Spirit in the Workplace, The Stirring of the Soul in the Workplace, the Soul of a Corporation — you can barely step through the doors of your local bookstore without being bombarded with titles such as these. Newspaper columns are devoted to it, organizational development gurus tout it, management schools teach it, a plethora of web sites promote it. Yet, despite all the buzz, you might still be pondering the core questions: What is this movement, or trend, really about? And why might it matter to you as an employee or organizational leader?

The answer depends on your perspective. The Spirit in the Workplace concept seems to center on individuals seeking sacredness in their daily tasks and interactions, guided by their faith or ethics practices. The ultimate goal envisioned by many Spirit at Work enthusiasts? A full-blown questioning of company values that leads to a transformation of purpose beyond profit; a paradigm where positive effects on society and the environment as a responsible global citizen creates wealth as a by-product of right behaviors.

Many corporate leaders, challenged to find new ways of boosting creativity and getting an edge in a hyper-competitive marketplace, have taken notice as well. As a result, official 'spirit at work' programs range from allowing time off for holy days, providing space for religious study groups or meditation, sponsoring workshops on spiritual concepts to increase productivity, or avoiding any connection between faith and work at all.

What started all this?

Explanations for the current popularity of Spirituality at Work include the negative after-effects of nearly two decades of massive downsizings and the resulting demands on remaining employees; the mid-life review that baby-boomers are undergoing as they mature; and, given the increasing number of hours people spend at work, time constraints that preclude involvement in churches, mosques, temples or community groups just as interest in spirituality is rising.

The popularity of the holistic health movement may also be related. Acceptance of the notion of body, mind and spirit interconnection, coupled with scientific discoveries of the effect of mindset on blood pressure, immune function and a host of other processes help to clear the path for theories that the health of the spirit is contingent on satisfaction in all roles of life.

Increased technology usage and globalization are two other trends driving the Spirit at Work movement, with increasing discussion about the impact that profit-driven companies have on the world’s environment and cultures. As concerns about sustainability of resources and destruction of indigenous cultures widens, many Spirit in the Workplace proponents hope that ethically motivated executives will influence corporations to rethink their mission not just within the workplace, but in localities half a world away.

What do the skeptics say?

Most of the trepidation felt by skeptics of "Spirit at Work" is fear that they will be forced to embrace a particular religion. Many consultants and proponents of the movement separate spirituality, with its recognition of universal values, from religions, each with its own rites, practices and clear lines between right and wrong.

Yet one thing that troubles opponents or the undecided onlookers is that the current Spirit at Work movement results in activities specific to certain religions. Torah classes, Bible studies and Buddhist practices abound, as do interdenominational discussion groups. Some executives and business owners freely tie their religious beliefs to their business decisions, including company policy and rhetoric. But is it really such a problem to cite scriptures or talk more openly about your personal faith practice if the result is truly ethical business activity?

Workers are, after all, protected from religious discrimination and unwelcome proselytizing by law. But the basis for comfort around religious diversity is — you guessed it — communication. Open, sensitive discussion and articulation of needs coupled with empathic listening and respect can create a communing of faith and ethical systems that allows colleagues to envision a better workplace or question alignment of values and occupation. Courtesy and consideration can lead to discovery of unifying principles that create an authentic team. The problem of course, at least in the eyes of many, is that quite a few religious institutions have been historically associated with anything but caring, tolerant, open, loving or ethical behavior. The concern, then, is whether the practices associated with these institutions will similarly result in oppressive, intolerant attitudes and behaviors in the workplace.

Another reason for healthy skepticism is the reality that profit-based organizations in their current formation rarely adopt practices for altruistic purposes. Too often, good intentions and meaningful concepts get appropriated and mangled beyond recognition in an attempt to drive employees to work more, and more efficiently, in the hopes of lowering costs and increasing shareholder return. An example? A recently reported practice of a large corporation sending its managers off on "Native American-style vision quests" for the purposes of making better office equipment. Given examples such as these, it's hardly surprising that whole groups of people are insulted when deeply held and sacred faith practices are marketed, sold, bought and mined to what many see as warped ends.

But why would the corporation bother?

That's a good question, but hope springs eternal when there's a profit to be made. There are indications that the typical compensatory practices of the workplace, especially the "dangling a carrot" approach of performance-based bonuses or incentives, don't necessarily produce quality results. In Alfie Kohn's article "Challenging Behaviorist Dogma: Myths About Money and Motivation" (Compensation and Benefits Review, 1998), he notes studies which found that subjects offered an incentive for doing a task actually did lower quality work than subjects offered no reward at all. Workers' internal motivation is actually diminished by the introduction of such external rewards. Also, when the workforce is more focused on what has to be done to get a reward than the importance of the work itself, there is no ethical connection to the quality of the work produced, and no spiritual satisfaction to be derived from it, further reducing intrinsic motivation. (You'll find a link to Mr. Kohn's article, and other work, below.)

