Spirit in the Workplace

To the surprise of many, this movement is beginning to transform corporate America from the inside out. Growing numbers of business people want their spirituality to be more than just faith and belief--they want it to be practical and applied. They want to bring their whole selves to work--body, mind, and spirit. Many business people are finding that the bottom line can be strengthened by embodying their values-- "doing well by doing good". Robert Haas, CEO of Levi Strauss, says, "In the next century, a company will stand or fall on its values," as the best talent are being drawn to companies with good values.

People at all levels in the corporate hierarchy increasingly want to nourish their spirit and creativity. When employees are encouraged to express their creativity, the result is a more fulfilled and sustained workforce. Happy people work harder and are more likely to stay at their jobs.

What is spirituality at work? Some would say that it's simply embodying their personal values of honesty, integrity, and good quality work. Others would say it's treating their employees in a responsible, caring way. For others, it's making their organization socially responsible in how it impacts the environment, serves the community or creates social change. And for still others, it's holding religious study groups or using prayer, meditation, or intuitive guidance at work. Some see God as their business partner or even their CEO.

However, some observers fear the corporation has begun to co-op the function of churches. Others warn about the potential for superficiality and the distortion of spiritual practices to serve greed. Others fear spiritual beliefs or practices will be imposed by employers, but to date this has been extremely rare. Management must avoid giving preferential treatment to workers of a specific religion. And as long as personal spiritual expression doesn't involve company time, cost the company money, or lead to harassment of other employees, it's usually acceptable.

Why all the sudden interest in spirituality at work? Researchers point to several key factors. Corporate downsizing and greater demands on remaining workers has left them too tired and stressed to be creative--at the same time that globalization of markets requires more creativity from employees. 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 bigger salaries.

Also, spending more time at work means there is less time available for religious activities. The New York Times recently reported that a growing number of companies are allowing employees to hold religion classes at work. This accommodates busy professionals who are pressed for time and afraid they have abandoned their faith. Many people are feeling more comfortable in the public expression of their faith. For some people, though, religion seems too structured and dogmatic, whereas the word "spirituality" emphasizes how one's beliefs are applied day to day.

Another factor in the popularity of spirituality at work is the fact that there are more women in the workplace today, and women tend to focus on spiritual values more often. The aging of the large baby boom generation is another contributor, as boomers find materialism no longer satisfies and [they] fear their mortality. Also, the approaching Millennium is a reflective time in human history, and book sales in spiritual themes have skyrocketed.

Using spiritual values as guiding principles has many positive effects on business. Business Week reported that 95% of Americans reject the idea that a corporation's only purpose is to make money. Thirty-nine percent of US investors say they always or frequently check on business practices, values, and ethics before investing. The Trends Report of 1997 reported that 3 out of 4 consumers polled say they are likely to switch to brands associated with a good cause if price and quality are equal.

The ABC Evening News recently reported that The American Stock Exchange has a Torah study group; Boeing has Christian, Jewish, and Muslim prayer groups; Microsoft has an on-line prayer service. There are Koran classes at defense giant Northrop Grumman. Wheat International Communications in Reston, Virginia has morning prayers open to all employees, but not required. Spiritual study groups at noon are sometimes called "Higher Power Lunches" --replacing the usual "power lunches".

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that Marketplace Ministries of Dallas placed freelance chaplains at 132 companies in 38 states. Fellowship of Companies for Christ International based in Atlanta has 1500 member companies around the world. They promote "the importance and practice of prayer in company decisions, a commitment to excellence", and "do unto others in the workplace as you would have them do unto you".

In addition to prayer and study, other spiritual practices at companies include meditation; centering exercises such as deep breathing to reduce stress; visioning exercises; building shared values; active, deep listening; making action and intention congruent; and using intuition and inner guidance in decision-making. According to a study at Harvard Business School published in The Harvard Business Review, business owners credit 80% of their success to acting on their intuition.

Medtronic, which sells medical equipment, set up a meditation center at headquarters 20 years ago that remains open to all employees today. Phelps Dodge, an Arizona-based copper mining company, brought people in to teach yoga and meditation. Executives at Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, and Advanced Micro Devices attend corporate seminars with Jeffrey Patnaoude, a former priest,where they form circles, sing, dance, and learn meditation.

