Seven Steps in Getting There From Here Specific suggestions for spiritual practices from Chapter 5 "Seven Essential Traits of a Spiritual Person," in Workplace Spirituality: A Complete Guide for Business Leaders byNancy R. Smith, Ó 2006 These suggestions are intended to supplement, not replace, any individual faith disciplines you already practice, such as daily Bible reading, Buddhist meditation, Islamic prayer or Jewish devotional practice. Spend time in quiet reflection, preferably daily. Listen to your inner being. Here are some suggestions...
2006-11-1
Unaware of Unresolvable Dilemma? By Ragini Elizabeth Michaels Letting go, relaxing, being present and aware come to us through the counter-balancing experiences of holding on, being tense, absent, and unaware. Yet we all strive for the unreachable goal of a positive and pleasurable life without negativity and pain. The idea that there is sustainable success and prosperity without any ebb and flow has blossomed into a cultural belief.
2006-11-1
Employee Satisfaction at Risk by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia Employee attitudes and behaviors show surprising similarities from one country to another. Trends observed in one country are also seen in other countries around the world....work-life balance and organizational culture are primary issues for employees surveyed. These issues go deeper than just flexibility in the workplace. Employees want more control over their schedules and more involvement in the company decisions that affect them.
2006-11-1
America's Employees Cry Out for Spirituality After 9/11 Explore the current employee’s desire for a more spiritual workplace in America after 9/11. How will traditional managers respond to this cultural shift?Daryl and Estraletta Green, of Performance Management & Logistics Associates (PMLA), offer four suggestions for employees desiring a more, purpose-driven life in the workplace.
2006-11-1
Half of U.S. Businesses Are Home-Based, Majority of Firms Self-Financed From the U.S. Census Bureau. Almost half (49 percent) of the nation’s businesses are operated from home, and more than 6-in-10 owners used their own money to start the business. Business owners are highly educated, 3-in-10 are over 55 and 14 percent are veterans, Owners’ income, role and hours vary.
10/6/2006. The American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization with a long history of supporting labor rights, deplores the recent ruling by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which will deny union protection to millions of American workers.
From Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, By Patricia Aburdene [Last in a series of excerpts] Wainwright’s DNA is so deeply encoded with the commitment to social justice, you almost forget it’s a bank, with more than $760 million in assets, that offers commercial loans, home mortgages, lines of credit and private banking. It might also slip your mind that Wainwright makes money, a lot of money and at an impressive rate: Net income in 2004 hit $6.4 million, up from $4.7 million in 2003. Earnings per share rose from 55 cents in 2001 to 94 cents in 2004....And guess what? Community investing is the best-performing sector of Wainwright’s lending portfolio. The default rate? About zero percent.
by Mike McLoughlin Christian Professionals have real problems resolving the faith work tension in their professional practice. They ask, Is faith welcome at work? Is work valuable to God? What do I do when faith conflicts with work? Where is the balance between faith and work? Can faith make a difference at work? How?
From Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, By Patricia Aburdene
Some of us are very independent. We enjoy doing our own investment research;. . . .But how on earth do we wade through the SRI universe and cobble together a customized portfolio? Here are a few simple ideas to get you started.
A personal challenge... a concern for spiritual diversity... a need for a book that is complete -- addressing personal spirituality, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility as equally essential to a spiritual workplace.
If values are the hallmark of enlightened capitalism, how do the companies that espouse them broadcast their virtues and beckon discriminating consumers to the cash register? Often, it is through the power of brand—that precious, yet intangible asset that symbolizes what a corporation stands for.
2006-4-28
Enjoying What You Do by Steve Goodier No matter where you work, you work for yourself! With a little creativity and imagination, your work can seem less like drudgery and more like play.
2006-4-28
Ubiquitous Cell Phones Blocking Relationships from The Herman Trend Alert We are laser-focused on our conversation with one person to the point that we do not interact with other humans who may be standing right next to us. The world is rapidly becoming a collection of people in isolation bubbles who have no connection to each other.
2006-4-28
Dilemma of the NEETs from The Herman Trend Alert The current shift in the employment market is exciting and invigorating for some. Others are experiencing frustration, disillusionment, and irritation at the situation. The people caught in the middle, feeling disconnected, are being described as the NEETs---Not in Education, Employment, or Training.
2006-4-28
Sometimes, Virginia, There Is No Santa Claus: Motivating Future Success by Barry Maher We’ve all known businesspeople who earn so much trust from customers that those customers would never want to take the risk of buying from anyone else. What would it do for your career if you were trusted that much by the people you work with?
2006-3-13
The Biggest Market You Never Heard Of Excerpt from Chapter 5 of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, By Patricia Aburdene Conscious Consumers are often categorized as “LOHAS” (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) customers. By 2005, 63 million Americans—or 30 percent of the adult population—were part of the LOHAS market, says the Natural Marketing Institute, a market research firm specializing in the LOHAS customer.
