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Perspective 19
The Work it Out Evolution
Time to leave the Factory.
There’s a deeper change happening beneath the surface of all this talk about AI and business models. It’s not just about new technology or adapting our marketing. It’s about something older, something wiser and something we may have forgotten.
You see, long before the corporate world, before industrial hierarchies, KPIs and digital dashboards, we lived and worked differently. We lived as communities, and we worked as communities. We helped one another not because it was a job, but because that’s what you did.
In Ireland, there was a word for this way of working, Meitheal (pronounced meh-hill). From time immemorial, people in rural communities would gather on a neighbour’s farm to help save the hay or bring in the harvest. Everyone turned up, not because they were paid, but because that was the rhythm of the community. You helped your neighbour today. They helped you next week.
Each person brought their own strengths, some had equipment, some had experience, and some were just good with a scythe. Others stayed behind to prepare food and tea for the workers. Everyone had a role, everyone mattered and there was no hierarchy. There was no org chart or performance bonuses. Just people showing up, working together, sharing what they had.
It’s worth pausing here and thinking about the contrast with the modern business world. Today, we define people by seniority, job titles, and salaries. We segment contribution. We assign value based on position. But in the Meitheal, value was found in participation. Respect was earned by showing up, giving your best, and helping others succeed.
These gatherings weren’t just productive - they were joyful. People looked forward to them. They were hard work, yes, but they were full of banter, stories, music, laughter and connection. Strong bonds were formed in those fields. Lifelong friendships were built between rows of hay.
And that spirit, the Meitheal spirit, still lives on. You can see it in grassroots community groups, in people rallying around a shared cause, and in the way neighbours still show up for each other during tough times. It’s a bottom-up, human-first approach. It’s about journeying together and working for the common good.
There are two Irish seanfhocals (old sayings) that capture this perfectly:
“Faoi scáth a chéile a mhaireann na ndaoine” — The people live in each other’s shadow.
“Ní neart go cur le chéile” — There is no strength without coming together.
These aren’t just poetic lines. They’re deep truths about how we were meant to live and work.
And now, with AI reshaping the very foundations of business, we’re being offered an opportunity to return to that way of working. Not by going backwards, but by going forward with intention. We’re being invited to rebuild our businesses not as machines, but as communities. Not driven by control, but by contribution.
The Industrial Revolution pulled us into factories and systems. We exchanged freedom and collaboration for wages and hierarchy. And that made sense, perhaps, for a time.
But now, the old structures are starting to loosen. AI is removing layers of control and routine. It’s doing the organising, the analysing and the reporting. And as it does, we’re left with the most human work of all — showing up, building relationships, supporting each other, and creating something meaningful together.
This is why the Work It Out Way isn’t just a new business framework. It’s an evolution and an opportunity to return to something deeply human, rooted in generosity, service and trust. It’s our modern Meitheal.
We may not be returning to local hayfields, but we are coming out of our ‘factories’ to a world full of challenges and problems. It’s a world that desperately needs us to show up for our neighbour with love and shared purpose.
And in doing so, we’re building a different type of business as we work with each other. You see, we’ve always
known, that there’s no strength without coming together.
There’s a deeper change happening beneath the surface of all this talk about AI and business models. It’s not just about new technology or adapting our marketing. It’s about something older, something wiser and something we may have forgotten.
You see, long before the corporate world, before industrial hierarchies, KPIs and digital dashboards, we lived and worked differently. We lived as communities, and we worked as communities. We helped one another not because it was a job, but because that’s what you did.
In Ireland, there was a word for this way of working, Meitheal (pronounced meh-hill). From time immemorial, people in rural communities would gather on a neighbour’s farm to help save the hay or bring in the harvest. Everyone turned up, not because they were paid, but because that was the rhythm of the community. You helped your neighbour today. They helped you next week.
Each person brought their own strengths, some had equipment, some had experience, and some were just good with a scythe. Others stayed behind to prepare food and tea for the workers. Everyone had a role, everyone mattered and there was no hierarchy. There was no org chart or performance bonuses. Just people showing up, working together, sharing what they had.
It’s worth pausing here and thinking about the contrast with the modern business world. Today, we define people by seniority, job titles, and salaries. We segment contribution. We assign value based on position. But in the Meitheal, value was found in participation. Respect was earned by showing up, giving your best, and helping others succeed.
These gatherings weren’t just productive - they were joyful. People looked forward to them. They were hard work, yes, but they were full of banter, stories, music, laughter and connection. Strong bonds were formed in those fields. Lifelong friendships were built between rows of hay.
And that spirit, the Meitheal spirit, still lives on. You can see it in grassroots community groups, in people rallying around a shared cause, and in the way neighbours still show up for each other during tough times. It’s a bottom-up, human-first approach. It’s about journeying together and working for the common good.
There are two Irish seanfhocals (old sayings) that capture this perfectly:
“Faoi scáth a chéile a mhaireann na ndaoine” — The people live in each other’s shadow.
“Ní neart go cur le chéile” — There is no strength without coming together.
These aren’t just poetic lines. They’re deep truths about how we were meant to live and work.
And now, with AI reshaping the very foundations of business, we’re being offered an opportunity to return to that way of working. Not by going backwards, but by going forward with intention. We’re being invited to rebuild our businesses not as machines, but as communities. Not driven by control, but by contribution.
The Industrial Revolution pulled us into factories and systems. We exchanged freedom and collaboration for wages and hierarchy. And that made sense, perhaps, for a time.
But now, the old structures are starting to loosen. AI is removing layers of control and routine. It’s doing the organising, the analysing and the reporting. And as it does, we’re left with the most human work of all — showing up, building relationships, supporting each other, and creating something meaningful together.
This is why the Work It Out Way isn’t just a new business framework. It’s an evolution and an opportunity to return to something deeply human, rooted in generosity, service and trust. It’s our modern Meitheal.
We may not be returning to local hayfields, but we are coming out of our ‘factories’ to a world full of challenges and problems. It’s a world that desperately needs us to show up for our neighbour with love and shared purpose.
And in doing so, we’re building a different type of business as we work with each other. You see, we’ve always
known, that there’s no strength without coming together.
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Copyright © Diversiton 2003-2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Copyright © Diversiton 2003-2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.