HR lessons from Ancient Greece

The Golden Age of Ancient Greece was filled with myths and magic. Heroes fought beasts, Gods spoke to men and civilizations were founded. Speaking to HR Grapevine, Klaer Brooker, Group Head of HR Transformation at Computacenter, explains what HR can learn from Classical Greece.

Socrates: “To find yourself, think for yourself.”

Socrates was one of the first advocates of critical thinking. His method of teaching stemmed from giving students questions rather than answers. Socratic questioning is intended to explore alternative directions, to open up new ideas and to distinguish between what we do know and what we are unsure of.

In any well-oiled organisation, micromanagement is not a sustainable option. Employees should feel comfortable and capable enough to make their own decisions, and stand by their convictions. Encouraging independent thinking can lead to great things. It’s HR’s duty to promote innovation and do away with a tendency to rely on others for all the answers.