How would you like to work at a circus? I heard a story about a man who thought that sounded like a good idea. So he walked right up to the circus owner and said, “I’d like to apply for a job.”
The owner looked him up and down. “So, what can you do?”
The man answered, “I can climb a hundred-foot tower and dive headfirst into a pit of sand that’s only eight by twelve feet.”
The owner replied, “Well, let’s see you do it.”
So the man climbed all the way up the tower, dove headfirst into that tiny pit of sand, then stood up and brushed himself off. The owner was amazed. “That was great! You’re hired!”
But the man shook his head. “I don’t think I want the job.”
“I will pay you five thousand dollars a night,” the owner offered.
The man replied, “Money doesn’t matter. I just wanted to see if I could do it. Now that I have, I don’t think I could find the motivation to do it again.”
So what’s the point? It’s easy to think money is what attracts and keeps good people, but that isn’t the heart of the matter. Money is important, but research shows there’s something even more vital: spirituality. Building a strong workplace relies on valuing people’s spiritual sides.
Now, when researchers talk about spirituality at work, they don’t mean you have to hold Bible studies or stop everything to pray. What they are talking about is valuing people. It’s about treating everyone with dignity. It’s about building a place where people care for each other. Loving your neighbor. Doing for others what you’d want them to do for you.
Of course, there are many other ways to create a healthy spiritual climate. I find it fascinating that Ivy League schools have, for years, seen the value of emphasizing the spiritual. For example, Yale University has established the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, which explores the role of faith in human flourishing, and Princeton University has created the Faith & Work Initiative to examine the integration of spiritual values in the workplace. There is much to say about building a spiritual workplace that nurtures people and motivates them to stay.
If you want to keep or attract the best people, focus on fostering a culture that values the spiritual side of work. This is what truly leads to commitment and satisfaction.
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
The WorkEdge Company
Telephone: 903-245-7851
Email: workedgetexas@gmail.com
Website: www.workedgetexas.com
Author of Holy Chaos To purchase the book, click here: