Philosophy within the company: from a discipline that guides us in knowledge to a management tool

Philosophical skills for management: the link between philosophy and soft skills for a company

We often look at companies by identifying them solely in terms of what they do and the market they serve, but companies are complex entities in which economic and productive values are intertwined with ethical and social values. Within each business environment, networks of relationships develop that in turn shape corporate identity. In this context, critical and strategic thinking are already an integral part of organisational life, but philosophy, understood as the practice of critical and creative thinking, is also making its way. In this perspective, it is taking on a central role as it is a driving force for continuous improvement.

We live in an age when challenges are increasingly complex and global. The task of philosophy in organisations is precisely to nurture critical-constructive thinking by representing a tool capable of guiding companies toward a holistic vision, of accepting and pursuing innovation, and of striking a balance between economic performance and social responsibility. In this sense, philosophy becomes one of the engines for sustainable and lasting growth.

With the awareness that companies are relational worlds in which a community of people acts driven not only by economic interests, but by motivations that go beyond mere profit, the Executive Course in Philosophy for Management has been designed in which philosophy becomes a tool to guide organisational and managerial action. This innovative project is divided into several modules, one of which is entitled "Philosophical Skills for Management", led by Stefania Contesini, Coordinator of the Philosophy and Business Unit and Head of the Philosophy and Business Laboratory at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. We asked her to explain how philosophy fits into the mechanisms of a company.

Why has philosophy made its way into companies in a world made of economic values and productivity?

Companies are increasingly realising that alongside economic values, with their cornerstones of effectiveness and efficiency, they also host other values which, together with the former, contribute to their prosperity. On the other hand, it could not be otherwise given that businesses are primarily complex relational worlds made up of people whose motivations and purposes go beyond mere economic interest and profit.

Every enterprise is a complex entity that includes multiple values, at the same time economic, productive and ethical-social. As such, thought, in its various declinations - not only strategic, but also critical-constructive - already inhabits the world of organisations. The task of philosophy, understood as that practice which helps us to think critically and creatively about our choices and actions, is to offer its tools to perfect and train it for improvement, especially where questions of meaning and value are at stake.

What is the relationship between philosophical skills and soft skills?

By philosophical skills we mean those skills that philosophy has thematically developed, practised and helped train in its thousand-year history. These competencies have in common the expression of a critical-reflective rationality that allows us to ‘do by knowing what is done and why it is done’. In other words, they help us to gain a critical and richer understanding of reality and ourselves, to take a stand, to apply principles, values and rules in different circumstances, and to imagine a better and more sustainable future.

The most significant are critical thinking, creative-imaginative thinking, emotional-relational thinking, argumentative thinking, and ethical thinking. We can define them as metacognitive skills with generative power over other competencies, particularly soft skills. In fact, if owned, they act on them, helping to redefine them, to give them greater substance, quality and meaning. Just to give an example: can we really talk about good communication without the ability to critically assess a message to see whether or not to subscribe to it, or without the ability to argue our position with good reasons, without asking ourselves questions about the ethical quality of our communication and therefore, about its purposes and about whether or not to respect all those involved?

Can philosophy be a tool for dialogue and understanding the talents of others?

Starting from Platonic dialogues, dialogue can be considered the philosophical method par excellence. It allows us, through the flow of questions and answers, to clarify problems, to question what is considered obvious in order to get to the bottom of issues and to advance knowledge. It is also considered by some philosophical schools to be an ethical model of communication, insofar as it commits the interlocutors to mutual respect, listening to and understanding the points of view, needs and unique characteristics of each.

Dialogue means committing, when conditions are favourable, to resolving conflicts, to unravelling issues, to reading the problems in their complexity in order to identify shared solutions, and - when this is not possible - to expressing disagreement by clarifying the points of view and thus avoiding destructive confrontations. Contrary to what one might think, dialogue is not a spontaneous practice like conversation. It requires cognitive-relational skills and some value-based provisions that make it possible, in fact, to dialogue; one is trained also thanks to philosophy.

An innovative training path

Philosophy provides fundamental tools for reflecting on corporate decisions and actions. It is not limited to providing immediate answers but encourages an in-depth exploration of the meanings and values that guide choices, stimulating conscious reflection on issues that are essential for the future of the company.

For this reason, the Executive Course in Philosophy for Management was born, which offers managers and entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to refine the management of their role in a complex and increasingly specialised socio-economic context, using the tools of philosophical thought: critical, creative, emotional-relational and ethical.