Introduction
In some workplaces, you walk in and you can feel that something special is going on here. This happened to me the first time I visited the Honeywell Chandler Circuit Board Plant in Chandler, AZ. The employees were just coming out of an all-employee meeting and I could literally feel joyful, excited energy spill down the hallways as they went back to their work areas. This plant was an extraordinarily high-producing plant and it was a fantastic place to work. There was something sacred going on there. You could almost touch it.
This
chapter is looks at several ways of creating sacred space at work.
By sacred space, I do not necessarily mean a solemn, church-like
environment, but rather an environment full of life-giving energy, passion,
delight, and awe. I’m talking
about the kind of environment that nurtures people who see work as a spiritual
path.
In
this chapter we will examine six approaches to creating sacred space at work:
(1) Working with the
physical space, (2) Energy work, (3) Silence, (4) Beauty and aesthetics, (5)
Workplace rituals, and (6) Computers and the Internet.
Working with
the Physical Space
This section will describe the ways that people create “workplace altars” and provide a few examples of corporate meditation rooms.
Take
a look around your work area. Have
you done anything consciously to create sacred space where you work? Actually, almost everyone has.
Pat Sullivan visionpat@aol.com began noticing that people she worked with
kept sacred items such as the Bible or the Koran in their desk drawers, and
that others put inspirational poems or prayers somewhere where they could read
them everyday. She began to refer
to this phenomenon as “workplace altars.”
This was the beginning of her Workplace Altars Project where she
photographed the sacred space that people create at work and interviewed
people about their workspace.
Typically
people put pictures of loved ones somewhere in their work area, whether this
is on their desk, in their locker, or in the company truck that they drive.
When interviewed, people said that the pictures of their loved ones
help them to remember why they work, and the reminders really helped on a
rough day. The photos also remind
them not to get too caught up in work and to have some balance between work
life and family life.
People
also put objects from nature in their work area, whether it is a photo of a
place that is soothing or inspiration, or an actual rock or shell that came
from a special place. A woman executive at Rockport Shoes http://www.rockport.com
believes in the cleansing power of crystals, and has them all over her office.
In an executive retreat she told other company leaders about how she
has intentionally used the crystals to create sacred space so that employees
will feel comfortable coming into her office.
The Vice-President of International Marketing told her that her display
of the crystals let him know that she was interested in spirituality and it
helped him to be able to broach the subject with her and to find inspiration
from her.
Pat
Sullivan cautions that people should be careful about putting explicitly
religious items out in their work area because it may make others
uncomfortable and may even be considered a violation of EEO laws. Read her
article titled “Workplace thinking has been altar-ed” for more information
about these ideas. http://www.examiner.com/careersearch/1128sullivan.html
When
you walk into the corporate headquarters of Rodale Press, the first thing you
notice is the open space, the curved hallways, the sunlight, and the beautiful
artwork and sculptures. If you
were to walk to the center of the building, you would find a circular room
known as the Kiva Room. A kiva http://sipapu.gsu.edu/html/kiva.html
is a sacred structure in the Native American tradition that is designed to be
the meeting place between Heaven and Earth.
The Kiva Room at Rodale Press is a quiet space that employees can come
to pray, meditate, think, or even sleep.
There are no religious symbols in the room, but there has been a very
conscious effort to create the space in such a way that it is nurturing to the
human spirit.
Avea
Brown Boveri http://www.abb.com
discovered several years ago that several of their customers were practicing
Muslims. In the Muslim tradition,
people pray five times a day. It
was difficult for the ABB customers to find a private place to do their
prayers, so ABB created a meditation room that could be used by customers and
employees alike.
It
is not unusual to find a chapel in a hospital setting, but it is becoming more
popular for organizations to create special places for people to pray or
meditate. Wayne Alderson writes
in his book Stronger Than Steel http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0060675039/possibilitiesunlA/002-5338098-7386635
about a prayer room that he created when he was the CEO of a steel company.
Labyrinths
are a trend that we are starting to see in some organizations.
A labyrinth http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/index.shtml
is a circular path that can be used as a walking meditation and can help the
walker to solve a thorny problem, to seek a creative answer, or to find the
underlying reason for a conflict so that it can be healed.
