So-called blue zones are areas on earth where residents live exceptionally long (and happy) lives, often reaching the age of 100 or older. Ellen M. Hunt explores how to create an ethics and compliance blue zone in your organization.
By creating lifelong habits from diet to exercise, to having a purpose and a supportive social network, individuals in blue zones not only live longer, often to 100 or more, they are happier and healthier, according to researchers. While some blue zones seem to be dwindling, new ones have emerged and there is evidence to suggest that by creating the right surroundings anyone can create their own blue zone.
So why not create your own ethics and compliance blue zone? Here is what you’ll need to get started.
Strong sense of purpose
Without a doubt, ethics and compliance professionals have a strong sense of purpose, a key element to living in a blue zone. We don’t wake up in the morning wondering what we need to do and why we need to do it. Unfortunately, for some of us, there are times when what we do as ethics and compliance professionals doesn’t seem to matter or be valued by others.
Purpose-crushing behavior that we have seen time and time again can rattle anyone’s sense of purpose, such as:
