5 Revealing Sentences

Years ago an intense student of human behavior taught me how to know the main issue in a person’s life from their first five introductory sentences. This weekend I had an experience that reminded me of the power of this skill. I met a stranger on a train and within minutes knew his struggle, its cause and his love and fears. A homeless vet, drunk, going to visit his mother: he wanted me to know that he wasn’t a bad person, just poor, and had I had his life I would also be drunk. His blue-green eyes watered some as he hoped his mother would see him.

As he exited the train I considered causes of poverty. I believe that poverty (and all social ills) continue because someone profits from them, at least in the short-term. It may sound harsh but consider this: defense contractors, arms dealers and generals got rich; lives of soldiers were sacrificed and homeless vets roam the streets of our cities, haunted. Take this to drug trafficking, human trafficking and violent crime. Some profit, some suffer – and society at large suffers. Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank and pioneer in micro-lending understands that “Poverty is not created by the poor. It is created by the structures of society and the policies pursued by society.” (Kiva.com site from his book “Banker to the Poor”)

Recently a passionate woman, Miriam, contacted me for expertise to help a community of women (Grupo de las Mujeres Chiquirichapenses) in a small town in Guatemala develop self-sufficiency through their craft. She is a Peace Corps volunteer interested in developing a sustainable program for these women and found me through my social venture the Ixchel Foundation (interestingly enough the name Ixchel comes from that area in South America). I introduced her to the concept of micro-finance (although I’m surprised the Peace Corps isn’t connected with micro-lending organizations as it seems like an obvious connection). We discussed the sustainability of the program and the need for basic education: reading, writing, simple math and business basics.

I understand much of the success of micro-lending has been attributed to training that accompanies loans given primarily to women entrepreneurs. Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Joseph E. Stiglitz in his book “Globalization and It’s Discontents” states “development encompasses not just resources and capital but a transformation of society” (p 242). He continues that the transformation needed includes acceptance of change, scientific thinking and willingness to accept risk. Sometimes I believe the catalyst for change is also just an awareness of what it is possible.

CONSIDER: How do your business practices contribute to poverty in the world? Do you pay sub-standard wages? Are you in an industry that is detrimental to humanity? Does any part of your business allow abuses that traumatize people beyond their ability to function within society?

How do your business practices contribute to eliminate poverty from the world? Do you have social programs that empower groups of society? Are your products empowering to humanity? Do you assist developing countries in a sustainable way?

Homework: Find one simple change you can make that shifts the balance of your business to increase global prosperity (bonus: it will also increase your company’s long run profitability).