AUTHENTICITY: SPIRIT AND SOUL AT WORK

Volume #30 - October/November 2002

In October, I attended two conferences, both of which gave me much food for thought. At the Women-Business-Spirituality: A New Formula for Leadership Conference in New York, Patricia Auburdene, co-author of the best selling Megatrends books, gave a keynote address titled "Digital Soul: the Merging of Business and Spirituality," during which she described seven business principles that are based on spiritual values. Auburdene's talk focused on the argument that we need spiritual values in order to be truly prosperous. This concept aligns with my coaching since the foundation of my work is raising people's levels of consciousness and helping them to operate from a values-based place as they seek success on their own terms.

The more self-aware you become of how your behaviors and patterns help or hinder you, the more equipped you are to leverage your strengths or make changes to achieve your goals. And the more authentic you are - the more you honor your own soul, respect yourself, and value your skills - the more able you are to set and achieve goals that will bring you a sense of fulfillment.

Auburdene claims that without character, integrity and trust, business can't conduct business. Of all the wisdom she imparted, one point particularly struck me. She said, "Leadership relies on spiritual release - on having the courage to let go and let people do what they need to do." Give people the means to do their jobs; then, have faith that they have the ability to do what needs to be done. Empower them by letting go of your control over how they do the work - trust them.

The other point she made that I've heard many times before but which needs to be repeated over and over until people get it is: "Success is a co-creation that depends on collaboration between senior management and employees - that people are the profit and the source of all corporate wealth, that the human factor is the most important factor." Senior management has to set the framework for success and then trust people to do the rest. All of this, however, requires an environment of respect. A major way for organizations to build trust and to demonstrate respect is to provide programs and services - training, mentoring and coaching - that enable people to develop. Managers can develop faith in the their people and let go more if they make sure that they are providing the means for employees to develop necessary skill sets. Employees can take responsibility for their own development by communicating to senior management what kind of training and resources they need to get the job done well.

Another key insight came during a panel discussion "Pioneers in Pursuit of the Spiritual." Joan Chittister, author of Heart of Flesh: A Feminist Spirituality for Women and Men, raised the question: "In what way is work itself a means to be spiritual?" Chittister claims that we need to see work as our personal gift to the world. Work develops us and brings us to self-fulfillment. She said, "Work sanctifies us. Work can bring us to completion. We need a spirituality of work to develop our souls."

When I am coaching clients I talk about the need to discover their life purpose, to identify the gifts that they are supposed to give back to the world through their work. But now I have a better question. "What sanctifies you and will help you develop your soul?" If you're miserable at work, if you're not performing well and are not happy, then your soul can't be nourished. You need to discover what kind of work feels sacred to you. I've seen sacred work done by landscapers, plumbers, doctors, lawyers, fireman, telephone workers, teachers, salespeople, computer programmers, etc. Every line of work has something sacred about it, but it needs to be approached from that position and honored for how it enables you to use your gifts and give back to the world.

If we stop looking at work as a means to some other end, but as an ongoing vehicle through which we grow and contribute, work can take on a completely different meaning. This perspective can also help us make better decisions around work/life issues. If we see all the work that we do - both paid employment and non-paid work with our families and communities - as a means of fulfilling ourselves and giving back to the world, it can be easier to prioritize and help us to distinguish where to focus our attention. We all grow at different rates through different experiences. By understanding your own stages of growth and what brings meaning to you and nurtures you at the stage you're in, you'll be able to make choices and have greater clarity about what to say "yes" to and what to say "no" to.

The other conference I attended was the annual gathering of the International Coach Federation and the theme this year was "Partnering with People: Building Connections that Change the World." The keynote speakers also addressed the spiritual. Management and leadership guru Ken Blanchard said that in this changing and chaotic world, we have a better chance to make the changes that we need to make if we have a spiritual foundation, if we operate with trust and respect. He described trust as the willingness to turn your back and know you won't be hurt, and respect as the ability to be face-to-face with the others, knowing they are hearing you and finding what you say valuable.

Blanchard also pointed that when we're in the midst of change is when we feel most alone. So if your organization is in the midst of change, operate from a spiritual perspective. Recognize that people feel alone and need to have feelings of trust and respect reinforced. Ask yourself if you are really hearing and valuing the needs of others. Can they turn their backs and trust they won't be hurt?

Throughout these conferences, as I listened to the words of the presenters, my beliefs in the need for operating from a spiritual, soul place were reinforced. We will find greater prosperity and move through change with less effort if we honor and respect one another. If we approach work as a means to manifest the sacred in ourselves, and if our organizations provide the environment in which to do that, we will have a greater chance of being successful and fulfilled.

COACHING QUESTIONS

1. How do you show respect for yourself?
2. What are your core values and how do you honor them?
3. What brings meaning to you and nurtures your soul?
4. What kind of training and development do you need to grow and develop?
5. What can you do to get training and development support from your organization?
6. What kind of training and development do those who work for you need?
7. What can you do in your organization to get this for them?
8. What gifts do you have to give back to the world and how are you giving them back?
9. How does your work sanctify you?
10. What do you say "yes" to and what do you say "no" to?
11. What do you need to do to show that you hear and value the needs of others?
12. What do you need to do to show that others can turn their backs on your without fear of being hurt?

Copy © 2002 Virginia O'Brien All s Reserved

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