Labyrinths can be found in just about every culture of the world.
As a person walks the path towards the center of the labyrinth, he or
she can ask a question that needs a spiritual or inspirational answer.
When the person gets to the center, it is suggested that they take some
time there to just be with the question and to listen deeply to see if an
answer comes or if some kind of inspiration arises. Then the person walks back out of the labyrinth the way they
came, carrying the gift of inspiration with them back to his or her workplace.
To walk an online labyrinth, go to http://stonecircledesign.com/menu_frameset.html.
Employee
retention, being the “Employer of Choice,” and the need for nourishing
creativity and inspiration in employees have all been driving forces for
companies to take a look at their physical environment and how it might be
more attractive to employees, customers, and other stakeholders.
If the physical environment is designed with a sense of spiritual
consciousness, people can feel it.
Energy work
This section describes the Native American practice of smudging and the Chinese practice of Feng Shui and explores how they may be used in the workplace.
According
to new physics, everything in the Universe is basically energy, and the
material things we see and feel are really an illusion.
Even our physical bodies are an illusion because our true nature is
that of pure Spirit. Many
spiritual traditions believe that we are here to be co-creators with God. We create out of energy, out of what Deepak Chopra info@chopra.com
calls the “realm of pure potentiality.”
As we develop our spiritual potential, we become more attuned to
energies, and our intuition and other subtle senses become stronger.
At first people tend to notice energies in the workplace and become
aware of their reaction to positive and negative energy.
Often people can use these reactions to guide them in decision making
and in relationships.
As
people on the spiritual path continue to refine their spiritual practices,
they sometimes learn that they can consciously work with the energy in a
workplace and learn how to shift it. After
reading a book on Space Clearing http://www.karenkingston.com by Karen Kingston info@spaceclearing.com
I learned that I could sometimes shift the energy in a meeting room by
visualizing myself clearing out darker or negative energy fields in the room.
Picture
in your mind’s eye a meeting where no one is listening to anyone else,
people are interrupting each other, the group has strayed from the topic, and
people are either bored or frustrated. If
you find yourself in this situation, try closing your eyes slightly, and
saying a prayer for the group to find its way.
I often ask that I be used as a channel for the group’s higher
wisdom. Next, use your imagination or visualization abilities to see
or feel the darker or heavier areas of the room.
You can shine light in those areas, or imagine brushing away the
darkness, or using whatever visualization that comes to you to clear the space
and invite a more positive energy in to help the group.
Depending on your spiritual or religious tradition, you may wish to ask
for help and support from other spiritual beings.
This practice can be done in offices, at sales counters, or in the
company vehicle.
A
more explicit way to clear away negative energy and to purify a space is the
practice of smudging. http://www.allheal.com/joyfire/refl/smudge_T.html
Smudging is the act of burning certain herbs or plant material with the
idea that the smoke is cleansing. In
the United States we most commonly associate this with ancient Native American
traditions, but in fact it is a spiritual practice that is used all over the
world. I remember my surprise the first time I walked up to a
Buddhist Temple in Japan with my Japanese host and she stood in front of a
large pot emitting smoke and used her hands to pull the smoke around her, just
as the Native Americans do.
A
few years ago I was teaching a class for the Mashuntucket Pequots http://www.mashantucket.com
on Tribal Management, and one student got very angry with me because he felt
that I was disrespectful to members of the class. At the time he didn’t know that I was part Native American
and he was a fairly angry young man who saw most non-tribal members as “the
enemy.” The next day before
class I decided to smudge the room, since this particular classroom was only
for tribal class member use and no one else would be coming into it.
Native Americans typically burn sage or a combination of sage and sweet
grass, and if you have never smelled it, it has a scent quite similar to that
of marijuana. When the students
entered the classroom that morning one of them said, “Oh man, who’s been
smoking reefer?” I was
surprised to learn that these students had never been exposed to their own
tradition of smudging, and so we began to explore some of their own spiritual
practices and how they might be used in Council Meetings or in other business
settings.
Another
time, when I was running a monthly Spirit at Work discussion group at the
University of New Haven, our group decided to try a Medicine Wheel exercise
during our lunch hour discussion. In
order to create sacred space for this experience, I smudged the room that we
would be in. However, before I
did that, I let several people in the building know what I would be doing, and
asked if the smell of smoke would bother anyone.
I warned them that it would smell like marijuana, but that it was in
fact sage. I also called security
and let them know what I was doing, just in case someone I hadn’t spoken to
called them.
For
most corporate workplaces, smudging is probably not a practical process.
However, increasing numbers of people are working in home offices http://www.freeagent.com
and it is not difficult to create sacred space in your own space.
Feng
Shui (pronounced “fung schway”) is the ancient Chinese art of placement. It is based on the concept of being in harmony with energy
and nature. Kirsten Lagatree klagatree@aol.com
defines Feng Shui in her book titled Feng Shui:
Arranging your home to change your life http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679765433/qid=957232284/sr=1-2/002-5338098-7386635
as working with basic elements of “color, furniture, artwork, plants, room
shape, and location – to create a balanced environment in any building,
home, or office.” (1996, xviii) She
also has a book titled Feng Shui at Work : Arranging Your Work Space to
Achieve Peak Performance and Maximum Profit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/037575010X/qid=957232284/sr=1-3/002-5338098-7386635
. Another popular author on
Feng Shui is Lillian Too fengshui@lillian-too.com.
See her website http://www.lillian-too.com/fsabout.html
for an interesting history of Feng Shui.
She also offers several Feng Shui tips http://www.lillian-too.com/tips.html
on her site.
The
literal meaning of the words “Feng Shui” are “wind and water” which is
symbolic for natural energy. Lagatree
states,“Years ago, the Chinese were ruled by
nature in their everyday lives...much of this Chinese craft is drawn
from basic rules for thriving in sometimes hostile environments.
For modern practitioners, Feng Shui provides a means of controlling and
balancing one’s surroundings in a way that brings happiness, prosperity and
health.” (1996, xviii)
A
major principle of Feng Shui is working with “chi” or positive life-force
energy. This is also known as “ki”
in Japanese traditions, and “prana” in the Hindu tradition. Placement of furniture, plants, colors and so on are designed
to achieve the maximum flow of chi in a room, office, or building.
Even without studying the complicated principles of Feng Shui, most
people can intuitively sense if a room has a good flow of energy and can get
ideas about how to move things around to improve that flow.
In
Feng Shui for your office, the most important practice is that of desk
placement. Generally speaking,
your desk should be in a “commanding” position.
This means that you should be facing the door when sitting at your desk
so that you can see if someone is entering your space.
You should also be sitting far enough inside the office to see the
whole room from your desk. The
theory is that if you sit with your back to the door, you will not be
sufficiently alert to your surroundings and may be surprised by people
entering your office, as well as by the things they have to say.
If
it is not possible to arrange your desk so that you face the door, Feng Shui
practitioners suggest that you hang a small mirror over your desk so that you
can see the door reflected in it.
Another
suggestion for Feng Shui in the workplace is to pay attention to where you sit
in meetings. The most powerful
position is to take a chair that faces the door.
At the same time, you want to avoid sitting in a position where your
back is against a window. It can
weaken your chi. According to
Lagatree, a solid wall behind you will provide more backing for your ideas and
lend authority to your presence.
Plants
and flowers also contribute to the good Feng Shui of any office or study.
They promote a harmonious working environment.
Be careful not to have vases full of dried plants or flowers.
Dead and dried things drain chi.
If
you are contemplating setting up or moving your home office, Feng Shui experts
suggest that you choose a location that is facing south because this direction
governs fame, fortune, and sincerity, and will help ensure your good
reputation and success. However,
if the room is used as a study for you or for a school-aged child, the best
results will come from a northeastern orientation because that direction
controls knowledge and scholarly success.
The
final issue we will cover here in this section is that of clutter.
Clutter drains energy of chi. Each
of the items of clutter calls out to you saying, “Look at me!
Take action on this! You
are behind on your bills! You’ve
missed this deadline!” It is
very difficult to concentrate in this kind of environment. It is worth taking
the extra time to get organized and to create clear space in your working
area. You will find that you are
much clearer and more focused in your thinking, and you will be much more
productive.
Feng
Shui is based on an Eastern culture perspective to energy, and the details of
it are often based on superstition and ancient customs that may not have much
relevance to western life. However,
many people seem to be getting powerful results from having a Feng Shui
practitioner guide them in their homes and offices.
