Doing Good – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

Why does doing the right thing the right way take a special effort?

Photo by Àlex Rodriguez on Unsplash

One thing I remember vividly from my MBA at INCAE is a class with Professor Julio Sergio Ramírez on two principles: reality and consistency. The reality principle says that (barring some disorder) we fully grasp the reality of things. When we’re doing something wrong, we know it, and we’re perfectly aware of it. The consistency principle says that anything that clashes with our beliefs feels dissonant. That explains why, even when we know we’re doing something wrong (from the data, the evidence, someone telling us or plain reason), if we don’t like what we see or hear, or it contradicts what we want come hell or high water, we resent it, and we resent being told. What role do our values and a clear purpose play in doing things well, and why is it so hard?

Corruption, bribes, lies and every other act we know full well is wrong happen largely because of a mass of beliefs swirling in our heads: "It’s the only way," "That’s how it’s always been done," "Everybody does it," "It’s the formula for success." Fortunately, human beings come with built-in software called reason, and whether we like it or not it will ALWAYS run and tell us what’s wrong and what’s right. The gap between doing well and behaving badly is tiny, yet it carries an enormous charge, the energy of will. It’s our own Big Bang.

For the Stoics, a virtuous life is one lived in accordance with nature, which means living with wisdom, justice, courage and temperance. This is where you separate the kids from the grown-ups. The next big step in life is discovering our purpose, and from there we take on commitments that, once understood, give us the tools to persevere and live a life that tells us every day we’re doing the right thing the right way. The alternative is the easy road: drifting along, giving in to every passion that in the end leaves nothing good behind and, above all, wears down our hope the further we go.

A first big step toward doing good, beyond wanting good for its own sake, is to observe ourselves and ask whether each step we take truly serves something, a lesson that does us good, does others good and leaves something better for future generations. Once we’ve looked at that, the next question might be: where should I direct my steps? That question calls for a purpose and a vision. A third could be: what rules or standards will I live by whether or not anyone is watching? Those are our values. Read this personally or through a business lens, it’s the same. Companies and people alike are guided by purpose and values, and that’s what we show the world. Doing good, and doing it well, goes beyond taking an action. An action without foundation (without purpose or values) is wasted energy. An action aligned with a purpose is the greatest value we can leave the world.

I dedicate this post to my dad on his birthday. A big hug, Dad. I love you very much.

Warm regards,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. After many months (almost three), this week I was at my parents’ house with my siblings, my nieces and nephews, my children and my wife, enjoying real family time, the way it should be. The little VELA I managed was this:

• Watching: My children, and my whole family, enjoying the kind of quality time only Holy Week and the big holidays allow. We were especially blessed to celebrate my dad’s birthday. May God and the Virgin bless you, Dad, and may life give you 100 more years. I love you with all my heart. On this Easter Sunday I wish everyone a happy Easter, and may this Easter week be the best of our lives.
• Listening to: The nature around my parents’ house, a paradise on earth, thanks above all to my mom’s devotion to her garden.
• Reading: Crime and Punishment. A masterpiece that gives me a life lesson every day as I reread it.
• Learning/Doing: Cycling. I got to ride some of the best routes in Guatemala as part of my triathlon training.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

Linkedin