Spirituality In The Workplace

As organisations face more and more challenges, spirituality has become more important in the workplace.  Globalisation has brought a new set of challenges, which requires Managers to stretch and develop their management skills.  Overseeing global teams requires a wider range of skills including sensitivity to different cultural values. Additionally, a greater awareness and openness to differences is needed in order to value diversity.   Creativity thrives on diversity, but it takes a highly developed manager to facilitate and foster this type of environment without feeling threatened. Managers also need to be sensitive to the emotional impact continuous change has on the workforce and the need to create a work environment that understands the value of embracing change.  Lastly, making ethical decisions and inclusive plans requires compassion and spiritual values.

WHAT ARE SPIRITUAL VALUES?

Spiritual values are concerned with the more ‘feminine’ traits or ‘softer skills’ which includes compassion, a sense of community, intuition and creativity.  Traditionally, work provided meaning and purpose, along with security and a sense of being cared for.   Today, Western business culture tends to focus on the ‘masculine’ traits. That is aggressive, competitive and results driven which excludes human emotions, values and needs.  For lucrative short term results this attitude may well work, but not when looking for sustainability and long term success.  After all, a happy, co-operative work environment builds a more creative atmosphere which results in increased productivity. When individual needs are met employees tend to be more co-operative and giving toward others.

In today’s work climate, organisations can no longer promise long term security for their employees, yet they still need to retain the best people.  They are also being challenged by a younger generation of workers who are clearly looking for more than monetary gain.  This new wave of thinking rejects the ‘me only’ culture and seeks more challenge, creativity and personal fulfilment.  Without long term security or alignment of needs and values to encourage them to stay, they will simply move on.

HOW TO BUILD A MORE SPIRITUALLY AWARE WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Develop a collaborative way of working, which includes team members in the decision making process.   Reward co-operation and sharing of information rather than exclusiveness and competition.
• Recognise contributions from employees rather than encouraging ideas which then disappear into a ‘black hole’.
• Communicate in an open and honest manner in order to build trust. Build networks across teams and departments, sharing information and looking for meaningful ways to reciprocate.
• Use intuition;   allowing feelings and hunches in the decision making process, then check out results on a regular basis to help build confidence.
• Create space to reflect and to learn from past experience.  Allow imagination to ‘run wild’ to encourage creativity and new responses to old problems.
• Encourage individual accountability and responsibility, emphasise the value of diversity in creating the ‘whole’.  In order to build a new future together everyone needs to be ‘on board’ contributing in their own unique way.
• Embrace change, create a culture that views change as an opportunity to learn and grow whilst sensitively dealing with the fears change can arouse.

Whilst not devaluing ‘masculine traits’ as all organisations need to put plans into action and see results.  We should also recognise the importance of cultivating more ‘feminine’ approaches in the work environment.  After all, we are all human and every person wants to feel he/she is making a contribution in a meaningful way. To allow unique expression whilst contributing to the ‘whole’ ensures creativity flows, providing engagement and alignment with both individual and organisational needs.  Beverley Woodhouse   www.synthesispdc.co.uk