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Copyright © 2022 by Marie Gervais, PhD First Edition — 2022
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978-1-03-913033-3 (Hardcover)
978-1-03-913032-6 (Paperback)
978-1-03-913034-0 (eBook)
1. Business & Economics, Workplace Culture
Distributed to the trade by The Ingram Book Company
all of creation, we learn to read reality rather than impose limited beliefs upon it. Within this paradigm, we can envision a noble human being with unlimited gifts and powers, combined with increased ability to accurately read and respond appropriately to social realities.5 It is at this point of possibility that healthy, sustained transformation at both the individual and organizational levels becomes not only possible, but normal.
The purpose of this book is to shed some light on the fascinating relationship between people and work from the perspective of what it means to be a whole person related to every other being. It considers that we are propelled by an intrinsic worth and desire for both self and other actualization. This inner drive has little to do with profit, consumption and accumulation of material goods, notwithstanding necessary monetary requirements to make a living and the necessary diversity of monetary gain that will differ across contexts. Rather, it is a call to unity and to justice, stemming from our spiritual reality and essential oneness with creation.
In service of this vision, this book considers the world of work simultaneously from three perspectives rarely explored within the same context:
1. Time-honoured teachings of the world religions’ sacred texts on topics related to work and working
2. Advancements of science affecting work, from the domains of psychology, sociology, culture and health
3. Examples of existing work systems, both positive and negative, and the beliefs that fuel individual and collective actions
The result of this exploration is a call to rethink work, informed by new understandings about the greatness we are destined to achieve as a human race. I propose that it is possible to imagine and operationalize better ways of being and doing at work, ways that help us bring our whole selves to work within the multiple communal contexts mutually affecting each other. Glimmerings of more promising ways of working are already around us, if we are able to see them.
Jeffrey Pfeffer’s analysis of work and health calls for public identification of toxic workplaces, which he calls “social polluters.” In his argument, costs
incurred by unhealthy workplace practices become visible to all, publicly shaming perpetrators by shining a light on their actions.6
My take is that although a grudging accountability may be the result of publicly humiliating socially “polluting” organizations, this action reinforces the belief that workplace toxicity is an unavoidable norm. Instead of adding more fuel to the fire of a future locked in the paralysis of polarized assumptions, criticism and fear, let us instead look to what encourages the incredible power of the human spirit for good, and illumines our capacity to creatively solve problems in even the most hopeless of situations.
The Spirit of Work focuses on individual and communal aspects of what it means to be human in the most expansive sense possible, featuring story examples and possible strategies for those with or without formal authority. Each theme demonstrates unique contributions towards creating workplaces characterized by what I call “soul-sustaining” properties. Yet each alone is insufficient to effect transformational change.
Individual components are:
• Bring your soul to work
• Bring your mind to work
• Bring your heart to work
• Bring your body to work
Communal explorations centre around:
• Bringing your community, culture and world view to work
The premise is that whereas each aspect is necessary for the creation of vibrant, healthy workplaces, together they simultaneously affect each other and must be seen in the context of the whole to be properly understood and sustained.
A useful metaphor in this regard is the ecosystem. An ecosystem is composed of multiple interdependent parts. Each plant, mineral and animal in the system has a role to play and that role must be grown organically for the individual element to be in health and full potentiality. However distinct
their nature, just as it is the nature of plants to grow and animals to move. Children flourish through play, which in its essence is the spirit of work. Children playing have the serious intent of scientists mixed with the delight in discovery of artists. Like philosophers, they create theories about how the world works based on their experiences. They interact socially to learn together and create imaginative scenarios to test possibilities. Distracting them from their purposeful “work” angers them, because they invest all their energy and powers into the task they have assigned to themselves, be it learning to stand, speak, draw, write, make a friend, apologize for a mistake or ride a bicycle. They perfect each tiny step of development with tireless repetition not as a chore, but as a delight. If they are frustrated in their goal, they creatively and persistently – even aggressively – seek ways around it until they attain their purpose. Through this process, talents and interests emerge and they speak endlessly on any topic they have decided to investigate and research. Even when not engaged with intensity in their growth and development, taking rest and changing activities only serves to provide depth and context to their incessant need to learn and perfect skills. As they develop, their social abilities and skills contribute to their capacities to build on each other’s ideas and initiatives. In all things they participate actively, reflect deeply, explore creatively, interact socially and invent new realities.
