What is Eudaimonic by design?
We make work a place where people can bring their best to do good.
Is this for you?
We’re for visionaries.
We call ourselves Eudaimonic by Design because we care about ancient wisdom, modern science, and artful translation. If that makes you curious, you’re in the right place.
If you’re already bored or ROI is the only thing on your mind, this may not be for you.
Eudaimonic by Design - Let’s break it down:
Eudaimonia is an ancient Greek word. The ancients said that inside all of us lives a spirit (daimon) that desperately wants to do good (eu).
It’s hard to do good. First, you’ve got to have a clue as to what that even means. Then, you’ve got to figure out how your spirit will make a dent. From there, doing good will always change depending on the day, the context, and the people around you. It’s probably easier to mess up than it is to get right. But working every day to do good leads to a good life. That’s why if you translate eudaimonia, you end up with words like well-being, thriving, and flourishing. It’s not an easy road, but it is a virtuous one.
Fast forward 2500 years and scientists tend to agree: when people are eudaimonic, they usually flourish. They know a lot about themselves - their strengths and weaknesses. They have a sense of purpose, something that clarifies what they’re aiming for. They have the autonomy to choose their own adventure. They surround themselves with good people who help them on the mission. They are masters of their environments because challenges always surface on the journey. They see each day as an opportunity to learn and grow. When people are eudaimonic, they are engaged, ethical, and they pursue excellence.
Eudaimonia isn’t for everyone. But it is for realistic optimists who want to leave their world a little better than when they found it. Sound like you? We thought so. Keep reading.
What if…
Now, imagine if work was a place that allowed you to be your most eudaimonic self? Not just you - but everyone you worked with. Imagine if every day, everyone worked hard, together, to try and do good in the world. Sure, it wouldn’t be easy. It wouldn’t always be fun. There’d probably be a ton of failure along the way. But work would be an amazing place. Work would help all of us flourish.
How might we?
How does work get that way? By being intentional about how we design it. All of it. Every moment can be designed. In the same way a website or a building can be designed, so can an experience at work. Do you remember the first encounter you had with your work? Was it a job post or a conversation? That was a moment that matters - just like how we’re onboarded, how we set goals and are evaluated, how we’re rewarded and recognized, how we develop and grow, how we’re promoted, how we leave, and what happens after we’re gone. These moments can be designed to help or hinder someone from being eudaimonic.
That’s where Eudaimonic by Design comes in.
What we do
We help you align as a leadership team that eudaimonia (or whatever you want to call it) is a shared mindset and organizational commitment.
We help you look around with fresh eyes and see that there is already positive deviance in your organization - people have planted seeds of eudaimonia everywhere - you just need to grow it.
We help you engage the coalitions of the willing who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to the good work of co-creation.
We help you build capacity because few of us have ever been taught how to care for our own well-being or that of others.
We help you reimagine systems - because every policy and practice should be a moment that matters to enable eudaimonia at work.
We help you track progress - because measuring eudaimonia and what it leads to will keep you on track and inspire everyone around you.
Warning!
We will not sell you a three-step playbook or a silver bullet for eudaimonic design, nor will we boast about our proprietary frameworks.
We care a lot about research, and it tells us that one size fits none.
If you are buying our services, it’s hopefully because you’ve figured out that we can help you take ancient wisdom and modern research and apply it artfully to your context and people.
Still reading?
Thank you for reading this far! It means a lot. As your reward, it’s worth pointing out that when people are eudaimonic at work - there is a return on investment. We don’t believe that’s the ultimate goal, but eudaimonic people are more productive, have better working relationships and are more creative. A eudaimonic workforce is committed, healthier and wants to stay around longer. Don’t take our word for it - recent research tells us the most eudaimonic companies outperform the stock market by up to 20%. Not bad for visionaries!
Interested in learning more? We’d love to talk. We’re confident we can help you make work a place where people can bring their best to do good. It may just be the best work of your life.