2006-3-13
Research on 'Spiritual Capital' The Spiritual Capital Research Program is interested in supporting high-level, impartial scholarship on the contribution of religion--both for good and for ill--to economic and social developments. The aim of the program is to catalyze the development of this inter-disciplinary research field, which may become a vital new field in the social sciences.
2006-3-13
Pressure As a Factor in Unethical Corporate Behavior -from research by American Management Association and Human Resource Institute Pressure from management or the Board to meet unrealistic business objectives and deadlines is the leading factor most likely to cause unethical corporate behavior, according to a new survey on business ethics.
2006-3-13
Focus on the Individual Herman Trend Alert, February 8, 2006 Job descriptions will disappear. Replacing them will be role descriptions and individualized "Expectations Statements". No longer will we attempt to force square pegs to fit into round holes. People will be hired for attitudes and competencies, then trained to build their skills even further. Their training will match their jobs, giving them confidence and satisfaction. Additional training will support job expansion.
2006-3-13
Practice Active Listening By Sally Santana There is one gift you can give many times, every day, and it won’t cost you a cent. It is highly prized. In fact, I’ve been literally moved to tears when I’ve received it. And you’d think that since it’s so inexpensive, I’d give it all the time, but I don’t often think about it. Maybe you don’t either.
Self-awareness Can Be More Important than IQ or Experience in Business Success By Barbara A. Bissonnette A growing body of research confirms that well developed emotional intelligence (or what used to be called “people skills”) plays a bigger role in job success than intelligence, technical skill, and experience. In fact, these skills become increasingly important as job complexity increases, and intangibles like “leading and motivating” become key requirements.
2006-3-13
Meaning and Values Slipping into First Seat Herman Trend Alert Employees are seeking what we might call compensation of a different nature. They want something more for themselves; they want control of their time. They want balance. Not work-life balance, but life-work balance. Life comes first today for more and more people.
2006-1-20
Are Profitability and Spirituality Polar Opposites? How can a company engender spirituality while also worrying about the bottom line? Can a company use its collective spirituality to boost profits? Margaret Benefiel, PhD, author of Soul at Work knows the answers to these questions.
2006-1-20
The Dawn of Conscious Capitalism Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, By Patricia Aburdene [Corporate Social Responsibility] CSR firms. . . . worry about stockholders, but they’re also concerned about “stakeholders” like employees, customers, suppliers, communities at home and abroad—and planet Earth. . . . .Many want to do the right thing, of course, but there is a practical reason as well. A reputation for corporate responsibility enhances the company’s brand, while being deemed “socially irresponsible” damages it. The marketplace implications, not surprisingly, are sizable.
2006-1-20
Money and Morals Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, By Patricia Aburdene Most of us, no matter how spiritual we think we are, harbor the belief that old-fashioned capitalists—those who invest to make money with no regard for moral considerations—actually earn the highest returns. In other words, if you want to go in for social justice, prepare to suffer financially. . . .Well, decades of research later, it turns out that theory is just plain wrong.
2006-1-20
Starbucks - It's All About the Beans Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, By Patricia Aburdene How many of Starbucks’ 33 million weekly customers realize that the $5.3 billion firm is committed to stakeholders—from coffee growers to partners (employees)—while growing at a breakneck pace that satisfies shareholders?
2006-1-20
Quality and Quantity of Work from the Herman Trend Alert, December 27, 2005 Researchers [in the U.K.] surveyed 203,000 workers, a relatively large population group. The poll found that the most satisfied, perhaps unsurprisingly, said they had just the right amount of work. The least satisfied were those with too little, followed by those with too much work . . . .What came out from this study is a movement away from mediocrity.
2005-12-6
Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism,IntroductionBy Patricia Aburdene How do corporations achieve the challenging but lucrative goal of continuous innovation? The short answer, the only answer, is through the genius inherent in human consciousness. In fact, there can be no invention in business or technology without human consciousness. What is consciousness? I use the term in the spiritual sense, to mean presence or alertness—the awareness of awareness, the willingness to observe without attachment, the gleam of Spirit that animates humanity.
2005-12-6
The Power of Spirituality -- From Personal to OrganizationalExcerpt from Chapter 1 of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism,By Patricia Aburdene In turbulent times, we look within; 78 percent seek more Spirit. Meditation and yoga soar. Divine Presence spills into business. “Spiritual” CEOs as well as senior executives from Redken and Hewlett-Packard (HP) transform their companies.
Coaching or Spiritual Direction? by Nancy R. Smith Learn the similarities and differences between these two ways of growing toward wholeness.
2005-11-17
How Corporate Law Inhibits Social Responsibilityby Robert Hinkley Many social ills created by corporations stem directly from corporate law. It dawned on me that the law, in its current form, actually inhibits executives and corporations from being socially responsible. So in June 2000 I quit my job and decided to devote the next phase of my life to making people aware of this problem. My goal is to build consensus to change the law so it encourages good corporate citizenship, rather than inhibiting it.
2005-11-17
Business in the Days of Awe, Step 2: Questions: How to Never Have Anyone Object Ever AgainBy Mark Silver Customer objections can be painful and intimidating to deal with. And it doesn't have to be about price. It could be about anything: "Do you really know what you are doing?" "Does this thing really work?" "How do I know you'll follow through?" Wish you never had to hear them again? You don't.
Spirituality, Meditative Practices In Business Education (Press release) Bentley College professors become the students during a series of workshops in Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 designed to help them integrate methods such as quiet meditation, reflection, mindfulness, and centering prayer into their courses.
2005-10-7
Is A Second Katrina on the Way?by Nancy R. Smith In the first Katrina, the invisible poor became visible, at least in New Orleans. We seem to be bringing on a second Katrina in the methods used for the "rebuilding" of New Orleans -- methods that once again victimize the poor.
2005-10-7
Love for the PoorNational Council of Churches Hurricane Katrina will perhaps forever be remembered for having shined an unflattering spotlight on racial and class disparities in the United States. In an effort to help the nation move forward, the National Council of Churches USA is releasing, Love for the Poor: God's Love for the Poor and the Church's Witness to It, a 40-page booklet that seeks to help churches engage more fully in prayer, reflection and shared action on behalf of the poor.
Business in the Days of Awe: Keys to Connection By Mark Silver Emptying yourself is an internal process, and it's best to do it before the conversation....the best thing for them might be to let the sale go. And, the best thing for them might be for them to buy your most expensive, most premium product or service, because that's what they really need. It takes humility to do either.
2005-10-7
Spiritual Medicationby Steve Goodier You may not feel that you are much good at prayer, but how good are you without it?
2005-10-7
For Every Woman By Nancy R. Smith, copyright 1973 This poem found its way around the world by word of mouth as part of the Women's Movement and the many consciousness-raising groups in existence then. It was of the same timeframe as Ms. Magazine, Marilyn French's The Women's Room and Marlo Thomas' Free to Be album. It is important to understand its context. It has now been "adapted" with credit to Nancy R. Smith but without her permission. Much of the original wording is still intact in the adaptation, which is being sold in poster form. This is the original!
Most Americans Liken Job Satisfaction to a Mediocre Date... or a Root CanalBusiness Wire, August 31, 2005 According to a just-released national poll, 6 in 10 Americans say their jobs are no better than a "so-so" date (no love connection, but the restaurant was great and the meal was free). And some of them might actually prefer a trip to the dentist than to work!
2005-9-5
Values and Meanings in the Workday Desert By Alice Houghtaling I believe that life is all about “growing, learning, and becoming” on a day to day course, and that most of this learning is done unconsciously.... Sometimes, that “course” is just plain boring, or exhausting, or confusing, or exasperating.
2005-9-5
Labor ValueBy James Skillen, President, Center for Public Justice How far can work be abstracted from the worker without degrading its meaning? In America and perhaps throughout much of the world, it seems to me, there is a declining sense of how the work that each of us does contributes to a joint human venture, adding to the national and international treasure.... Labor, in other words, has become a job, and jobs, like the goods we purchase at the mall, become a mere means to other ends. The value of a job is measured by what it pays. What does this tell us about the world of labor today?
2005-9-5
The Myth of Self-ImprovementBy Ray Dodd Sometimes the quest for self-improvement, rather than making us feel better, leaves us feeling worse. At first exhilarating, as we continue to search for self-improvement, it can increase our stress and feeds the belief we’ve been trying so desperately to get rid of. That awful belief - I Can’t.
2005-8-15
Labor Day 2005: Taking Labor Day SeriouslyBy Nancy R. Smith Labor Day is fun in the sun for the last summer weekend of 2005. Why do we need to have any serious thoughts?
2005-8-15
THE WORK OF THE HEARTBy Steve Goodier Steve shares a touching piece by a teacher, appropriate as we approach the beginning of a new school year.
The Next Dimension of “Right”Herman Trend Alert The new emphasis is on values---the employer’s values and the applicant’s values. Are they congruent? If the candidate is not joining the company for the right reasons, for both the worker and for the employer, there will not be a good fit.
2005-7-15
Justice for Africa postponed By ActionAid UK The summit has failed to deliver justice for Africa. A comprehensive package on aid, trade and debt relief has not materialised.
2005-7-15
Now That We Can See the World, Maybe We Can Change By Sally Santana When we, in the near future, reach the point where almost everyone on the planet can actually see the effects of their decisions on others as they happen, we will unequivocally understand that we are one people, one species among millions on this earth, with an awareness of our environment we can barely grasp now.
