Having faith in spirituality at work
Gathering at AUT’s Ngā Wai o Horotiu marae to remember those who have died, as part of this year’s Matariki commemorations, reminded me about the importance of having opportunities for open expression of spirituality in the workplace.
In my latest editorial in NZ Management magazine, I share reflections on how spirituality, in all its diverse cultural, religious, and non-religious dimensions, can help foster unity in the workplace.
Understandably, it is an issue approached with caution – by organisations and employees – as we wrestle with new ways of understanding, expressing, and celebrating an increasingly diverse range of faiths and beliefs.
Two decades ago, in a different workplace, I was skeptical about a colleague’s decision to teach a Management and Spirituality course to undergraduate business students. Turns out, my colleague was way ahead of me in understanding how spiritual practices can lower anxiety, improve self-esteem, and help people cope at work and in the world. Student attendance was high throughout the course.
Since then, we have become familiar with many reasons and ways to experience spirituality in the workplace, whether through atrocity in the aftermath of the Christchurch terror attacks, bereavement during Covid-19 pandemic, or shared ceremonies, meals, and celebrations.
In these times of ever-growing uncertainty and fragility, I believe there is more need than ever to come together. Spirituality, in all its diverse cultural, religious, and non-religious dimensions, can help foster this unity. When shared with respect, trust and (dare I say it) good faith, spirituality can also build a collective sense of understanding and goodwill, beyond and within the workplace.