Can Organizations Be Empathetic?
It's hard for individuals to stay open to others' experience. Can nonprofits & companies do so as well? Tanner Smith makes the case for virtuous organizations.
Episode Overview:
This week, the Mode/Switchers discusses conflict resolution in and around the office, learning from our guest, Tanner Smith, chief of staff at The Colossian Forum. He urges organizations—not just individuals—to practice virtues like empathy, humility, courage, and hope. But, wait, how can your company be “good”? Hit play and find out!
Topics Engaged:
Do Gen Zs engage an organization's mission differently than their Gen X managers? (Tanner explains what he’s learned from his younger coworkers about undead organizations.)
Why has organized faith so often been, shall we say, unfaithful in organizational life? (Emily takes a swat at terrible HR in faith-based organizations.)
How can you shift the moral life of an organization towards the practice of humility, courage, and hope? (David’s away, so naturally we discuss KPIs.)
Guest Bio:
Tanner Smith is chief of staff at The Colossian Forum, a nonprofit focused on conflict resolution through faith-based approaches. His expertise offers a compelling look at how moral and spiritual resources can transform organizational dynamics.
With a doctorate in Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary, Tanner is an ordained minister in The Reformed Church in America. You’ll hear him describe himself as a feral cat, generationally speaking, but he does actually love to be out of doors as much as he can!
Is your organization avoiding (or igniting) conflict right now? Reach out to the team at The Colossian Forum. They’re persuasively hopeful that conflict’s a sign of energy in your working community—and you can do something with that energy! The Colossian Forum will show your company, church, nonprofit, or school how to move towards—and through—conflict to transform it for the life and wellbeing of your organization.
You might start by signing up for their newsletter.
This Week’s Co-Hosts:
Emily Bosscher (Xennial)
Ken Heffner (Boomer)
Haley Kornoelje (Gen Z)
Craig Mattson (Gen Xer)
Too Busy to Listen in Your Inbox?
Click here to join us on Spotify later or here to join us on Apple Podcasts.