2005-7-15
A Call to Speak OutFrom the National Council of Churches We acknowledge that the freedom promised in the toppling of a dictator has been replaced by the humiliation of occupation and the violence of a civil war. The sacrifice of brave men and women has been used to serve policies that have diminished our nation’s prestige and our capacity to be agents of justice in the world.
2005-7-15
Religious Leaders 4th of July message to Bush: Don't let Iraq become another historic quagmireFrom the National Council of Churches June 30, 2005, New York – Three religious leaders representing the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches USA announced today that about 630 religious leaders and nearly 16,000 people of faith in 44 states have endorsed a Fourth of July declaration that urges President Bush to develop an "early fixed timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops," to listen to a wider range of religious advisers and to re-evaluate his policy on Iraq.
2005-7-15
Sent to War... Into Honor or InfamyBy Carl Hitchens Everyday, I see the contradictions that we all engage in, even as we have our own idealism about the life we wish to live.... Our duty, therefore, is too idealize what we come to accept as the purest and the truest, within ourselves and the world, and put that into action, into self-actualization. We put that before the world in deed, speech, thought, and creativity. And we love the world despite itself.
2005-6-14
21 Days to a Positive-Attitude HabitBy Patricia Wagner Edison tried 10,000 times to get his light bulb invention to work, but failed each time. However, he had this to say about his lack of success. "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Industry, critics, disagree on threat posed by video gamesUnited Methodist News Service "This is the fastest growing segment of the media business and also the least responsible," said Jim Steyer, who teaches First Amendment law at Stanford University and is chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that seeks to educate parents on entertainment media for kids. "The video game industry hides behind phony statistics and makes literally millions of dollars from graphically violent games that are obviously being marketed to kids 10, 11 and 12 years old.
2005-5-18
Where Have All Our Leaders Gone?Herman Trend Alert: Employees in many organizations are looking for strong leadership, and not finding it....Corporate leadership has been damaged, maligned, and challenged in recent times by a number of incidents that have received substantial publicity. Leaders, who were once respected, have been caught in compromising unethical and financial dealings that threaten their careers and the security of their companies.
2005-5-18
Ten Steps To Getting Unstuckby Mark SichelAre you angry at the world, others or yourself because you're not getting things done - or even started - because you're circling around and around, covering the same ground and never moving forward? Well, it's time to stop spinning your wheels and cursing the mud!
2005-4-28
INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS: CONSCIOUSLY SHIFTING FROM A STRESSED TO A BALANCED STATE OF MINDby Kate Ludeman, PhD, & Eddie Erlandson, MD All executives periodically experience frustrations, pressures and setbacks. While it can be difficult to not react to these, they're a normal part of your role. The only real question is how you handle stress and how you respond when challenges arise. Some people get sidetracked more easily than others. You can learn to identify your feelings of frustration and tension and take proactive actions to shift into a more positive state.
2005-4-28
Call the Next Generation “Independents?” The Herman Trend Report: The employment skills of the future will be more focused on creativity, communication, and collaboration. In his new book (highly recommended), “A Whole New Mind,” our colleague Daniel Pink says we are moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age.
2005-4-28
Central Americans Bring Case Against DR-CAFTA to Washington A group of farm leaders from Brazil, the United States, Europe and Africa recently met in Geneva to discuss the impact of depressed agricultural commodity prices on farmers worldwide. . . . Mitchell said the farm leaders presented a platform, known as the Call from Chapeco (a state in Brazil), that was agreed to by 47 farm organizations from Africa, Europe, North America, Central America, South America, and Asia in January 2005. . . . farm leaders highlighted the problems of unmanaged commodity production, and the extraordinary concentration of market power in a handful of transnational food processing and marketing companies that now dominate worldwide.
2005-4-28
Competing Successfully in a Global Marketplaceby Robert W. Lane, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Deere & Company. Three aspects of globalization — first, the working premise that global markets are inevitable ....second, how John Deere is crossing global cultures to build high performance teamwork... and finally, some personal thoughts as to how you as students might better prepare yourselves for working in a global business environment.
Are You Stressed Out?by Dale Collie. Good managers recognize that negative stress affects productivity and take action to prevent situations that affect the bottom line. Good managers (at all levels) can control stress to make a better workplace and boost the bottom line.
2005-3-28
Dare To Believeby Steve Goodier. It occurs to me that some people will swallow anything! Maybe not literally, but it seems that some people are ready to believe in any new "get-rich" scheme; to follow any new fad; to swallow any fantastic story!
