Over the past three years, we have seen a sudden interest and an increased interest in spirituality at work and within businesses.
There are many key factors to this. To begin corporate downsizing and greater demands on remaining workers has left people exhausted and stressed - Too much so to be creative and spiritual. At the same time, globalization of markets requires more creativity from employees so it hasn't been a great match. Organizations must offer a greater sense of meaning and purpose for their workforce.
In today's highly competitive environment the best talent seeks out organizations that reflect their inner values and provide opportunities for personal development and community service, not just larger salaries.
Today's information and services dominated economy requires instantaneous decision-making and building better relationships with customers and employees. Adding elements of spirituality within the work environment is greatly going to help with this.
We know that people are the most important resource within the business. Therefore an increasing number of business owners find that the key area for applying spirituality is in how employees are treated. Very basic things can be incredibly powerful
Take the time throughout every day to appreciate someone. Thank them for a job well done.
Or just take some time to listen to their concerns. Generosity with your time can be as important as generosity with money. You don't need to be a business owner to do this. Anyone working within a workforce can take time to thank people and listen.
People are definitely the most important resource. Many organizations such as Southwest Airlines have a company policy that is to treat employees like family, knowing that if they are treated well they, in turn, will treat customers well.
They have a university for people and their policy is to hire people based on their attitude and then train them for skills rather than the reverse.
Unlike other airlines, negotiations between management and employees for pay raises and benefits are much shorter and easier as both sides come to the table wanting to handwrite a win-win contract. They have been named numerous times as one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to work for and when employees have been interviewed, the sense of being appreciated, as an important resource and having values that align with their personal life are one of the main reasons for people staying with that business.
We all know Richard Branson from Virgin. He is all about people being the most important resource. In addition, he believes that labor is the best asset a company has. A company has an equal responsibility to its community unto itself.
Another great example is 10,000 Marriott International employees worldwide dedicate a day of service to their local communities each year in their spirit to serve program.
Timberland, the shoe company, pays employees for 40 hours of volunteer work annually. IBM funds child care centers at 60 of its locations. Intel offers 22 weeks maternity leave. The Men's Warehouse, one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For, supports homeless men in re-entering the job market.
People are most definitely the most important resource within a business and giving them the opportunity to nurture their spirituality while at work is going to only benefit the entire workplace.
Spirituality in business is not to be confused with religion. Religion is an organization, which professes to provide spiritual experience to of people. Spirituality, however, is more of an individual matter. It does not rely on an external organization. Rather spirituality is an experience of depth in life. It is living life with the heart rather than just superficially.
People experience spirituality differently. It always takes different forms but in any case spirituality is an experience that there is something more to life than just our narrow view of it. People who have developed the spiritual side of their life have a quality of lightness and appreciation and gratitude.
They are fully alive and they radiate this aliveness to others. Business is often considered mechanical hierarchical controlling whereas if we bring spirituality into the business it gives more of a humanistic approach.
Spiritual people sometimes forget that it's impossible to run an organization without structure and financial control whereas the other side, business people sometimes forget that it's impossible to run a business without spirit.
A spiritual organization looks like any other organization. The difference between spiritual organizations and others are extremely subtle and they have a great deal to do with how we hold and react to the events that surround us. In a spiritual organization, people are much more clear that they are there of their own choosing and that they are masters of their own destiny.
People tend to treat each experience as an opportunity for personal growth. When something goes wrong people have a natural tendency to bring it back on course.
For example the organization as a whole has a commitment to deal with and resolve such problems. Secondly the individual employees have a greater self-mastery and highest self-respect and thus will not allow themselves to be imposed upon.
These two forces create a much higher chance that problems will get confronted and corrected and solved very quickly. Another strong element of a spiritual organization is that it has a visionary focus. The organization as a whole has a vision and this is something that employees are attracted to.
People are there for a common reason. They believe in the same values. This reason for being there excites them and causes them to want to put in their own energy. Another characteristic of a spiritual organization is people feel ownership and commitment to a common purpose.
There are many ways that you can create a spiritual organization. And assuming that you have influence in your organization, you need to understand that there is no formula. Having a vision is so important in building a spiritual organization. It's critical to develop a shared vision that people can participate in connect with collaborate and support. The vision statement should include some references to both personal needs and organizational needs.
Other elements to consider: • Create a shared vision • Create cooperation communication and community. • Create an organizational culture that supports personal growth • Maintain a high level of individual and organizational integrity. • Create a supportive environment for all individuals. • Create an organizational culture that values service excellence dedication and action over personal advancement and personal gain
Practicing these levels of spirituality within a business simply means that action is everything. Always remember that spirituality pertains to an experience of spirit and that the spirituality pertains to an experience of spirit. Spirit has to do with action and productivity.