Executives of Xerox go on week-long retreats to learn a Native American model of council meetings and to go on vision quests organized by Living Systems consulting firm to learn more about nature and their product cycle's effect on the environment. The mission statement of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, who publish many titles on spirituality work, is to "create a better world and make a better product." The CEO of Rockport Shoes, Angel Martinez, openly talks of the spiritual mission of his company and encourages employees to spend work time envisioning ways to express their deepest selves in their work. Companies such as Evian spring water have successfully used spirituality in their advertising, e.g., "Your body is the temple of your spirit.

Consulting firms using spiritual approaches are doing a booming business. The Enlightened Leadership International in Colorado has been teaching top executives at major companies such as GTE, Georgia-Pacific, and Lockheed Martin how to focus on what's positive, instead of the problems, because our beliefs create what we experience. Other major firms such as The Covey Leadership Center and The Centre for Generative Leadership teach Fortune 500 executives how to align their company's mission with their deeper values.

Aaron Feurenstein, CEO of Malden Mills in Lawrence, MA, producer of polar fleece fabrics, believes labor is the best asset a company has. He says a company has an equal responsibility to its community and to itself, and since Lawrence, MA has high unemployment, he kept all 3,000 employees on his payroll after a major fire destroyed 3 out of its 4 factories.

Tom Chappell, CEO of Tom's of Maine, stays mindful of profit and the common good by giving away 10% of its pretax profits to charities, giving employees four paid hours a month to volunteer for community service, and by using all natural ingredients that are good for the environment. Chappell re-engineered his business into a sort of ministry, saying, "I am ministering--and I am doing it in the marketplace, not in the church, because I understand the marketplace better than the church."

Managers and union workers of Southern California Con Edison attend sessions called "The Heart Shop" with pianist Michael Jones to cultivate compassion for each other, creativity, and a new intelligence of the heart. Boeing set up a series of weeklong trainings with poet David Whyte for 600 of its top executives to unleash feelings, take risks, and be excited by change--instead of terrified of it.

Land O' Lakes Food Ingredient Division adapted the theme "We Care" and instituted self-managed work groups and open dialogue, and it became the most profitable division of the company. NYNEX established an Office of Ethics and Business Conduct to encourage employees to live by a set of core values: quality, ethics, and caring for the individual. This new focus led to increases in profits, productivity and product and service quality, as this affected how the company is perceived by customers and stakeholders.

In 1986 The Caux Round Table, based in Minnesota, pioneered a list of Principles for Business, an international code of business values formulated by senior business leaders from Japan, Europe, and the United States and Canada. They endorsed a concept presented by the CEO of the Japanese-based Canon company called "kyosei"--"working together for the common good and sharing prosperity."

Businesses for Social Responsibility, based in San Francisco, has many Fortune 500 companies as members (as well as pioneers such as The Body Shop and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream) who promote socially responsible policies and practices that honor the needs of all stakeholders--workers, suppliers, shareholders--as well as the community and the environment. The Domini 400 Social Index, which reflects the behavior of a portfolio of stocks in companies that meet socially responsible criteria, has outperformed the S&P 500 since May 1990. The Coalition of Environmentally Responsible Economies, which promotes a code of corporate conduct to protect the environment, includes major companies such as General Motors, Bank of America, Bethlehem Steel, ITT, and Coca-Cola.

The spirituality in business movement is one of the signs that corporations, as the most powerful institutions in world, may be transforming from within. What is emerging is a new attitude towards the workplace as a place to fulfill one's deeper purpose. As Kahlil Gibran reminds us in The Prophet, "Work is love made visible."

Corinne McLaughlin is Executive Director of The Center for Visionary Leadership, which offers public educational programs, values-based leadership training, and consulting services. For information write: The Center for Visionary Leadership, 3408 Wisconsin Ave. NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20016. Call 202-237-2800 or visit their website at www.visionarylead.org. Corinne will be giving a seminar--"Preparing Spiritually for Millennial Changes"--with Gordon Davidson and other presenters beginning in January 1999. They will be held at the Center for Visionary Leadership on three Thursday evenings, January 28, February 25, and March 25 at 7:30 pm. The suggested donation is $8 in advance; $10 at the door.