How to Nurture Spiritual Values in Your Workplace

A Guidebook for Business Owners, Managers, Employees

Michael Van Horn 
#16 in the series

“Business is inherently difficult. That’s why management is the highest spiritual calling I know.”

M. Scott Peck, author of A Road Less Traveled

What spiritual values do you want to base your business on? These include integrity, honesty, accountability, quality, cooperation, service, intuition, trustworthiness, respect, justice, and service.

A focus on the well-being of employees and the wider community. Going beyond purely profit-driven motives. Incorporating in your business operations ethical practices that align with a higher purpose or meaning.

Topics covered

What is spirit in the workplace?

How others nurture spiritual values in their workplaces

How spirit benefits the bottom line

How can you nurture spiritual values?

How to handle problem situations that arise

Many business owners have asked this question, and have built a business based on these values, as well as growth and profitability. This workbook gives you the tools to work through this for yourself. You won’t just read good ideas, but answer questions to apply them to your business situation.

Warm up exercise

From the workbook

What Spirit in the Workplace Looks Like

Do any of these apply to you?

Here are the qualities and attributes that most people feel are essential parts of spirituality in their workplace:

  • Integrity and honesty in all dealings, rather than pretense and positions

  • Trust, open communication. People are out-front; with a minimum of hold-back.

  • Creativity, humor, lightness of being, a spirit of play

  • Sense of meaning in the work. People enjoy their work; they work with delight and joy.

  • People have a stake in the outcome. They see how they make a difference to the whole.

  • People feel valued, listened to, respected. People act in a way that includes others, so they are listening to others. They project the message, “You matter.”

  • Greater personal expression and fulfillment is encouraged in the context of getting the work done.

  • People feel safe and secure enough to be risk-takers.

  • People are committed to resolving disputes and problems in win/win manner.

  • The work atmosphere is safe yet challenging; open and accepting, yet demanding.

  • Self-empowering and empowering others.

  • People accept responsibility and accountability; and hold others accountable.

  • People connect on a personal basis; get beyond caricatures and stereotypes.

  • Tolerance. People find the commonalities among themselves, rather than focusing on the differences.

  • There is a fluid and flexible outlook, rather than static and hidebound.

  • Sense of community within the organization. The organization is a good citizen of the surrounding community.

  • People are self-aware. They are alert to the times when they get off-center.They take responsibility and work on themselves.