Interestingly, in his book, No Contest, The Case Against Competition, Kohn cites one external motivator that has a positive effect in the workplace: A sense of accountability to others. Although it is described as motivation from the outside, "accountability to others" requires a feeling of interconnectedness with co-workers and the wish to deliver one’s portion of the work at a high standard of quality for the good of the team. When a company encourages employees to apply their spiritual and ethical ideals to their work, it empowers feelings of internal control over the work to be done, fosters creativity in approaching task execution and promotes a collaborative atmosphere, which leads to high-quality output and job satisfaction. High quality work and low turnover due to employee fulfillment can be powerful contributors to a healthy bottom line, and what better to effect intrinsic motivation than the ultimate intrinsic practice: spirituality.

Yet this, too, may backfire on the corporations co-opting such sacred practices for profitable purposes if the terms and practices are relegated to empty shells, and the efforts are seen by employees and opponents of all things corporate as one more attempt to manipulate the many for that which benefits the few. As a result, what was once a source of intrinsic motivation becomes an external mandate, and the populace searches for new terminology and practices to reclaim the sacred and, along with it, their overall reason for being.

Concern for, and power of, the individual

"Spirit at Work" offers opportunities for growth and meaning, as well as a vision of true change in the definition of what the role of business plays in the universe, but when should we become concerned? One of the reasons touted for our need to bring our faith practices and belief systems to work is that we have become disconnected from our churches and communities by the pace of modern life. Shouldn't we be examining whether our souls are meant to have those other connections as well, and whether our work habits may be toxic to our well-being when we cut everything but work from our lives?

Most people are motivated by feelings of relatedness, belonging and feeling "cared for" by their company, especially in light of the demands it makes of them. If your workplace, however well-meaning, has created a culture that seems to meet every need — social, spiritual, community, family — perhaps it’s really creating dependencies that encourage you to "eat, sleep and dream" the company to the exclusion of all else. If you spend so many hours at work that having your dry-cleaning delivered to your desk can move you to tears of gratitude, perhaps you need to reassess just how much of your "whole self" is being exacted.

When your community is strictly at work and your job gets eliminated, to what or whom do you turn? If you are completely dependent on your workplace for satisfaction, you may find yourself emotionally demolished when your company makes a business decision to "reduce redundancy" in its "human capital" that results in the elimination of your job. And we haven't even mentioned the anxiety produced from the knowledge of one's increasing isolation and of organizational fickleness when it comes to the so-called New Social Contract with "free-agent" employees.

These are good reasons to cultivate community outside of the workplace, even if that means something as seemingly mundane as finding the time to drop your laundry at your neighborhood dry cleaner, picking up your take-out on the way home instead of at the company cafeteria, attending a seminar of your own choosing on a non-work topic, or joining a community reading group instead of the one organized by your company's newly appointed "Czar of Fun."

In return for divesting themselves of the need to provide for the more personal of their employees' responsibilities, corporate leaders — and the corporation itself — benefit from the renewed creativity and energy of employees who have been nourished and rejuvenated by their non-corporate activities and communities outside of work.

The enduring spirit behind the fad

What gives "Spirit in the Workplace" a chance for survival in a world where one organizational development fad is quickly discarded for the next? The very fact that the movement remains somewhat disorganized and connected to individual purpose. If it was about applying a simple set of ideas and waiting impatiently for "results," it could and probably will be easily jettisoned in favor of the next trend.

The movement is, after all, about (and is inspired by) internal motivation — individuals up and down the chain of command committing to quality work that honors what is in their hearts, to deep personal inquiry, to assessing and reassessing alignment of values and corporate vision, to listening to the ideas of others, to seeing the sacred in diverse belief systems and the opportunities for collaborative relationships that deliver a sum that is more than its parts. With soulful commitment to constant examination as a permanent behavior, positive influence on the workplace can’t help but happen, even if by the smallest of increments.

Remember, this information is food-for-thought, not customized counsel. The most effective interpersonal and organizational communication program is one that's been tailored to meet the unique needs and goals of your group. If you have questions, connect with a communication advisor or e-mail us at info@ivysea.com .

— Ivy Sea Portal: Ethics and communication

— Leadership and authenticity

— Defining and communicating ethics

— Great tools for creative discussions at work

— What's your vision, and has it come to life?

— Ivy Sea Online IntraPersonal Mastery Portal

— Nine tips for a more respectful workplace

Offsite resources and links

— Mr. Alfie Kohn's web site

— People-Centered Development Forum

— BAOBAB's Corporate Power Info Center

— Business for Social Responsibility