Saving the Soul of Private Enterprise: A Fit Place for Religion?
This week I went to the Hexagon Theatre in Reading to hear The Soweto Gospel Choir. The music was powerful, authentic - and spiritually moving. Now, I recognize that I risk contention by bringing religion into my blog. I'm not sure it's appropriate. Should I even tackle it in a business context? As the evening progressed, my twin-tracking mind convinced me I must. For it was in that cocoon of kinship and celebration where I realized there is room - and necessity - for spirituality at work.
The irony of me initiating an evening to hear South African churchfolk sing divine praise was not lost on my oldest friend whom I had invited. For over 20 years she and I have sparred over our beliefs: she, a staunch Christian and avid defender of the faith, me rather on the agnostic side, finding my inspiration less in a single omnipotent entity but more in the wonder of nature that surrounds us (cif: William Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey)
I am also a Myers Briggs ENTJ type. I tend to rely on tangible evidence and facts to reach conviction and judgement and this rather disposes me towards Darwinian Theory versus monotheism.
Faith, in whichever form it takes, presents a further conundrum alongside corporate practice. Many would argue (not least in the current economic climate) that the demon of wealth acquisition cannot be reconciled easily with the virtues of religion and spirituality; that the fervour with which enterprise leaders have worshipped at the altar of personal profit has irreversibly corrupted the heart and reputation of private enterprise at the expense of its people. Examples are too numerous to include here. Think Robert Maxwell, the Guinness four, fraud scandals at Enron and Parmalat, Robert Madoff. Some might argue the entire global banking hierarchy.
According to the 2009 Edelman Trust Barometer which surveyed 4,500 upper income, highly educated people across 20 countries, nearly two thirds (62%) said they trust corporations less than they did a year ago.
Yet the soul of corporate enterprise is redeemed by shining examples of other business leaders whose religious grounding has moulded the spirit and direction of their companies, the successful stewardship of their people and of the communities in which they operate. Here I am not referring to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is, in any case, a reporting requirement. No. This is about the intimate religious conviction of business leaders whose core values and behaviours present no moral compatibility issue with wealth generation.
For instance Gary Grant, owner of The Entertainer - Britain's largest independent chain of toy stores - became a Christian in 1991. He refuses to open his 48 stores on Sundays recognizing it as a sacred day. Yet, whilst banning "occultist" Harry Potter and Halloween products from shelf probably contributed to the collapse of pre-tax profits last year, sales in the first half of this year have rocketed to 33% with record annual profits anticipated.
World-leading food giants Kelloggs and £10bn UK confectioner Cadburys (a recent take-over target of Kraft Foods) each trace their present day success to their strong Quaker origins. While Reverend Graham Cracker, wishing to supplant sexual appetite with the creation of a bland food diet back in 1829, invented the namesake cracker which remains a staple food today - mercifully with little known side-effect!
Whilst heading EMEA communications at imaging monolith, Kodak, I had the privilege to be mentored by a Board member. He was a very spiritual person, a man with massive empathy but no less efficient at work; a supreme facilitator and arbiter always keen to share knowledge and nurture others' growth. He exuded calm and serenity and regularly took time out in monastic retreats. Likewise, I have witnessed the galvanising charm of a Fortune 500 leader of a profitable, multi-billion dollar business division lead change and motivate people to follow. He was also a lay preacher.
The skill leaders need to inspire people to embrace change and perform against all odds appears to be the fine business art of persuasion. Aristotle attributed this to the three key elements of Ethos (credibility, trust), Pathos (empathy) and Logos (logic/words) [1]. Yet beyond words, how can empathy be achieved - and therefore trust - without a fundamental understanding of the human condition? How can business leaders understand the motivational needs of employees facing workplace uncertainty unless they first reconnect with themselves as a fellow human creation?
Sometimes, to get to that place, we must make room for silent contemplation; to gain perspective on the personal and professional constraints, pressures and acquired (mal)practices that skew our everyday judgement and pollute our social interactions.
With that in mind, I asked a community of Linked In professionals from hedge fund management, commodity and currency markets, right through to organisational change and development, how they sought spiritual balance in the workplace. The response I got from 40 separate individuals was revealing. Whilst there was plenty of lively commentary around the carnal delights of chocolate, the spiritual importance of family and friends, the need for hobbies and exercise and the satisfaction of voluntary work, over 50% of respondents directly referenced their reliance on prayer, religious faith and meditation. Indeed I was moved to receive many personal prayers.
And whilst some pioneering companies like Google, Vodafone and Virgin Atlantic are offering employees the chance for "sleep pod" or prayer room meditation in the workplace, they remain a minority. Beyond simple work:life policy measures, perhaps organisations should be more creative to integrate the spiritual and faith needs of employees within the actual workplace; to unlock the innate potential and wellbeing of many people who, it seems, find additional motivation beyond the simple lure of material reward.
In the event it seems religion and the workplace may, after all, be an ideal union.