Coca-Cola was reported by the Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com
as bringing in a Feng Shui consultant after some Asian bottlers suggested it.
Mari
Ishihara DynaMariChan@aol.com,
a former student of mine, was an international currency trader on Wall Street,
but recently left that job to go into full-time Feng Shui and real estate
consulting. She has done Feng
Shui on my house and office, and I have become a firm believer, although I
have learned to take her recommendations with a grain of salt. As I clean things and move things around to follow her
recommendations, I notice that I feel clearer and more energized.
If I place a certain color candle or flower in a recommended spot, it
becomes a reminder of something I want to draw into my life.
As I am becoming more familiar with the practice, I am seeing that a
lot of Feng Shui (if not all) is about raising our consciousness about the
subtle details of our lives. I
have become more sensitive to energy flow in my workspace and more attuned to
the symbols that I have placed there as reminders of what I want to co-create
with the Divine.
If
you decide to work with Feng Shui as a way of creating sacred space, I
recommend that you only take the suggestions that seem to create an enhanced
sense of peace, energy and harmony for you.
Mari recommended putting a lot of red in various places in my house.
Red is a very propitious color in China and Japan and it is supposed to
bring great blessings and abundance. I
hate red. The color grates on me.
I love blues and greens, and red just doesn’t go with what I’m
creating in my house. So we put
subtle touches of red in places that feel okay to me and they each serve the
purpose of reminding me of something I want to draw into my life.
But I needed to take the principle of “intention” and create other
ways of focusing my energy in a way that fits my sensibilities.
Trusting
your own tastes, values, and preferences is an excellent principle in any
spiritual practice that people recommend to you.
It has to fit who you are, and what you want to create in your life.
While Feng Shui stresses the importance of clear space and organization in the physical domain, silence is a way of clearing and uncluttering your emotional and mental domains. Spiritual energy is attracted to silence.
Rob Rabbin robrabbin@robrabbin.com, author of several books including Echoes of Silence http://www.robrabbin.com says in an article titled “Silence is Practical” http://spiritatwork.com/newsletr/oct982.htm#Silence is Practical that he wrote for the Spirit at Work newsletter; “Silence is practical. Intuition is practical. Both will show us how to live now, in the present, attending to the needs of the moment.”
How often do you use silence in your work to create sacred space? This can be done many ways. The most common is to begin a meeting with a moment of silence. This allows for time where people can center their energies and their attention and be more fully present with the work that has to be done. Asking for a moment of silence in a meeting when things get overheated, disorganized or conflictual, can also be very helpful. Also, using the Wisdom Council process described in Chapter 4 is a powerful way to use silence. See an editorial that I wrote for the Spirit at Work newsletter titled “Silence in Groups” http://spiritatwork.com/newsletr/oct982.htm#E D I T O R I A L for more suggestions and ideas on silence in meetings.
Silence can also be used in your individual work. In this sense I am talking about creating an Inner Silence, taking time to still the chatter of your mind. If you are trying to figure out where to put your energy next, take a moment to sit in silence and empty your mind. Do not try to rationalize or figure things out. Just sit quietly and notice your own energy. Ask the question, “Where should I focus my energy next?” and then wait. Almost always, you will get clear direction from your own energy about what you should do next. It is also a very good way to make decisions, when logical, linear thinking does not seem to help.
Silence is also very valuable in creative effort. I noticed when I was working on a book a couple of years ago that I would reach a point in my writing where I was really stuck and just didn’t know what to say next. I would sit in front of my computer, close my eyes, and pay attention to my breathing, just letting myself be. Rather than striving fo what I should say next, I concentrated on emptying my mind, on being in a space of nothingness. I would find it very relaxing, and very quickly, usually within a minute or two, new and creative ideas would arise. They usually felt like quite inspired ideas.
Silence creates the vessel for Spirit to come in and inspire us, guide us, and nourish us. I encourage you to look for new ways to create sacred space in your work through the use of silence each day.
There is a story living in us
That speaks of our place
In the world.
It is a story that invites us to
Love what we love
And simply be ourselves.
