ODDA's second OD Salon on Friday, May 6th discussed the "contract" between organizations, staff, and communities. We initiated the discussion by asking these questions:
The dialogue was lively and wandered into some interesting terrain. Comments from participants will be added below as they are received. You can also join the discussion by sharing your ideas here.
Our next Salon will be held on October 21st, "Why not pay people as much as we possibly can? What about limiting lowest and highest incomes to a fixed differential?" Contact Itanza at iwooden@odda123.com to reserve your place (seating is limited).
- What one action could our organizations take that it is not taking to dramatically improve either our staff’s lives or our community? Between organizations and the greater community?
- What is the social contract between organizations and their staff?
- Is it working?
The dialogue was lively and wandered into some interesting terrain. Comments from participants will be added below as they are received. You can also join the discussion by sharing your ideas here.
Our next Salon will be held on October 21st, "Why not pay people as much as we possibly can? What about limiting lowest and highest incomes to a fixed differential?" Contact Itanza at iwooden@odda123.com to reserve your place (seating is limited).
Thoughts on the ODDA Salon: The Social Contract
ReplyDeleteI use the ODDA Salons to deepen my thinking on philosophical issues that I sometimes take for granted in my work. I usually start by making a google search on the topic. In this case, in searching for “the social contract” Socrates is the first name to come up and his notion of the social contract still feels relevant. He focuses on the need for laws/rules that enable civil interaction and social progress. Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau added to early democratic theory by focusing on consent as the core concept in the social contract whether it be between individuals, organizations, communities or governments.
My interpretation of this is that to the extent we have the ability to choose where we live and work we are obligated to obey the rules. The issues of openness, reciprocity, and balance of power between entities have an impact on the viability of the contracts. As the world becomes increasingly complex the need for transparency in relationships becomes vital to sustaining agreements. Honesty and truth (full disclosure) become the tools by which social contracts can be successful. So as we enter personal relationships, take new jobs, choose where we live, and vote for our leaders, we must understand our choices, take responsibility for these choices, and demand that we are treated with respect.