I was chatting with Kim Hansen the other day as research for the upcoming book. As CTO of KwameCorp, Kim convinced the owners and powers-that-be that it would be a good idea to take a core group of his team to Bali for a month as prep for an upcoming client project.
To Bali. For a month.
I loved the story when I heard it, and just had to connect with Kim to find out the details. Amid the business insights (retention & company loyalty are strong, as you might imagine) and the financial elements (cheaper than you might think), Hansen’s message was one of holistic growth. ie. Hansen’s not just focused on revenues (though that’s important), but on personal growth for his staff – helping them lead healthier, happier, more active lives that blur the lines between work and play, office and home. Hansen considers it his responsibility as a leader to provide every opportunity he can for his team to live full lives.
Do you lead people? Where are you leading them? Through this project? To the next quarters earnings? Or are you leading them to a better life?
As Hansen is quick to admit, not everyone wants to go to Bali. And not everyone will focus on improving their health and wellness, no matter how many programs or opportunities you put in front of them. Hansen’s ok with that. In his mind, the role of the leader is to provide the opportunity and let the individuals do with it as they will.
What programs/opportunities does your company provide for employees to live fuller lives?
For tactics on how to begin supporting your team’s real needs, check out Matt Tod’s summary of The Decoded Company ~ fabulous read.
Read more about Hansen’s experiment in Forbes.