2005-3-28
Don't Strive For Efficiency At The Expense Of EffectivenessByWendy Hearn Being effective means producing powerful effects. Being efficient means producing results with little wasted effort. It's the ability to carry out actions quickly. However, by so doing, you may not necessarily be achieving effectiveness.
2005-3-28
Secret of Effective Leadership in 21st CenturyBy Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia. Subject matter experts who learned management in the latter half of the last century will find themselves competing with a new kind of worker, a new kind of leader. People with a liberal arts education are now in demand because of the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of their post-secondary education.
2005-3-28
The Most Visible Issue: Corporate Games for a Rainy DayBy Edward B. ToupinIt sometimes seems that management will try to take the easiest road out of certain situations when it comes to employee conflict. Instead of completely resolving all of the problems, they will try to resolve the most obvious issue as quickly and simply as possible. This approach to internal conflict resolution is The Most Visible Issue game.
2005-3-28
The Power of Simplicity in Holistic Livingby Prem Nirmal. Holistic living is all about being human! More and more human!! . . To begin with, create wholeness in the grosser trio of Body-Mind-Emotions. Once these grosser dimensions are brought in a state of balance, then we can actualize the more subtle dimensions.
2005-3-28
Expensive Workplace StressbyDale Collie Workplace stress can cut productivity and cost your company thousands of dollars annually. Discover the top ten workplace stressors.
2005-3-28
Anam Cara - Soul FriendBy Miami Phillips What is important is that I live my life according to my soul calling and not my intellect, ego or outside influences. You know what? It is a lot easier to live that way as well!
byDale Collie Control of workplace stress is a leadership responsibility. Good leaders who recognize the symptoms of stress can control situations to create more desirable workplaces and to improve both productivity and the bottom line.
2005-3-1
In Search of True NonviolenceBy Chris Haw. A teacher reflects on his faith, his participation in civil disobedience, and his time in jail as well as their impact on his 7th-grade students.
By Steve Goodier It's been provocatively said, "Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." The problem is...they know they would like to accomplish something important with their lives or they would like to make a certain income or they would like to be happy. But when it comes to making the journey toward those destinations, they feel stuck. In short, they are lost....Answer these four questions and you will be clear on the direction you want to take your life. Commit to these answers and you'll make great time.
2005-3-1
Our Misperceptions About OurselvesBy Susan Dunn We see ourselves a certain way, and we also think a certain way. When we're working with others, managing, parenting or coaching others, it's important to understand how the other person sees himself of herself....We need a little of the Super Hero in ourselves to get by. It feeds our dreams, gives us courage and energy, helps us achieve and reach our potential. What we need to do is be mindful about this, and also mindful about this in others, and how it may or may not be distorting the picture.
2005-3-1
Seven Simple Exercises to Invite the Extraordinary LifeBy Guy Finley The meaning of Extraordinary I wish to convey points to the immutable and inexhaustible source that is the secret center of each of us: a timeless resource open and available to anyone who would seek this Life that sits behind life as we know it. Will we spend our lives in mere dreams of winning a limitless life, or will we do the inner-work of awakening from this dream?
2005-3-1
A quality consultant connects prayer with job securityBy Travis Thomasas seen on www.spirituality.comIn the middle of this stressful time, Jerry’s prayerful intuition helped him to turn away from his fears and instead turn to God. He recalls, “I knew that spiritualizing my thought would lead to a balanced and loving approach to this overwhelming problem.” So, once Jerry quit asking questions about why this was happening to him, he decided to turn to a source of inspiration that had been there for him in the past.
2005-3-1
A corporate trainer doesn't let unemployment get her down By By Beth Carey, as seen on www.spirituality.com When Dara lost her job with the large corporation where she’d earned the best salary in her career, the family income was suddenly cut in half. She’s been doing a lot of soul-searching in the many months since her layoff. Now the question friends constantly ask her is, “How do you keep such an upbeat attitude in the face of such loss?”
2005-3-1
OFF-SHORING JOBSBy Nancy R. Smith what is right -- spiritually, ethically, economically, and politically? Is a concern about the impact on the American worker comparable to protectionism? Or is there much of an impact on the U.S. worker? What does all this say about global Workplace Spirituality?
2005-2-17
Sorting Out What's Next Takes Patience and a Career Planby: Bradford Agry, CareerTeam Partners For many, a career interruption may be the first time they can stop the career “train” long enough to know if it is still on the right “track”. For many the challenge has the important spiritual dimension of “waiting and listening for God”.
2005-2-17
Training vs. Off-ShoringThe Herman Trend Alert Employers are evaluating where jobs should be performed most efficiently and cost- effectively. As this evaluation proceeds, we will see even more transnational job movement. Not just a matter of economics, the new location must have a trained workforce, or the capacity to cost-effectively train enough people.
