The Business of Human Endeavour

For a long time now I have had real concerns about the focus of policy makers, and the projects that they spawn, on ‘enterprise’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ as being too business oriented.  It is as if the only fields of human endeavour that matter are commerce of some kind.  Making money, contributing to GDP and economic growth.

This is especially un-nerving when I see it played out in our primary schools as during Enterprise week, 6 year olds are encouraged to wear badges that proclaim them be a ‘Sales Director’, ‘Operations Manager’ or ‘Marketing Executive’.

The root of the word entrepreneur means ‘to undertake’, and it appears to also have some connections to the Sanskrit phrase ‘anthra prerna’ which means self-motivated. And my old boss and mentor, Ernesto Sirolli, claimed it was first used by an Italian General centuries back to mean ‘Act boldly’.

What about all of those other fields of human endeavour?

We need people with the qualities to undertaking things with self motivation and boldness in all aspects of our society, not just commerce; climbing mountains, creating art, having fun, playing sport, writing, cooking and so on.

What if we encouraged our 6 year olds to wear badges that proclaimed them to be ‘Footballer in Training’, ‘Ballet Dancer under Construction’ or ‘Surgeon to Be’?

Because what really matters is not exposing more people to the world of business and entrepreneurship.

 

It is teach them to imagine possible futures, and learning how best to navigate towards them.  It is about developing people with a sense of agency and influence over their own futures.  It is about building a generation with both power and compassion. And a generation who really understand how to use the tools of collaboration, association and cooperation to shape the future of our communities.

Enterprise, entrepreneurship rightly understood. And not just hijacked by the economists and business community.

Does it really only matter if their chosen endeavour contributes to GVA?  Or is there more to our humanity that we need to recognise and encourage through both our policy and practice?

And this is not just an issue in schools.  It runs through our communities from cradle to grave.

I think this is important because we lose so many people who might learn to become more entrepreneurial but are completely turned off by the thought of a world of commerce. Let’s face it we don’t all want to dive headlong into a world of Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice.

So what about if instead of focussing on enterprise and entrepreneurship we attempted to throw our net wider and to encourage and support people to build their power and compassion in whatever they choose to be their particular fields of human endeavour?

So, let’s be bold…

While this body still can breathe
While this mind’s still in one piece
While this skin’s still good to touch
While this heart’s still good to love
Let’s be bold

Hope and Social – All Our Dancing Days