The irony of me initiating an evening to hear South African churchfolk sing divine praise was not lost on my oldest friend whom I had invited. For over 20 years she and I have sparred over our beliefs: she, a staunch Christian and avid defender of the faith, me rather on the agnostic side, finding my inspiration less in a single omnipotent entity but more in the wonder of nature that surrounds us (cif: William Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey)
I am also a Myers Briggs ENTJ type. I tend to rely on tangible evidence and facts to reach conviction and judgement and this rather disposes me towards Darwinian Theory versus monotheism.
Faith, in whichever form it takes, presents a further conundrum alongside corporate practice. Many would argue (not least in the current economic climate) that the demon of wealth acquisition cannot be reconciled easily with the virtues of religion and spirituality; that the fervour with which enterprise leaders have worshipped at the altar of personal profit has irreversibly corrupted the heart and reputation of private enterprise at the expense of its people. Examples are too numerous to include here. Think Robert Maxwell, the Guinness four, fraud scandals at Enron and Parmalat, Robert Madoff. Some might argue the entire global banking hierarchy.
According to the 2009 Edelman Trust Barometer which surveyed 4,500 upper income, highly educated people across 20 countries, nearly two thirds (62%) said they trust corporations less than they did a year ago.
Yet the soul of corporate enterprise is redeemed by shining examples of other business leaders whose religious grounding has moulded the spirit and direction of their companies, the successful stewardship of their people and of the communities in which they operate. Here I am not referring to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is, in any case, a reporting requirement. No. This is about the intimate religious conviction of business leaders whose core values and behaviours present no moral compatibility issue with wealth generation.
For instance Gary Grant, owner of The Entertainer - Britain's largest independent chain of toy stores - became a Christian in 1991. He refuses to open his 48 stores on Sundays recognizing it as a sacred day. Yet, whilst banning "occultist" Harry Potter and Halloween products from shelf probably contributed to the collapse of pre-tax profits last year, sales in the first half of this year have rocketed to 33% with record annual profits anticipated.World-leading food giants Kelloggs and £10bn UK confectioner Cadburys (a recent take-over target of Kraft Foods) each trace their present day success to their strong Quaker origins. While Reverend Graham Cracker, wishing to supplant sexual appetite with the creation of a bland food diet back in 1829, invented the namesake cracker which remains a staple food today - mercifully with little known side-effect!
Whilst heading EMEA communications at imaging monolith, Kodak, I had the privilege to be mentored by a Board member. He was a very spiritual person, a man with massive empathy but no less efficient at work; a supreme facilitator and arbiter always keen to share knowledge and nurture others' growth. He exuded calm and serenity and regularly took time out in monastic retreats. Likewise, I have witnessed the galvanising charm of a Fortune 500 leader of a profitable, multi-billion dollar business division lead change and motivate people to follow. He was also a lay preacher.
The skill leaders need to inspire people to embrace change and perform against all odds appears to be the fine business art of persuasion. Aristotle attributed this to the three key elements of Ethos (credibility, trust), Pathos (empathy) and Logos (logic/words) [1]. Yet beyond words, how can empathy be achieved - and therefore trust - without a fundamental understanding of the human condition? How can business leaders understand the motivational needs of employees facing workplace uncertainty unless they first reconnect with themselves as a fellow human creation?
Sometimes, to get to that place, we must make room for silent contemplation; to gain perspective on the personal and professional constraints, pressures and acquired (mal)practices that skew our everyday judgement and pollute our social interactions.
With that in mind, I asked a community of Linked In professionals from hedge fund management, commodity and currency markets, right through to organisational change and development, how they sought spiritual balance in the workplace. The response I got from 40 separate individuals was revealing. Whilst there was plenty of lively commentary around the carnal delights of chocolate, the spiritual importance of family and friends, the need for hobbies and exercise and the satisfaction of voluntary work, over 50% of respondents directly referenced their reliance on prayer, religious faith and meditation. Indeed I was moved to receive many personal prayers.
And whilst some pioneering companies like Google, Vodafone and Virgin Atlantic are offering employees the chance for "sleep pod" or prayer room meditation in the workplace, they remain a minority. Beyond simple work:life policy measures, perhaps organisations should be more creative to integrate the spiritual and faith needs of employees within the actual workplace; to unlock the innate potential and wellbeing of many people who, it seems, find additional motivation beyond the simple lure of material reward.
In the event it seems religion and the workplace may, after all, be an ideal union.
[1] James Borg, Persuasion: The art of influencing people, 2nd edition
Image: 'Like Drifting Spirits', Getty Images (photographer: Paul Grand, www.flickr.com/photos/paulgrand/)
Image: 'Like Drifting Spirits', Getty Images (photographer: Paul Grand, www.flickr.com/photos/paulgrand/)
Labels: Business. Management, Cadbury's, Change management, CSR, Gary Grant, Kelloggs, religion, reputation, The Soweto Gospel Choir
posted by Joanna Lund
at
1:45 PM
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9 Comments :
Joanna, a very interesting and provocative piece, with which I feel compelled to disagree!