The story is not given to us,
It flows naturally from within;
To hear it we have only to be silent
For a moment
And turn our face to the wind.
Michael
Jones
Michael
Jones pianos@bconnex.net
has been a wonderful mentor and inspiration to many about the importance of
beauty and aesthetics in the workplace and in our lives.
Michael gives keynote speeches on the importance of the “gift economy”
in organizations. The gift economy is based on all the things that people do
for love. It is the favors they
do for one another, the joy they take in sharing their art or music, volunteer
work in the community, the extra hours someone puts in on a project just
because they care. He speaks of
aesthetics as a way of seeing the beauty in all things.
Aesthetics uses all the senses, including the spiritual practice of
deep listening for that which is not immediately obvious. It is paying attention to the themes, patterns and threads in
our lives and relationships.
This
section explores three ways that can increase the sense of beauty and
aesthetics in the workplace: (1)
through nature, (2) through art, music and the senses, and (3) through animals
and play.
In the interviews I conducted on spirituality in the workplace (mentioned in Chapter 2), one of the questions I asked was which spiritual practices helped people to feel more effective at work. The practice that was mentioned most often was that of “Spending time in nature.” I was quite surprised at that, as I had expected to find meditation, prayer, yoga, or some other religious based practice as being primary. It gave me tremendous insight into human nature and the importance of our relationship to the natural world.
We are a part of nature, yet in our industrial and technological societies we have removed ourselves further and further from the natural world. When you enter most places of business, there is very little to remind you of nature. Perhaps you’ll see a few fake plants with dust on them, or some paintings of a beautiful scene in nature, but mostly what assails your senses is metal, glass, and concrete. If there is any kind of beauty at all, it is a cold, sterile beauty.
It doesn’t have to be this way. What would it be like if business recognized the deep hunger that all people have for a connection with nature? What would our buildings, cubicles, factories, and offices look like? Angel Martinez, former CEO of Rockport Shoes http://www.rockport.com asked a similar question of his executives at their annual retreat. The company was planning on building a new corporate headquarters and Mr. Martinez asked his staff, “What kind of headquarters could we design that would support the “artist within?” His belief is that all people have an “artist within” and that the key to organizational effectiveness is tapping into that creativity and passion. The executives were asked to go out into nature for the afternoon to contemplate this question, and to bring back something from nature that would symbolize their vision of the new headquarters. I have not seen the results of this effort, but I would find it hard to believe that they created a traditional steel and concrete rectangular building after that exercise. It truly must be a place of beauty.
You may want to take a look around your workplace to see how many elements of nature you can find, and to explore opportunities to bring more in. Workplace altars are often one way that people incorporate small items from nature into their individual work area. Others bring live plants, small waterfalls, or even fish (very good for Feng Shui!) into their offices.
Art, Music and
the Senses
Johnson
and Johnson http://www.johnsonandjohnson.com/home.html
is a company that deeply understands aesthetics in creating sacred space.
Their corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ is an art gallery
comparable to that of many museums. They
even have a person whose full-time job is to take care of the vase J & J
art collection. The building is consciously designed to be village-like, with
circular, open areas that resemble village greens. Every area is filled with beautiful paintings and sculptures.
Employees can look through an art catalog of the J & J collection
and can have paintings or other artwork in their offices for an extended
period of time.
They
are also conscious of the importance of nature, and the buildings are filled
with live plants, rock gardens, waterfalls, and an abundance of natural light.
The founders of the company had strong values regarding art, and this
has become a part of the company culture.
But
you don’t have to have the budget of Johnson and Johnson to be able to bring
art into your workplace. Posters
are an inexpensive way to display art that you find inspiring, relaxing, or
nourishing. I have even tucked
postcards of a beautiful scene in nature into small corners of my office or
put them on a bulletin board. Art
can also be a beautiful glass paperweight or some other small object that has
meaning and beauty for you. You
might even consider searching the web for art to use as your desktop or screen
saver on your computer.
Music
is another way to create a feeling of sacred space.
I visited Barry Heerman in his Del Mar, California office and one of
the first things I noticed was the quiet New Age music playing in the
background. Some of my favorite
music is anything by Windham Hill artists http://www.windham.com or by Michael Jones pianos@bconnex.net
who is the author of the poem that precedes this section and the author of a
book titled Creating an Imaginative Life http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573240117/qid=957289401/sr=1-1/002-5338098-7386635
. Michael’s music http://www.pianoscapes.com/main.html
comes from the heart of a truly great artist and spirit.
