{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Putting Humans First with Mike Vacanti","description":"We\u2019re at an inflection point and it\u2019s time for a business culture shift. Today we have Mike Vacanti, the founder of the HumansFirst Club, here to share about the movement, the community, and what happens when you bring like-minded and like-hearted people together to put humans first. What is the HumansFirst Club? It\u2019s a consortium of people interested in understanding and recognizing that we can create business environments where people can grow and thrive. Its simple mission is to \u2018ignite and accelerate a shift in business culture that values humans first.\u2019 Where did this idea come from? When Mike first started his consulting work, he zeroed in on some key phrases: \u201cpeople are your business,\u201d \u201cit\u2019s much more than what we accomplish, it\u2019s who we become along the journey,\u201d and \u201cthe intent to lift others.\u201d He\u2019s always had a human-centered approach to helping companies, and it was his idea to get a bunch of people in the room together and talk about being human. That was the first HumansFirst Club event. How do you describe the HumansFirst Club? It\u2019s a movement. People are raising their hands from different cities and countries asking for this to take place there. It\u2019s time we started the dialogue because we can do more collectively than any one of us could do alone. There\u2019s a collection of talents coming together and combined, it\u2019s a wonderful playground. What does it mean to be human first? It\u2019s re-prioritization, not a replacement. We\u2019ve created processes and systems, and at some point, the human element \u2014 the employee \u2014 has become just another part of that process. We can\u2019t squeeze any more capacity out of humans, so now it\u2019s time to see how we can expand capacity. Take an element from your systems and processes, then prioritize people over everything that goes on: does that change the process? Does it enhance it? Break it? Can we make it better? What might people expect at a HumansFirst Club event? How is it different? Where most events are \u201ctalk-to\u201d events, a HumansFirst Club event is interactive. Participants are leaders who are volunteering to hang out and have real conversations about their experiences in their daily work as leaders. Participants get the chance to let their guards down, engage and connect, and belong. There\u2019s so much value in the back-and-forth with everybody: it\u2019s comfortable, it\u2019s unique, and it\u2019s needed. What kind of feedback have you received from these initial meetings? \u201cSomething so simple and obvious apparently wasn\u2019t.\u201d The statement is a testament to how powerful it can be to make \u201chumans first\u201d the focus and address just that. And everybody knows they stand a great chance of enjoying work the next day better than they did today. If somebody wanted to host or organize a HumansFirst Club meeting in their community, could they do that? The answer is always yes. What\u2019s your hope for the world if this movement takes off and flourishes? Mike would love to see the overall concept continue to bloom and grow, but at the same time, bring the seeds from that and plant them into the hearts of new leaders, our corporations, and our communities. These are principles that need to be in place for businesses to be sustainable as we go through this era of rapid change. Final thoughts Set aside your expectations of what you\u2019re going to experience. This really is a true heartfelt connection to other human beings with a desire to do better. You\u2019re welcome. You belong. So take down your guard, come with curiosity, share your voice, and bring your ideas. Resources: Mike Vacanti (LinkedIn) HumansFirst Club HumansFirst Club Calendar of Events ","author_name":"Higher Purpose Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/higherpurposepodcast.com","html":"