Recovering from the Loss of a Business: Recovery, Reversal, and Coping StrategiesSince losing a business is considered a "major life stressor", along with divorce and the death of a loved one, a business owner that loses a business can be just as emotionally devastated. With this in mind, it is appropriate for the business owner to take into account the five stages of grief that do occur in a major life event or "stressor".
2005-1-26
Avoidance of Confrontation People who see things that are wrong are hesitant to point them out. They fear the repercussions of whistle-blowing, so they simply say -- and do ---nothing. When they become too uncomfortable with ethics violations, quality deficiencies, or sick cultures, they leave their organizations rather than raise issues or take corrective action....The danger of this avoidance trend is the power gained by people and organizations that engage in harmful practices.
2005-1-26
U.S. Falls to 27th in Latest Report Card on World Social Progress; Chronic Poverty to Blame Nov 11, 2004. Using data provided primarily by national governments to the United Nations and the World Bank, the Report Card on World Social Progress measures the ability of nations to meet the needs of their residents for health, education, human rights, political participation, population growth, improved women’s status, cultural diversity and freedom from “social chaos.”
The Shoemaker and the Brat Choose your battles wisely and always deliver them with respect....Our responses to a difficult situation show our true character. Acceptance, forgiveness and understanding are key elements to a healthy outlook on life
2004-11-15
Worker HappinessWorker confidence in the economy and their personal situations will stimulate employees to become bolder. They will demand more from their employers in compensation, benefits, flexible working arrangements, opportunities for growth, and better management. If their expectations are not met, they will leave their current employers in search of other opportunities.
2004-11-15
How To Be a Strong and Powerful LeaderThe way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, way of being, and understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can engage them at the emotional level, so they become invested in the project and provide some of their own motivation. Today's work place is all about relationships.
2004-11-15
The Great Mismatch Society is pushing many students into higher education programs that are not appropriate for them. Often students can not handle the academic workload or they become disenchanted with career opportunities that will be available once the desired degree is earned.
Learn the true purpose of meditation, what to do about distractions, and how to make changes in your life.
2004-11-1
Success on Your Own TermsWe keep hearing that time is money. Time is far more than money. "It's more valuable than platinum and more perishable than a sunset," is the flowery way a former professor of mine used to put it. But the money we spend is—in a very real sense—time. And that money, as Emerson noted, is often far too expensive.
Comp Time Fulton Sheen once said, "Baloney is flattery laid on so thick it cannot be true, and blarney is flattery so thin we love it." There is a wide gap, however, between blarney and a sincere compliment.
2004-9-22
The Language of Intuition Ordinary, everyday intuition usually doesn't set off fireworks or make the 6 o'clock news. Everyday intuition often takes the form of a seemingly fleeting inner comment.... We often dismiss these comments for two reasons: Intuition doesn't necessarily inform us in advance why it's important to do or say something, and soon after we hear an intuitive comment, our inner critic jumps in to say, "Now there's a stupid idea."
2004-9-17
The Human who is not a resourceManaged as resources people do what resources do: they become depleted or absent – they burn out or move to another company (unlike other resources, humans do have a will of their own). Managed as assets they flourish, growing in value for themselves and from there – engaged in heart and soul – add value to the companies (and all other communities) they are part of.
2004-9-4
Five Corporate Sustainability Challenges that Remain UnmetThere is no doubt that business is doing far more than ever before to tackle the sustainability challenge: to recognise its social responsibilities, to reduce its environmental impacts, to guard against ethical compromises, to make its governance more transparent, and to be more accountable to its stakeholders....but all of this activity has failed to turn the tide on some of the most crucial dimensions of sustainable development: ecological decline, poverty, greed, trust, and hope.
2004-9-4
Domestic Job Growth With the political campaigns heating up, expect to hear more noise about jobs going to other countries. Even with all the movement, only a small percentage of jobs have gone overseas. Here are some occupations that will remain at home.
2004-8-23
The Hasidic Masters' Guide to ManagementThe Hasidic Masters valued sincerity and devotion and provided inspiration and guidance to their adherents. Today's managers, seeking to provide inspirational leadership, clear direction, business vision, and organizational guidance to their teams, have much to learn from these wise leaders.
2004-8-23
Understanding the Language of Personality What we say and hear is filtered through our personality, which is what we use to interpret everything from the meaning of life to why our boss eats tuna salad for lunch every day. Learn how personality filters shape our views and responses to situations. The Enneagram (“any-a-gram”) describes, with astonishing accuracy, nine such filters.
2004-8-05
Any Job Is An Honorable JobSeeing your job as an honorable job, adds more meaning and peace to your life. Also, seeing the honor in what you do now, creates an ideal foundation upon which a career change can be built.
2004-7-20
This is the Fight of Our Lives by Bill Moyers, Keynote speech, Inequality Matters Forum, New York University, June 3, 2004. The corporate conservatives and their allies in the political and religious right are achieving a vast transformation of American life that only they understand because they are its advocates, its architects, and its beneficiaries.
