Work, In Progress: Bringing Human Values Back to the Workplace

The world came to a tipping point in 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States of America. A man who has incited racism, hatred, sexism, and more is now the leader of the free world, but we should not be overly surprised: The same cutthroat values are being promoted at companies everywhere. Frank Mertens, a seasoned global marketing executive who has worked at some of the world’s most admired firms, challenges these values in this commentary that promotes bringing the healthy ideas we teach our children at home to our workplaces. Looking at the cultural dynamics influencing society now, and the aspirations of the next big working generation, the author focuses on two themes that will help guide our efforts on the job: security and purpose. Join Mertens as he examines how we’ve lost our way in the workplace over the past sixty years, why the stakes are so high, and what we can do to rediscover our shared humanity in Work, In Progress.