Why I Wrote This Book

From the Introduction to Workplace Spirituality: A Complete Guide for Business Leaders by Nancy R. Smith

Workplace Spirituality: A Complete Guide for Business Leaders ^{©
Copyright 2006 By Nancy R. Smith
Axial Age Publishing}

With 15 years' experience in Christian education and nearly 20 years working as a technical writer, supervisor, and manager for high tech software companies, I understand the huge gap between spirituality and business. Now I am eager to promote the acceptance and expression of all spiritualities in the workplace, and to encourage  discussion and dialogue about work issues in faith communities.

I wrote this book for three reasons. First, I received a personal challenge to address some of the issues in this book. Second, I was driven by my ongoing belief in preserving, respecting, and valuing diversity and pluralism in the workplace. Finally, the available books I surveyed that dealt with Workplace Spirituality were narrowly focused.

My Personal Challenge

The personal challenge came from Peter Morris, host of The Business Shrink radio show, who advised me that my website www.WorkplaceSpirituality.info should include what he called “rules of the road,” that is, the behavioral specifics of workplace spirituality.  I thought about it and decided, “I can do that—I’ll write a book!”

A Concern for Pluralism

The second impetus for this Workplace Spirituality book was the growth of the “faith at work,” movement. This movement is focused on the Christian faith, usually evangelical. It is very appropriate for Christians to take their faith to work, but I am concerned that the very fact that Christian evangelicals are taking the initiative may make those of different faiths timid or reluctant to express their own spirituality.

So this book is a simple “course correction” aimed at placing an emphasis on the necessity of religious and spiritual pluralism in the workplace.  After all, spirituality in the workplace is another form of diversity for all of us to value in the workplace.

A "Complete" Guide?

The third reason I wrote this book is that other books I have seen on Workplace Spirituality are usually limited to only one aspect of the topic. I do not know of another book that includes the topics of personal spiritual expression and behavior with business ethics and globally-aware corporate social responsibility, plus a picture of a spiritually-friendly workplace along with some specific suggestions for making it a reality.

Complete in the title doesn’t mean that Workplace Spirituality: A Complete Guide for Business Leaders includes every aspect or detail of workplace spirituality you need to learn. But here you will discover all the essential elements of workplace spirituality, from personal traits and behaviors to business ethics, from a philosophy of business to corporate social responsibility in a global economy, and from characteristics and principles of a spiritually-friendly workplace to steps you can take to invite spirituality into your workplace. 

Think of complete as a list of all the broad topics that must be considered for a workplace to be spiritually-friendly. 

• Providing a meditation room and opportunities for employees to express their spirituality is not enough. Focusing only on encouraging workers’ personal spiritual needs does not relieve a company of its responsibility to conduct its business in a way that protects the environment.

• Being strictly ethical in accounting practices is not enough. Ethical accounting does not free a company from the respon-sibility of paying a living wage, nor excuse it for discrimination in hiring and promoting.

• Providing access to corporate chaplains is not enough. Making chaplains available to employees in the U.S. does not make up for violating the human rights of immigrants or of overseas workers in the supply chain.