REPLAY: Amelia Dunlop: Elevating the Human Experience

Amelia Dunlop is Deloitte Digital’s Chief Experience Officer and the author of Elevating The Human Experience. Amelia writes and speaks regularly on the topics of human experience, design, and customer strategy. In this episode of Love in Action, she touches on the three paths to elevate the human experience involving self love and worthiness at work and in life. 

Quotes:

• “So many traditions and philosophies teach that the fundamental human condition is one of suffering. There are many things you and I may not have in common, but [we can understand] that feeling of suffering we share.” [9:30] Why is elevating the human experience so necessary? Amelia shares the importance of helping people feel loved and worthy and the impact it has at work.
  
  
• “If you're not putting human needs at the center, you feel burned out; if you’re not feeling heard, you feel gaslit, if you’re not feeling included, you feel excluded.” [12:43] There are many ‘trends’ of focus in the workplace right now, and as Marcel points out, ​​burnout, loneliness, and isolation are not new concepts. Amelia turns these problems around and focuses on the cause: human needs and the human experience.
  
  
• “The first path is the path of the self where we learn to see ourselves as inherently worthy of love.”[16:15] How often do you share love with yourself? Amelia explains the system of external affirmations in society through grades, gold stars, etc. It is the self love that comes from within that allows us to see that we are worthy. She challenges listeners to write down the reasons they are loveable and explore those answers.
  
  
• “You could argue that doing the work on yourself is selfish. No, doing the work on yourself is critical as a leader in particular. You now have to mirror back the worth into somebody else, and that’s the second path.” [29:20] Amelia quotes Ian Forrester when she says, only connect. She explains how we cultivate worthiness as leaders within our employees. We can do this by showing up as allies at work: As a friend, as a mentor, as a sponsor, and as a benefactor. Consider not only who those people are for you but also who you are to others. 
  
  
• “What does it mean to leave someone better off, no matter how brief the interaction?” [37:37] As Amelia begins to discuss the third path, cultivating love in the community of work, she places importance on acknowledging the system that is there; even though it is invisible, it can be deconstructed and redesigned to support our human needs.
  
  
• “The journey element is key, there is no point of arrival…we are always a work in progress."  [41:48] Marcel and Amelia wind down there discussion on the three paths to elevate the human experience. Amelia notes that these paths are not always sequential and require a lifelong journey of work. 
  
  
• “We have about 40 years of research from Gallup that says [recognizing your employees’ contributions improves employee engagement]; it does something special to the human spirit when somebody lifts and builds you up through gratitude.” [43:30] Closing out their conversation, Marcel notes research that backs up Amelia’s tip for leaders: Catch your employees doing good work and let them know!

Mentioned in this episode:
Amelia Dunlop | LinkedIn
Marcel Schwantes

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