Redefining Success....beyond the industrial era

We are living through what will perhaps in time be seen as a seismic evolutionary shift,  at a scale akin to that of the industrial revolution. 

In the industrial revolution, organic/agriculturally based economies in the West were being disrupted and transformed by new machines that brought unprecedented production capacity, efficiencies and scale. Mass production was met by mass consumption and an new emphasis on materialism, and material consumption as a measure or sign of success.

The rules were clear. Work hard and you can succeed. Of course the playing field was not level. It was easier for some then others to access the ladder and climb, but there was a common understanding of what constituted success. It was defined in terms of bigger and more, in terms of titles and positions, levels of authority and power.

And yet success seemed to be more elusive the closer you got.
It was as if it was success from a far, but far from success.

"Successful", highly paid professionals felt trapped in unhappy careers, by the "successful lives" lavish lifestyles, big houses, fancy cars, private schools, summer camps, etc, that they had constructed.

While the industrial revolution brought with it many innovations and efficiencies that improved the quality or potential quality of people's lives, it also ushered in a new kind of materialism, and mechanistic organizational models ( both businesses and schools) with important limitations. Materialism as a value and metric for success, and mechanistically modeled organizations, minimized the importance of emotional and spiritual fulfillment, resulting in material abundance alongside spiritual and emotional deprivation.

In terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs we might understand this as a bloating of basic need, and a failure to progress and thrive. Not surprisingly it produced a disengaged workforce and disengaged, depressed, pressured children. 

The digital era, or sharing economy that is now emerging represents an opportunity for organizations and schools to redefine success in more fulfilling terms. In terms that reflect the full spectrum of our humanity- physical, spiritual and emotional. As a departure from the industrial era, might we also define success in both individual and collective terms. Organizational and societal terms. As human beings we are wired to grow, to connect, to care. 

 Open, transparent cultures might just be the first step en route to the next societal revolution toward more fulfilling, connected, caring, appreciative, integrated and empowered individuals, teams, organizations and societies.  

That's the kind of success I'd sign up for!

For another post... I'm wondering whether there are limits to the positive impact of transparency and openness. Is there a risk of being too open? ( Ie. The open culture's version of excess, like excessive materialism and material focus in the industrial era beyond a certain point saw diminished even negative returns and impact.)