If people are enthusiastic about their work, feel connected and a deeper connection to their workforce, the spirituality values will shine through at all points of business.
The benefits are real as by being spiritual, we're able to reduce our stress, foster better work relationships, increase tolerance and reduce negative conflict at work. Here are four very easy ways that you can bring your spiritual self to the workplace.
One - Look at things positively. Negative thoughts at work are going to drain your energy and we need to feel enthused and passionate. Use positive words when talking and if something has gone wrong, analyze what it was and move forward quickly. Part of our spiritual being enables us to learn how to let go of negativity quickly.
Second - Treat others well. It's important to treat other people at work how they want to be treated. This act recognizes that all individuals with different needs and different wants. We need to treat people how they want to be treated and show them the respect that they deserve. This is going to ensure that your spiritual self brings calmness kindness generosity and spirit within your work environment.
Three - Take some time. Incorporate practices like meditation or mantras into your day. Take a few moments to close your eyes, be still and think about how you want to be in a world and how you want to be the world. Think about how you want to be in the world and how you want the world to be with you.
What mantras can you send out to the universe and to yourself?
You could also integrate a 20-minute meditation exercise into your day.
Four - Take a breath. Taking a few breaths at work can do wonders for relaxing and centering you and really bringing your spiritual self-front and center. Next time you're in a conflict at work. Take a moment breathe deep and really remind yourself of your spiritual self and your spiritual
values as it's important to always have these front of mind at work not just in our personal life. Bringing your spirituality into the workplace can be something you can do privately or something that you can incorporate within business. You could offer to bring in meditation yoga or mindfulness classes into work. Research shows that this helps teams decrease negative emotions and improve memory.
Another example of spirituality in business is when executives are trained for action where contemplation is not part of their rulebook.
Spirituality guidance can help with crucial decisions especially those that affect other people such as employees. Some guideline examples are - Reach deep inside. Go beyond the ego to hear the inner voice - Stay humble in the face of temptation and power. Being humble is a key issue. It's good for a leader to be reminded of the intoxication of power. - Quiet the mind
When business owners share and live their spiritual values at work, employees and colleagues pick up on that. One of the most popular values at work is the golden rule - the principle that people should do unto others, as they would have others do unto them.
"WE ALL COME FROM THE SAME SOURCE. NO ONE IS BORN MORE SPIRITUAL THAN YOU. WE ALL EQUAL." Maria Fontana
There are many key factors to this. To begin corporate downsizing and greater demands on remaining workers has left people exhausted and stressed - Too much so to be creative and spiritual. At the same time, globalization of markets requires more creativity from employees so it hasn't been a great match. Organizations must offer a greater sense of meaning and purpose for their workforce.
In today's highly competitive environment the best talent seeks out organizations that reflect their inner values and provide opportunities for personal development and community service, not just larger salaries.
Today's information and services dominated economy requires instantaneous decision-making and building better relationships with customers and employees. Adding elements of spirituality within the work environment is greatly going to help with this.
We know that people are the most important resource within the business. Therefore an increasing number of business owners find that the key area for applying spirituality is in how employees are treated. Very basic things can be incredibly powerful
Take the time throughout every day to appreciate someone. Thank them for a job well done.
Or just take some time to listen to their concerns. Generosity with your time can be as important as generosity with money. You don't need to be a business owner to do this. Anyone working within a workforce can take time to thank people and listen.
People are definitely the most important resource. Many organizations such as Southwest Airlines have a company policy that is to treat employees like family, knowing that if they are treated well they, in turn, will treat customers well.
They have a university for people and their policy is to hire people based on their attitude and then train them for skills rather than the reverse.
Unlike other airlines, negotiations between management and employees for pay raises and benefits are much shorter and easier as both sides come to the table wanting to handwrite a win-win contract. They have been named numerous times as one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to work for and when employees have been interviewed, the sense of being appreciated, as an important resource and having values that align with their personal life are one of the main reasons for people staying with that business.
We all know Richard Branson from Virgin. He is all about people being the most important resource. In addition, he believes that labor is the best asset a company has. A company has an equal responsibility to its community unto itself.
Another great example is 10,000 Marriott International employees worldwide dedicate a day of service to their local communities each year in their spirit to serve program.
Timberland, the shoe company, pays employees for 40 hours of volunteer work annually. IBM funds child care centers at 60 of its locations. Intel offers 22 weeks maternity leave. The Men's Warehouse, one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For, supports homeless men in re-entering the job market.