2004-5-1
Selling Hope in Hard Coverby William Greider. To understand the degraded conditions of work in America, one must recognize that the employment system is fundamentally organized on a “master-servant relationship,” the power relationship inherited from feudalism when the lord of the manor ruled the lives of any serfs on his property. Now the lord is called a CEO, but the domination of people is not that different in workplaces.
Spirituality, Creativity and Business“How can we bring business into an expanded sense of our spirituality?” Business is a learning ground for deepening our spiritual awareness.
2004-4-3
Responsible Leadership: Base Your Leadership on Spiritual RootsAny company that successfully integrates performance and responsibility will thrive. When leadership is firmly grounded in spiritual principles, business skills are applied with excellence, and people strive to apply high values to its products, its communications, and internal management practices – then the brands of that company take on an allure to anyone interested in high integrity.
Naming the Elephant When we understand the importance of interdependence-the need to work together across colors and cultures to create change-only then can we begin to own race relations as a collective issue. And only then can we begin to take the first baby-like steps toward interdependence and a better future for our children.
2004-3-10
A Few QuestionsThese questions come from my experiences and from my own philosophy of life, as I believe that mystic experiences should lead the one who experiences them into a full and meaningful life.
Career Search – Quest or CurseIf you’re in the midst of a career search, undecided about the next direction for your work life, you may be struggling to keep your self-esteem strong at the same time that you’re trying to answer the all-important question about what you want to do.
2004-1-22
What's Stopping You? Find out through Haiku To gain and keep your competitive edge, Haiku! Don’t brush away or asphyxiate on the word Japanese poetry. It’s a great way to get organizational movement and momentum.
2004-1-22
The DisposablesOver the past few years, as employers have struggled to control costs, they've reduced overhead by removing from the payroll people who might be described as "disposables." They have discarded people in a similar fashion to the way we throw away soft drink containers or food wrappers.
2004-1-22
Do You Need Someone to Tell You Why You Want to Be Rich? Well, we know this. 25 years ago there were three taboo subjects at any civilized dinner gathering:sex, religion and money. Now I think there is only one: money. "Anyone who tells you what they make," says my young friend Matthew, "is lying." And anyone who wants it, must rationalize it . "[so] that you may love others and do kind things."
2003-7-5
Ending Up Where You Ought To Be It is common not to know if, or to what, we are called.... Your life can be rich and satisfying when you follow your calling. Are you listening?
2003-6-27
Prayer That Makes a Difference Everyone can pray—and almost everyone admits they do. I’ve come to appreciate that through prayer, everyone on earth can help troubled spots or courageous workers. Through prayer, our hearts can reach where our embraces or voices cannot. But what kind of prayer is effective?
2003-5-22
Employers Will Be NiceA recent survey by monster.com revealed that 73 percent of applicants never heard back from employers after submitting their resumes. Anger, irritation, and resentment grew as these wonderful workers were snubbed and insulted....
2003-5-22
Multiculturalism: Learning to Understand Other Cultures Multiculturism demands that we use our empathy and intuition (emotional intelligence competencies) to understand the other point of view, that we seek the common ground, and also that we understand there are many cultures within any given culture.
"Cubicle, Sweet Cubicle" An increasing chorus of complaints by employees indicates increased friction between workers, a lack of privacy, and an inability to concentrate due to disturbances by others’ conversations. I wasn’t alone in my grumbling.
2003-4-22
Change Your Boss By Changing What You Think My boss had a reputation for being a bully, but in the two years I had been consulting with him, he treated me with respect. Then one day, out of nowhere, he yelled at me in a meeting....I had gone from two years of being treated like a superstar to being publicly humiliated—for no apparent reason.
2003-4-22
Spiritual Management Technique Leads to Stronger Sales Although there was no immediate turnaround in sales goals, there was a growing sense of harmony and respect. But then, after two months or so, sales began improving. Slowly more team members began to make their goals. What a joy it was when the whole team met their quota!
2003-4-22
Who Do You Think You Are?A humorist said, "I go to this doctor and pay him 75 dollars an hour, and all he does is ask me the same question my father used to ask me all the time: 'Who do you think you are, anyway?'" Not a bad question, actually.
2003-3-27
Leading with Spirit: Today’s Spiritual CEO’s Now more than ever, there is clearly a need to balance the “business” of leadership with the “spirituality” of leadership. While many speak in terms of “ethical”, “moral” or “principled” leadership, what is really meant is a spiritual leadership that goes beyond some minimum ethical standards of the day.
2003-3-26
You're Gifted for Something Some of our skills are apparent. Some are hidden. Some can be improved with work. Some have yet to be developed. But all of us can contribute, and usually in more ways than we realize....