There is a transformative magic in everything he does, including his
work with organizations, because of his understanding in how to create sacred
space through music.
Music
can be used to open and close events. I
created a CD http://spiritatwork.com/cnetwork/audio.htm
of my original music that people use at the beginning or end of their
workshops in corporate and educational settings.
The liner notes of the CD give suggestions on how to use several of the
songs in this way. Michael Jones
and I do workshops and concerts at international conferences and consciously
use our music to create sacred space at the conferences.
I
used to facilitate a monthly Spirit at Work discussion group at the University
of New Haven, and one session was focused on music.
We each brought in a CD or tape of some piece of music that touched us
spiritually. We listened to each
piece of music and then the person who brought it explained what it meant to
him or her. At the end of the
meeting, several people said that they never realized how much music affects
them and they made a commitment to have music in their offices.
Deborah
Cox, a manager at Pitney Bowes, had an interesting experience with music.
She says:
The project that we're working on is very stressful for everyone. We're at a very critical stage and it is affecting each person in different ways. One late afternoon, the noise level and the activity in the area was similar to a playground of rowdy children -- not at all conducive to concentration. I quickly put on a lovely CD, called Yearnings, and it had a magical effect. It immediately calmed down the group of people in the area like lullaby's and gentle rocking calms a baby. It was amazing. (Personal communication, 9/1/00)
You may not be able to play music in your office or workplace because of cultural norms (although you may want to challenge the norms!). However, you can play inspirational music in your car as you travel to and from your workplace, using this practice as a conscious way to make gentle transitions between two important parts of your life.
One
last way to appeal to the senses in the workplace is through our sense of
smell. Aromatherapy is achieving
growing popularity as we learn the impact of pleasant scents on the brain and
our moods. Incense, candles,
flower essences, fresh flowers, and even fresh fruit all create pleasant
aromas that can enhance a feeling of sacred space at work.
However, it is important to be aware that some people are allergic to
scents and may be very uncomfortable with incense or candles in the workplace.
Aromatherapy is probably most appropriate for the home office, but most
workplaces can benefit greatly from the addition of fresh, lightly scented
flowers.
Animals and the
Playful Environment
One
of the greatest benefits I experience from working at home is the company of
my two yorkies, Josh and Yoda. Josh
is always on my lap as I work on the computer, and Yoda, the guardian, paces
the halls and rooms to keep home and hearth safe.
In the summer I bring them with me into the office if I am working at
the University, and it is amazing to see how people light up at these
unexpected visitors.
Animals
are another reminder of our own connection to nature, and they can be a
delightful life force for a home office, a retail outlet, or even a corporate
office. Leslie Yerkes fun@catalystconsulting.net,
co-author of 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576750191/qid%3D957290362/002-5338098-7386635
told me that she recently visited a consulting client where all the employees
are encouraged to bring their dogs to work.
She said that it was one of the most creative and joyful workplaces she
has ever visited. Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com
frequently highlights companies that allow people to bring pets to work.
They portray these companies as young, hip, fast-moving, and full of
high-talent.
Animals
can add to the environment of fun at work.
If sacred space is defined as space that is fully alive, nurturing to
the human spirit, and supportive of authenticity and trust, then an
environment that encourages fun at work can be sacred space.
Silicon Valley is known for creating zany and fun work environments
that encourage creativity and passion. Fun
environments also serve as a recruiting tool in industries that have very high
turnover and a hunger for bright committed talent. In Leslie Yerkes’ book several organizations are profiled
for their spirited organizational cultures.
“Sun Microsystems reports on April Fool’s Day pranks in
their corporate overview, which appears on their World Wide Website; Berkeley
Systems promotes the use of a three and one-half turn slide that connects the
second floor to the company kitchen. According
to Mark Leibovich in his article ‘All work and some play’ in the August 4,
1996, San Jose Mercury News, Silly
Putty seems to have several applications in Silicon Valley companies.
Jim Gellman, a Netscape engineer, gives prospective job candidates a
hunk of Silly Putty when they come to his office just to see how they react.
