Spirituality at workplace
Spirituality at workplace is an intriguing topic due to its application and individual understanding and limitations. Definition of spirituality has evolved over time and various meanings can be read, understood and applied in conjunction. For this discussion we will define spirituality as a personal quest for leading a purposeful life, unlike religion which is, an organized entity with certain rituals and practices keeping the divine in centre. People may claim to be believers or atheists but everyone acknowledges that there is a larger purpose in life rather than simply passing days. Right from the inception of education, we have been taught to have a meaningful life, to add value and give back to society to build people to learn, to make ones life count. You will agree that to have a purpose in life keeps one motivated. Imagine not knowing what one wants to achieve in life, it will be like aimless wandering, neither for quest or for experience, but only because that seems to be the only thing possible. Being spiritually aware means to be conscious of the fact that whatever we do will have larger implication and the way we behave will leave lasting impact on people around us. Being spiritual would mean to be aware of others around us and to be mindful of the fact that every action that we do impacts people around us. To be mindful of others, to acknowledge and be responsible for our actions, to act responsibly and reasonable. To lead an impactful life would mean to be spiritually aware. Let us look at spirituality at work place.
Spirituality at Workplace started as a movement in the early 1920s, involving individuals seeking to live their faith / spiritual values at the workplace. I would like to clarify again that it had nothing to do with organized religion or religious practices. The spirituality connected to the organisation’s values, ethics and principles. Today we can define Spirituality at workplace as a framework of organization core culture, mission, vision and values that helps employees connect to others and experience being part of the larger picture and experience transcendence through their work. Many researches, surveys and studies have been conducted to see how to implement spirituality at work place practices and the impact it makes to the employees’ well-being and organization culture. Let us look at some key questions,
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How to imbibe Spirituality at work place?
Spirituality at work place can be intriguing to some. Being spiritual does not mean being religious. We must get this straight first. Keep all religious, belief systems, practices, rituals and preaching out of work place and look at people as fellow human beings, and look at the world as a dwelling place each one is responsible to keep and maintain. Once we get this clarity and declutter our mind then it becomes easy to focus on the next step which is to imbibe spirituality at the work place, so take few concrete steps improving the way you think, behave and react to situations and people. Take a look at the changes that you can begin to make
- Start looking at things positively. Thinking of spirituality at workplace. Maintain a positive outlook towards people and situation. Do not be quick to react, take a look and find the positive stride and see how that can be improved. I am not suggesting to remain in an imaginary world romanticizing perfection, but am suggesting that one looks at the positive side and starts building form that point.
- Put others first. Spirituality and workplace at times do not seem to be related at all. In times such as these where it is a dog eat dog situation, it seems very impractical to put others first. But dear reader, take a breath, consider the larger picture and look at the impact this thoughtfulness will bring. Put others first. Give people not only what they deserve or dream but much more than that and you will see the rise not only in gratitude but also in workplace productivity, harmony and resilience.
- Connect your work to your value system. Think spiritually. Go beyond following processes, think the impact it makes on people and environment. Take your work with as much diligence as you possible can. Align your purpose with your project and you will see the difference.
- Love yourself and love others. Workplace spirituality. Treat yourself with care and respect and others too. Take out some me time, take out time for family, friends and coworkers, know people beyond their work life. Connect with people with similar interests, ideate and implement project for betterment of life and society in general. Be kind, be lovable. Show kindness treat others with respect and spread the vibe.
5 Pillars of spirituality at work place
There are many ways of building workplace spirituality, its an ongoing practice, a cultural shift in the way organizations work. There are five major attributes to building spirituality at work place and to being people together and focus on the larger picture beyond business results.
Spirituality at workplace Vision – Align the organization Vision to the larger impact it will make in the society, Relook at the organization Vision, have a vision for involving meaningful life for the employees.
Workplace Spirituality is about Partnership – Bring people together, build sense of ownership and oneness, eliminate insecurities and unhealthy competitiveness. Be transparent in your people processes.
Spirituality at work place is Collaboration – Energy and flexibility. Be flexible to involve and look at various ideas, allow employees the liberty to think and use their energies for workplace improvement. Go beyond implementing an idea scheme a kaizen award and mechanising it. Allow real collaboration amongst employees. Build a culture of acceptance and adapt to diversity
Be spiritual at workplace, imbibe Creativity – Think of new ways, different ways, of making the work place more harmonious, get away from the mundane, think making the culture of gratitude and gracefulness, treat fellow human beings as equals, keeping titles aside, open door office are structural practices, ask yourself are you really approachable. Will you welcome a different way or new way of doing things, are you really creative as an organization? Build an organization with creativity, productivity and profitability will follow
Spirituality at workplace Communication – Talk, talk, talk, and talk about it, share with people, encourage people to share, engage everyone, build a culture where people feel that they matter and their ideas matter. Make people feel important, involve and engage people by communicating. Tell them and invite them to tell you their ideas, build a culture of fearless sharing of ideas and feedback, eliminate criticism and critique just keep positive communication as the feedback mechanism. Ask your self is this the best way to talk and is this the best thing to say. And you get your answer about the style of communication. Give everyone a chance to voice their thoughts, create such platform. Make the organization a place where the employs is heard. Not as a tick in the box but in reality. And you will connect the organization culture to the larger picture and increase the feeling of self-worth in the employees.
Spirituality at Work Place Key Points
- Keep all religious, belief systems, practices, rituals and preaching out of work place and look at people as fellow human beings, and look at the world as a dwelling place each one is responsible to keep and maintain
- Maintain a positive outlook towards people and situation. Connect your work to your value system ideate and implement project for betterment of life and society in general. Show kindness treat others with respect and spread the vibe.
- Put others first. Give people not only what they deserve or dream but much more than that and you will see the rise not only in gratitude but also in workplace productivity, harmony and resilience.
- Have a vision for involving meaningful life for the employees. Bring people together, build sense of ownership and oneness, eliminate insecurities and unhealthy competitiveness. Be transparent in your people processes.
- Be flexible to involve and look at various ideas. Think of new ways, different ways, of making the work place more harmonious, welcoming and creative. build a culture where people feel that they matter and their ideas matter. Make people feel important, involve and engage people by communicating.
Conclusion
Spirituality is beyond religious belief systems, it is the core value of valuing human life and protecting nature. Imbibing spirituality at work place would mean to go beyond the call of duty and standard people processes and build an organization culture where employees are welcome, respected and involved in creating and achieving common goal, it is not euphoric, small changes in the way the leadership thinks and people processes are defined, we can build spiritualty at work place and make the organization thrive by investing in human capital, by creating culture of employee first.
Frequently asked questions about Spirituality at workplace
Q 01: Can one practice being spiritual at work place?
Yes indeed, practicing spirituality at work place, will highlight the leadership qualities in you and bring positive impact on others too.
Q 02: How can spirituality improve performance at workplace?
Spirituality at workplace aligns the values of the individual to the values of the organization, creates a larger purpose and makes employment more meaningful, hence increasing performance.
Q 03: Do organizations implement spirituality at workplace?
Some may not term it as Spirituality, but most of the leading organizations have built in HR processes which increase interconnectedness and create involving and evolving culture
Q 04: Does spirituality diminishes competitiveness?
On the contrary, spirituality at workplace build team spirit and encourages each one to do his or her best, making even the weakest link in the chain as good as the strongest.
Q 05: What are the benefits of Workplace spirituality?
Low attrition, higher employee involvement, less conflicts within employees and many more, workplace spiritualty creates increased level of belonging and a purposeful employment.
