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Spiritually yoursTHE MEANING OF WORK FOR THE MODERN-DAY EMPLOYEE
IS
UNDERGOING A SIGNIFICANT EVOLUTION. AND ORGANISATIONS
OUGHT TO KEEP PACE WITH IT, SAYS YASHOVARDHAN BHATIA
Spirituality, to me, includes both vertical and horizontal
aspects. It includes a verticalconnection to the universe. But I
also see spirituality as my horizontal relationships with
otherpeople, family, friends, co-workers and humanity as a whole,
says Corinne Mclaughlin, co-founder, The Centre of Visionary
Leadership, which is an education centre that has helpedpeople
become effective leaders. She feels that meditation is the most
popular and fastest-growing spiritual practice currently being
introduced in many companies around the world,including very
successful technology companies in Silicon Valley.
The world today is truly flat and the concepts of spirituality
and religion are hardlysynonymous. This is proven effectively by Dr
Kent Rhodes, senior lecturer, PepperdineUniversity Graduate
Programs and an associate with The Family Business Consulting
Group,who has developed the six components of workplace
spirituality. He says that identifying desiredcharacteristics of
spiritual workplaces can bring us closer to understanding the role
thatspirituality can play in organisations and the way it can
function to positively impact the bottom-line. The six effects that
can be associated with a model of workplace spirituality, according
toRhodes are:
Emphasisessustainability;Values contribution;Prizes
creativity;Cultivates inclusion;Develops principles;Promotes
vocation.Some of the best examples of corporate cultures that
strongly support workplace spirituality
are global family enterprises. They tend to think generationally
rather than quarterly or annuallyand so their leaders and board
members work to incorporate corporate strategies that reflect
thatlong-term view, says Dr Rhodes. He adds, While they never lose
sight of the fact that theyexist to be profitable, this approach to
strategic planning actually supports spirituality becausethe
culture encourages thinking beyond ones self to thinking more
tangibly about how to
make smooth pathways for those that will follow in future
decades. This, in turn, forces adifferent set of questions: what
can we do now that will help ensure an employee group that notonly
wants to be here over any other company, but also embodies the
values of spirit that havemade us successful? How can we care for
the environment to help ensure that our descendantscan thrive and
carry forward that spirit?
Medtronic (USA), which sells medical equipment, initiated a
meditation center at itsheadquarters 20 years ago and it remains
open to all employees even today. Each year, sixcustomers share
their personal stories with employees, sharing how the companys
products havesaved their life or that of loved ones, and this
inspiration fuels the passion and commitment ofemployees.
60 Minutes (USA) did a television show on SAS, a billion dollar
computer software companythat has low absenteeism and only three
per cent turnover, which saves them $80 million each
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year in training and recruitment. Their secret? A no-layoff
policy, 35 hour workweeks, flex-time,and on-site amenities such as
a gym, medical clinic, and massage therapists.
Ever heard of a mood chart? IDEO (International), one of the
award-winning global designfirms has incorporated an out-of-thebox
system called the mood chart that helps employeesadapt to change
when new projects are at hand. They believe that there is always a
phase when
an innovation team will feel demoralised. And a mood chart will
help gauge just that.Ram Chatterjee, director of spa and recreation
at Grand Hyatt Goa tells us how yoga andmeditation are changing how
employees handle customers in the hospitality sector and
howspirituality at the workplace is proving to develop a brighter
future. Chatterjee says, Before we
start our daily drill, five to seven minutes are initially spent
on meditation and three times in aweek, it is extended to about 45
minutes.
Hence, the importance should be shifted from only profit-making
to the creation of the wholeperson and spirituality can help you
achieve just that.
> Dr Kent Rhodes,senior lecturer,Pepperdine University
Graduate Programs
> Corinne Mclaughlin,co-founder,The Centre of Visionary
Leadership