Children can teach us much about the nature of the soul and the spirit of work. Work that does not encourage the natural expression and development of the soul is not sustainable because it is against our nature. Isms and ideologies restrict, imprison, limit or stop the natural expression of the human spirit, stunt altruism and seek to extinguish the light of the soul. Look at the typical efforts of dictators and autocrats towards their own people. They stop free speech, forbid intellectual development, hinder publications, and imprison writers, artists and thinkers. They then force what is left of the arts and the sciences to be caged within the constraints of their limited ideologies or face severe life-threatening consequences. To become godlike in their powers, they reduce all possibilities of Divine expression. In so doing, they shrink their own capacity, since aggression towards others deprives the aggressor’s soul of grace.
Unfortunately, that is also the reality of many workplaces. When a large percentage of a given workplace is moderately to actively disengaged, and the majority of those leaving employment do so as a result of feeling demoralized by their bosses, it is a clear sign that we have not yet, as a human race, learned to build adult work from within the realities of the soul. Lack of purpose in an organization results in scattered and diluted efforts that cause the workforce to regard initiatives with cynicism and suspicion. Unlike young children who cannot be discouraged from soulinspired learning and action in their work, as adults we become trapped in a cycle of purposelessness that does not satisfy and ultimately erodes our potential as individuals and as organizations. So where do we start to “fix” this problem? How do we heal ourselves and our workplaces, and re-establish purpose, value, passion and ethical behaviour? We need some simple tools to keep us soul-focused and to bring an autocorrect function to our work decisions.
One of these tools can be the use of probing questions. It can be particularly revealing to evaluate all our attitudes and behaviours – both in and outside of work – as either diminishing or sustaining our true nature, the nature of our souls.
How do we Know if Work is Soulsustaining or Soul-diminishing?
. . . arts, sciences and all crafts are [counted as] worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer.10
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Soul-sustaining activity has these characteristics:
Encouragement of thought, individuality, identity, curiosity, imagination, invention, problem solving, investigating reality and solving mysteries, expressing divine qualities, perfections, talents, virtues, purpose, vision, intuition, continuous learning, ability to transcend limitations and to imagine new worlds and realities, self-expression, artistic expression, ability to appreciate and enjoy diversity, capacity to build unity of thought, empathy, altruism, scientific investigation, building, growth promoting, communication, foresight, hindsight, dreams, metaphor, mysticism, excellence, creation of laws and systems, healthy habits, workflows, empathy, art, truthfulness, justice, appreciation, gratitude, faith, hope and love.
Soul-diminishing activity on the other hand has these characteristics: Discouragement of thinking and learning; dogmatic; lack of diversity; blatant disregard for the feelings and needs of others; neutralizing or dismissal of others’ experiences of pain; glorification of vice; self-worth based on net worth; rigid adherence to tradition; closed mindedness; lack of innovation; cancerous growth; aggression; violence; intolerance; addiction; harmful habits; control of others; abuse; exploitation; corruption; greed; discouragement of the arts, humanities and sciences; deceitfulness and lying; disregard for the environment and abuse of nature; wastefulness; rampant disease; grinding misery; extremes of wealth and poverty; lack of transparency; superiority; disregard for contributions of human learning, science or the arts; chaos; inability to see patterns, to take action or to make positive decisions; greed; entitlement; narcissism; injustice; social dominance; faithlessness; hopelessness and hatred.
When I contrast these two lists, it is not difficult to see what will lead to soul-sustaining behaviours and what erodes through soul-diminishing behaviours.
• Do I feel like making a point of someone else’s fault? Soul-diminishing.
• Can I think of a way to share the irritation I feel towards that person in a way that is both honest and kind? Soul-sustaining.
• Do I snap at others because I am tired? Soul-diminishing.
Since what we focus on grows, the language of virtues used in everyday work grows soul-sustaining habits without training, hardship or loss of time. The above example might take 3–5 minutes of meeting time, but the effect on meeting productivity and either increased happiness or ability to solve problems maturely is significant.