People are most definitely the most important resource within a business and giving them the opportunity to nurture their spirituality while at work is going to only benefit the entire workplace.
Spirituality in business is not to be confused with religion. Religion is an organization, which professes to provide spiritual experience to of people. Spirituality, however, is more of an individual matter. It does not rely on an external organization. Rather spirituality is an experience of depth in life. It is living life with the heart rather than just superficially.
People experience spirituality differently. It always takes different forms but in any case spirituality is an experience that there is something more to life than just our narrow view of it. People who have developed the spiritual side of their life have a quality of lightness and appreciation and gratitude.
They are fully alive and they radiate this aliveness to others. Business is often considered mechanical hierarchical controlling whereas if we bring spirituality into the business it gives more of a humanistic approach.
Spiritual people sometimes forget that it's impossible to run an organization without structure and financial control whereas the other side, business people sometimes forget that it's impossible to run a business without spirit.
A spiritual organization looks like any other organization. The difference between spiritual organizations and others are extremely subtle and they have a great deal to do with how we hold and react to the events that surround us. In a spiritual organization, people are much more clear that they are there of their own choosing and that they are masters of their own destiny.
People tend to treat each experience as an opportunity for personal growth. When something goes wrong people have a natural tendency to bring it back on course.
For example the organization as a whole has a commitment to deal with and resolve such problems. Secondly the individual employees have a greater self-mastery and highest self-respect and thus will not allow themselves to be imposed upon.
These two forces create a much higher chance that problems will get confronted and corrected and solved very quickly. Another strong element of a spiritual organization is that it has a visionary focus. The organization as a whole has a vision and this is something that employees are attracted to.
People are there for a common reason. They believe in the same values. This reason for being there excites them and causes them to want to put in their own energy. Another characteristic of a spiritual organization is people feel ownership and commitment to a common purpose.
There are many ways that you can create a spiritual organization. And assuming that you have influence in your organization, you need to understand that there is no formula. Having a vision is so important in building a spiritual organization. It's critical to develop a shared vision that people can participate in connect with collaborate and support. The vision statement should include some references to both personal needs and organizational needs.
Practicing these levels of spirituality within a business simply means that action is everything. Always remember that spirituality pertains to an experience of spirit and that the spirituality pertains to an experience of spirit. Spirit has to do with action and productivity.
If people are enthusiastic about their work, feel connected and a deeper connection to their workforce, the spirituality values will shine through at all points of business.
The benefits are real as by being spiritual, we're able to reduce our stress, foster better work relationships, increase tolerance and reduce negative conflict at work. Here are four very easy ways that you can bring your spiritual self to the workplace.
One - Look at things positively. Negative thoughts at work are going to drain your energy and we need to feel enthused and passionate. Use positive words when talking and if something has gone wrong, analyze what it was and move forward quickly. Part of our spiritual being enables us to learn how to let go of negativity quickly.
Second - Treat others well. It's important to treat other people at work how they want to be treated. This act recognizes that all individuals with different needs and different wants. We need to treat people how they want to be treated and show them the respect that they deserve. This is going to ensure that your spiritual self brings calmness kindness generosity and spirit within your work environment.
Three - Take some time. Incorporate practices like meditation or mantras into your day. Take a few moments to close your eyes, be still and think about how you want to be in a world and how you want to be the world. Think about how you want to be in the world and how you want the world to be with you.
What mantras can you send out to the universe and to yourself?
You could also integrate a 20-minute meditation exercise into your day.
Four - Take a breath. Taking a few breaths at work can do wonders for relaxing and centering you and really bringing your spiritual self-front and center. Next time you're in a conflict at work. Take a moment breathe deep and really remind yourself of your spiritual self and your spiritual
values as it's important to always have these front of mind at work not just in our personal life. Bringing your spirituality into the workplace can be something you can do privately or something that you can incorporate within business. You could offer to bring in meditation yoga or mindfulness classes into work. Research shows that this helps teams decrease negative emotions and improve memory.
Another example of spirituality in business is when executives are trained for action where contemplation is not part of their rulebook.
Spirituality guidance can help with crucial decisions especially those that affect other people such as employees. Some guideline examples are - Reach deep inside. Go beyond the ego to hear the inner voice - Stay humble in the face of temptation and power. Being humble is a key issue. It's good for a leader to be reminded of the intoxication of power. - Quiet the mind
When business owners share and live their spiritual values at work, employees and colleagues pick up on that. One of the most popular values at work is the golden rule - the principle that people should do unto others, as they would have others do unto them.
"WE ALL COME FROM THE SAME SOURCE. NO ONE IS BORN MORE SPIRITUAL THAN YOU. WE ALL EQUAL." Maria Fontana
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