He has been known to take an imprint of an application on a Silly Putty
pancake.” (p. 33)
The book 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work includes a “12 –Step
Method to Fun.” You can access
information on the 12 steps on Leslie Yerkes’ website http://catalystconsulting.net/fun_main.shtml.
“To summon spirit and care for the soul, we must relearn ancient lessons. There is truth beyond rationality. The bottom line is not the ultimate criterion. There is another dimension. Almost every organization touches this realm from time to time – in retirement parties, holiday gatherings, award banquets, or other special occasions. Too often, such events are last-minute afterthoughts, hastily planned, and half-heartedly attended. People see them as they are: mechanical and spiritless, pale reflections of what they could and should be. Disease of the spirit exacts a high price. Spiritual bankruptcy ultimately leads to economic failure. The deeper cost is a world where everything has a function yet nothing has any meaning.” (Bolman & Deal 1995, 146)
Kenny
Moore understood the importance of workplace rituals in his work at a natural
gas company in Brooklyn, NY. Kenny
was the Manager of Organizational Development and a former priest. The organization had been going through severe economic
difficulties and finally had to resort to downsizing and layoffs.
Kenny recognized the emotional bonds that people develop in the
workplace, and he knew that the layoffs hit people hard.
So he decided to hold a funeral as a way of mourning the people who
were no longer with the organization.
Large
photos of each of the downsized employees were placed on the walls of a
central meeting space in the company. A
casket was put in the center of the room with flowers and candles.
People were asked to write down who or what they would miss as a result
of the layoff and to put the pieces of paper into the casket.
Kenny wore his old clerical collar and conducted a funeral-like
ceremony in remembrance of those not there.
It became a way for employees to cope with often undiscussable feelings
in the workplace.
On
the brighter side, John Lumsden, CEO of MetServe, the metereological services
in New Zealand, holds welcoming rituals for new employees on a regular basis.
Because the Maori culture is such a significant part of New Zealand, he
has drawn on Maori traditions, music and dance to create ceremonies that
welcome new people into the organization.
Ben
and Jerry’s have a ritual known as the “Joy Squad.”
Each month a different group of people are selected to be members of
the Joy Squad. For that month,
the full-time job of these employees is to bring joy to other employees.
They will dress up in costume, do little skits in the workplace, pass
out ice cream, bring in balloons, or whatever else they can think of that will
make Ben and Jerry’s a more joyful place to be.
You
are probably already aware of traditional riturals that occur in your
workplace such as pizza parties, birthday celebrations, holiday parties and so
on. I encourage you to go beyond
some of the more traditional rituals to see if you can think of even more
creative ways to create and celebrate sacred space in your organization.
Even
though computers are just machines, they can also be ways of accessing and
creating sacred space at work. I
have noticed that many people create screen savers that are inspirational.
My screen saver is the affirmation that has meant so much to me in my
life: “The Universe pays me for
being who I am and doing what I love doing” from Shakti Gawain http://www.shaktigawain.com.
A software engineer I know programmed his screen saver to randomly show
quotes that he found meaningful.
Another more recent use of the Internet to create sacred space is online meditations. These provide a wonderful way to take a break while working and can perhaps offer some needed inspiration. Here are a few examples:
Butterflies: http://home.columbus.rr.com/cheztonner/butterflies.html
Beauty Break: http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Garden/5626/Believe.htm
Flying Geese: http://www.vaxxine.com/steveb/flyingv.htm
1.
Read Pat Sullivan’s
article “Workplace thinking has been altar-ed” at http://www.examiner.com/careersearch/1128sullivan.html.
Take at least one of the ideas from this article and apply it to your
own workspace.
2.
Read Michael Jones’
article “Living in the Question: The Deeper Music of Corporate America” at http://www.pianoscapes.com/writingframe.html, while listening
to one of his beautiful CDs.
3.
Find a beautiful or
inspirational photo and use it as a screensaver.
4.
Visit the online
meditation websites and bookmark one that you like.
Discussion or
Journal Questions:
1. What have you done in your workplace to make it sacred space for you?
2. What else could you do to make your workspace feel more sacred?
3. Describe a workplace ritual that you have experienced that had meaning for you.