reflects the SF emphasis on the broader impact of positive changes. Participants discussed how a loving culture could enhance employee engagement, productivity, and well-being, demonstrating the approach’s focus on leveraging strengths for systemic improvements. Socially, this leads to higher job satisfaction and retention, while environmentally, it promotes conscientious practices.

Ultimately, the session concluded that embedding love into organisational practices can transform work dynamics and contribute to a sustainable business model, resonating with the SF belief that positive change in one area can ripple out to provide broader systemic benefits.

Participants left with actionable insights and reflective questions to harness their care and passion, aiming to infect others with this “love” and drive organisational and societal changes, embodying the SF principle of envisioning and working towards a desired future.

Inputs Prompts used in the workshop

Loving Organisation

• (Referring to the work of Apruv Gupta, MD, and Kristin Bodiford)

Quote

• “Work is love made visible.” by Khalil Gibran

Context

• Healthcare organisations working with staff, patients, and families. But you can transpose it to other contexts.

Prompts Haesun used:

• Experience of Love: How have you experienced “LOVE” (which you can reword as empathy, compassion, care, etc.) at the hospital (at work, at school, etc.)?
• Expression of Love: How have you expressed “LOVE” at work? (It could show up as a small gesture, your passion, even arguing and defending for the right thing, etc.)
• Enabling of Love: How does your work “organise” your love so it is easier to experience and express?
• Envisioning of Love: Suppose this “love” of yours organises your work (calendar, priorities, bank accounts, relationships, etc.) regularly; what difference would that make? What differences would you and others notice?
• Examples of Love: What examples have you already seen at work? What else? Who else might experience this?

Bonus prompts

• What’s the root cause of this love? How come you care so much about this?
• When did you first notice the symptoms of this love? How does it affect your day-to-day life (side effects)? What are some obvious symptoms and subtle symptoms?
• Suppose more people get infected with this love…