All companies, regardless of size, seek to attract and retain top talent. Therefore, they offer a pleasant work environment as one of their intangible benefits. This is what modern management calls “emotional salary.” However, as with any situation or aspect of our lives—be they friendships, family relationships, social interactions, or professional ones—all are, without exception, a two-way street.

In that sense, creating a pleasant work environment also depends on the cooperation of each of us (members of the company).

The word “cooperation” etymologically comes from Latin and is composed of three parts: the prefix “co,” the verb “operari,” and the suffix “tion.” Together, they signify the action and effect of working together. According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), cooperation is an essential life skill and is defined as the process of working together to achieve a common purpose or mutual benefit.

Throughout my career in the corporate world, I was always fortunate to work in very pleasant environments, where, of course, there was “demand and friction,” but also “fun.” Thanks to technology, I’m still in touch with several friends from that time, from the consumer goods company, wholesale appliance and vehicle sales, banking, and retail.

In this regard, during my last two corporate jobs, the employee satisfaction survey already existed in Peru, sponsored by a specialized company. Both the bank at the time and the retail company where I worked achieved prominent positions on the renowned GPTW Peru list.

In two of the companies where I worked, I crossed paths with Julita, who was a great coworker and remains a friend to this day. We worked together for a little over eight years. She always reminds me that we coined the phrase: “In this company, you don’t necessarily win, but you do enjoy yourself.”

In that sense, taking that phrase into account, I am sure that it reflects some values ​​or virtues that we should all practice in our workplaces.

• Justice – To do our daily duties well, to always be honest people.
• Peace – Let us be people who seek unity and cooperation, not promoting division or conflict; in this way we will transmit peace and be builders of this value.
• Charity – Being willing to help a colleague in difficulty, whether in a specific assigned task or within a team. Acknowledging positive aspects publicly and areas for improvement privately, being open to apologizing and accepting apologies.

Within this context, just last week I finished participating in an in-person course at IAE – Universidad Austral, entitled “Keys to a Successful Digital Transformation.” Therefore, I would like to connect it to what I’ve written, as I am convinced that all human beings have a fundamental need to give and receive love; moreover, each of us has different ways of expressing and sharing it with others. Consequently, true transformation begins with ourselves, in the first person.

Therefore, it was very inspiring to hear the testimony of Daniel Padin, creator of the first supermarket e-commerce platform in Argentina and the second largest in the country. What he shared reminded me of part of the lyrics to the song “Signos de amor” by Pablo Ordoñez.

“… Don’t let the night invade your life; there is too much beauty within you to remain hidden.  Don’t deny others your eyes, your love, your voice, your joy. Don’t take away your freedom or erase your smile. You must dare to live differently, fill your eyes with love, and sow seeds each day, and you will see how this world changes…”

As our Argentinian friends say: Let’s go! We can transform the world and our organizations through our daily actions: Courage, let’s row against the current and out to sea! We can change.