Nuggets of Wisdom

The following are practical behaviors from "The Living Organization—Spirituality in the Workplace" that you might incorporate into your work life, where appropriate:

1. Demonstrate more confidence in others.
• Allow others to create (and follow) their own solutions even when you suspect they are wrong.
• Express your support of their decisions and actions.
• Require less approval before taking action.
• Don't question the motives of others.
• Don't ignore the input of other people.

 

2. Have patience with others.
• Give others time to come up with their own solutions.
• Don't interrupt or finish other people's sentences for them.
• Withhold making premature judgements on the abilities and commitments of others.

 

3. Creating turmoil might win the battle, but lose the war.
• Deal with everybody on a peer-to-peer level at all times.
• Don't inject emotionally charged language into a situtation.
• Rely on intuition and reason, rather than intimidation, to sway others.

 

4. You will have ultimate control out of a total absence of control.
• Describe rather than prescribe.
• Let others establish the agenda, constraints and timetables for work affecting them.
• Illuminate visions.
• Identify interrelationships between actions and consequences and let others decide on actions to take.

 

5. You can't create closeness with intimidation.
• Set aside rank in dealing with subordinates.
• Listen to others holding different views.
• Don't flaunt degrees and credentials.
• Support the self-esteem of others by expressing confidence in their abilities and applauding their efforts.

 

6. Treat every interaction as if it were crucial to success.
• Place an imaginary video camera in the room.
• Treat every individual like you would treat the president of the company.
• Stay plugged into every conversation, no matter how minor.

 

7. Assume every case is that one of ten cases when you're wrong.
• Admit the possibility of being wrong.
• Actively solicit alternative ideas.
• Really listen to other suggestions and find a way to try them out.

 

8. Positive results must always include the impact on people.
• Stay in tune with how your behavior is affecting others.
• Consider how you would feel if placed in the other person's shoes.
• Think of how you will view this episode when you are 90 years old.
• Value other people's views and suggestions.

 

9. Worth and value are inherent and independent of achievements.
• Frequently step back and take the view from 10,000 light years away.
• Remember your oneness with all other entities within the universe.
• Quit keeping score.