Spirituality at Business

There’s more to life and business than money alone. Ethics, Integrity and Values are the real concern of the hour. New edge corporates are committed to the “people, planet and profit.”

Loyal employees and a healthy environment are as important as the economics. Spirituality offers a great difference through a fundamental transformation.

A poll published in USA Today found that 6 out of 10 people say workplaces would benefit from having a great sense of spirit in their work environment.

Characteristics of a Spiritual Workplace:
·         It Emphasizes Sustainability
·         It creates value for the Organisation
·         It leads to creativity
·         It cultivates unique and productive ideas
·         It improves Capacity

Spirituality is a way to engage people in new perspectives, it offers insights into people that can improve Concentration, Creativity and productivity. It also develops critical thinking and offers clarity about priorities in difficult times.

Ethics and spiritual values at the workplace will lead to increased productivity and profitability as well as employee retention, customer loyalty, and brand reputation, according to a growing body of research.

Spirituality helps create the healthy work environment that leads to high productivity, Innovation and support. 

Employees will feel contentment through their work and know that what they do each day is of value.

Spirituality brings an important sense of meaning and job satisfaction. It generates happy and enthusiastic employees and better productivity.

Invoking spirituality is a way to help create work environments where people can thrive and flourish.
Around the world, corporates are embracing Spirituality, says Researches. More employers are encouraging spirituality as a way to boost loyalty and enhance morale.
In a spiritual work environment, people thrive because
The organisation, through line-management, takes a personal interest in their development and success.
People are encouraged to be all that they can be.
They are appreciated, challenged and excited at the opportunities they have.
Business leaders promote trust and empowerment.
Participation in collaborative dialogue is encouraged – instruction and control minimised.
Employees are supported, coached and thanked.
Positive emphasis is placed on relationships, ethics, inspiration and reflection.
Successes are noticed and celebrated.

Examples from the corporate world:
A study done at the University of Chicago by Prof. Curtis Verschoor and published in Management Accounting found that companies with a defined corporate commitment to ethical principles do better financially than companies that don’t make ethics a key management component. 

Public shaming of Nike’s sweatshop conditions and slave wages paid to overseas workers led to a 27% drop in its earnings several years ago. And recently, the shocking disregard of ethics and subsequent scandals led to financial disaster for Enron, Arthur Anderson, WorldCom, Global Crossing, and others.

In researching companies for his book, A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America, business professor Ian I. Mitroff found that “Spirituality could be the ultimate competitive advantage.” 

To survive into the 21st Century, 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 bigger salaries. Unlike the marketplace economy of 20 years ago, today’s information and services-dominated economy requires instantaneous decision-making and building better relationships with customers and employees.

Timberland Shoes CEO Jeffrey B. Swartz uses his prayer book and religious beliefs to guide business decisions and company policy, often consulting his rabbi.  Kris Kalra, CEO of BioGenex uses the Hindu holy text, The Bhagavad Gita, to steer his business out of trouble.

Meditation classes are now held at many major corporations, such as Medtronic, Apple, Google, Yahoo, McKinsey, Hughes Aircraft, IBM, Hughes Aircraft, Cisco, Raytheon.

Apple Computer’s offices in California have a meditation room and employees are actually given a half hour a day on company time to meditate or pray, as they find it improves productivity and creativity.  A former manager who is now a Buddhist monk leads regular meditations there.  Aetna International Chairman Michael A. Stephen praises the benefits of meditation and talks with Aetna employees about using spirituality in their careers.