Firstly, on a technicality, CSR is not a reporting requirement yet, even if it has been somewhat institutionalised by the reporting lobby.
Secondly, and more importantly, I think you might replace religion with responsibility; the ethics and empathy, of which Aristotle writes. Religion has played no part in my business life and yet I have worked in places and with people in whom I have the greatest personal trust and affection. That one of the underlying assumptions was of responsibility goes without saying; and yet I worked in an industry renowned for its supposed indifference to everything but profit!
CSR is about finding a manner and a place within organisations where responsibility can be embedded and become part of the corporate behaviours, that we expect of each other. I prefer this route!
But keep blogging!
Thanks Tom! You're right about CSR reporting and I should have clarified that it is 'increasingly' a reporting requirement - or rather expectation - versus one per se! There is great consideration in your response to CSR and, I agree, it has such transformative power in the ethos and behaviour of enterprise. We're seeing it everywhere, thank heavens, in often the most unlikely places :)
Joanna, I think it is important not to mistake spirituality with religion.
Spirituality in and by itself is open to any human being andis inherently non-authoritarian and dogmatic, something that most religions - though not all - are.
The divisiviness of the 'traditional' religions - with their oppressively masculine ethos - does not strike me as the best way forward to foster integration in the workplace or in the organizationa life. Spirituality, on the other hand, does.
Good point, Oscar. You've touched upon something that I was wrestling with throughout the writing of this blog. An extremely thin and highly sensitive dividing line in the definitions of spirituality and religion...
Joanna
I am with Oscar on this one; there is a great danger of confusing religion with spirituality, and it risks creating controversy - and probably unnecessarily.
No matter whether a devout churchgoer or one who would have to be dragged kicking and screaming over the threshhold, we all have innate beliefs which define who we are and how we behave. In some cases they may be more latent than in others but nevertheless the desire to "make a difference", the ability to love and to care, is a common and tangible evidence of this. That is the element that business should be appealing to, in both its product and service offering, and its treatment of people.
Religion, however, brings with it different labels and belief, and the associated conflict that comes with that and which degenerates into dogma, and thus becomes divisive. In that regard it is almost identical with politics. We all fundamentally care about the same things and have the same issues at heart, yet the minute we identify with any particular ideology or party, it acts as a lightning rod to someone who has a different perspective.
I think the answer is to ensure that we create and operate businesses that operate from the highest ethical, moral, humanitarian and environmental principles, thus aspiring to a more "spiritual" atmosphere, but leaving religion out of it.
Private enterprise should be - indeed some would say cannot be anything else than - a reflection of spirituality; but it definitely is not a place for religion.
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Thank you for a thought provoking piece, Joanna!
My own Christian faith has been very important in my business life, reinforcing absolute integrity, challenging me to treat colleagues fairly and with compassion, and above all reminding me that sleeping easily at night is more important than advancing my career regardless of the effect on others. As important, my faith has helped me to have resilience in difficult times and with difficult people. It has given me hope when times have been tough.
So for me, I do not think I could have found a better mentor than God.
Everyone's behavior on the job--and every other aspect of life--is going to be affected by his or her deepest beliefs, regardless of any office rules. However, "one's deepest beliefs" are not necessarily related to whatever religion he or she follows--to many people, church attendance or whatever is simply "going through the motions," and what is taught in religious services or scriptures is never seriously consulted for guidance in everyday life. Moreover, every individual's deepest beliefs seem to contain an element of "I want what I want when I want it"--virtually no one lives up to his or her own highest ideals with complete consistency. In fact, many if not most of the authoritarian and divisive elements of religion started with someone's twisting the original theological concepts to suit selfish ends.
So what are the implications for bringing spirituality into the workplace? Certainly, employees should be encouraged to practice honesty, empathy, compassion, and the other ideals which are at the heart of pure spirituality and are held in common by all religions and most formal philosophical systems. Friendly debate over religion has its place as well; hellfire-and-brimstone talk that borders on hate speech definitely does not belong in the workplace, or in the rest of society for that matter. On the other hand, saying "don't you dare try to force your beliefs on me" if someone so much as prays silently in front of another is just intolerance wearing a different face.
I'd also note that, even if staff members use "meditation rooms" solely for a quick nap, there are important health and productivity benefits to be gleaned from the break itself. Many people effectively make a religion out of workaholism, but another essential element of spirituality is balance.
Great comments. Interesting research through from UK Christian Relief agency, Tearfund, that states almost half all adults in Britain pray (women more than men apparently!). Interestingly, 1 in 8 of those adults who classify themselves as having no religion admits to praying sometimes. So many of you are right that we must not confuse religion and spirituality, though it seems they may work hand in hand in some cases. Thanks for your time and interest!
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