2003-3-1
Divine Employment When world events or economics threaten your job, the prospect that the deck is stacked against you looms large. But what if there's a larger law in action?
2003-2-24
Pagans In The Workplace The most commonly practiced types of Paganism are Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, or simply Paganism or Neo-Paganism, just as a Christian can be Catholic, Presbyterian, or simply Christian. All of these are somewhat different from each other. This article explains paganism for manager and human resource personnel.
2003-02-13
Peace Through Prayer This commentary was written for children 4th grade and up and from a Buddhist point of view. However, I hope that whatever your belief, or age, these words will inspire you to keep thoughts of peace on your mind.
2003-02-05
Take Care of Your Future In 1987 the the World Future Society met in Cambridge, Massachusetts and made some predictions about the 21st century, including the re-spiritualization of society (reversing the secularization trend of recent centuries), tying knowledge to vision and direction.
2003-01-03
Job Hunting? First, Hang Some Pictures! I was unemployed and not getting anywhere with my job search. So I did what any person would do under the circumstances—I decided to hang pictures!
2003-01-03
Workers Ready To Jump Millions of workers are unhappy with their present employment....They are ready to move to a new opportunity as soon as someone makes them an offer.
2003-01-03
The Golden Rule of Selling In my brief career as a shoe salesman, I learned three important lessons: 1. The best salespeople were artists who danced with their customers—always anticipating their next move. 2. I was never going to be a great shoe salesman. 3. The Golden Rule works—even in a sales situation.
2002-12-15
Roadblocks, Barricades and Detours When I want to accomplish something in my life, waiting (for one reason or another) can be a roadblock. There are many times when I hold back, often because I am afraid, somehow. It usually does come down to fear in some way, because love would not let me hold me back.
2002-12
Dashing Through the Snow With all our rushing about, what happened to the season to be jolly? 'Tis the season to be uptight. The season to be hurried. And for too many, the season to be worried. Here are some steps to follow if your find yourself dashing through the snow and in need of inner peace...
Questions People Ask about Spirituality and the Workplace Part 1 and Part 2More excerpts from The Living Organization -- Spirituality in the Workplace by Dr. William Guillory.
2002-11-27
The Introspective Job HunterIntrospection is a good thing, if not overdone.... Like a lot of people, you may have years of experience and look great on paper, but when it comes down to breaking out your skills and knowledge into tiny little categories, well, there just isn't much there. Couple that with a few months of little to no return on your resume distribution efforts and even the most confident of senior managers will start doubting his/her worth.
2002-11-27
Mercenary DarwinismHuge signing bonuses have become an easy way out for employers who don't have the courage or the leadership to change their business practices. The bonuses give the illusion that recruiting and retention are getting easier. The problem is that every time someone "wins" a new recruit, someone else loses.
2002-11-24
9 Ways To Develop Confidence In New Situations Very few people are at ease striking up a conversation in a room full of strangers. Here are some simple ways to make network meetings more productive and more fun.
A Spiritual PortfolioNet worth is " not just an item at the bottom of your personal balance sheet. It's what you are as an individual, and what you are reflecting of the kingdom of God."
2002-11-24
No More Retirement Retirement, as we know it today, is disappearing.... Instead, people will continue to work, at least part-time, for many more years. Relatively few people will enjoy full retirement, but many will find new ways to enjoy partial retirement---a different kind of slowing down.
2002-11-04
In Search of the Holy Dark by Phil Nero. Looking at Science and Technology in the light of the Holy Dark
2002-11-04
Three ways to make time for the Holy Dark by Fr. John Staudenmaier, SJ. Rebuilding a piece of the Holy Dark in your life can be enjoyable and enlightening. Here are three suggestions from Fr. John Staudenmaier, SJ for getting started.
2002-11-04
Commercializing God Pulpit decorations by Publishers Clearinghouse. Today's sermon is brought to you by Al's Body Shop-"no matter how bad you're wrecked, we'll make you whole again."...We admit this does seem somewhat ridiculous. Or does it?
2002-10-09
Into the Wilderness Whatever huge decision looms before you, your best solution will likely be made from the side of courage, rather than fear; for in the end, a fearful decision is a dangerous decision.
2002-09-26
Guarding Human Dignity The story of a dentist whom God has called to serve patients whose dignity has been stripped by dental disease and emotional trauma. One in a series of "How I Did It" articles.
2002-09-19
RELAX Taking a few minutes each day to quiet your mind and breathe deeply can make a big difference in how you feel throughout your day and into the night.
2002-09-09
Welcome to the era of need-creation! How many of the things you purchase everyday do you really need?....Of course it may depend on how you perceive the word “need.” ....a necessity to stay alive according to the basic standards of the society you live in, ...[or] everything that will help you establish a certain image of yourself.
