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Years of work in the area of corporate coaching led to making observations that would to define my role with new thought leaders. The old-school office culture rules of engagement no longer apply in a global workplace where remote positions are the norm. A modern workplace deserves a modern approach to roles dedicated to managing the vital asset of human resources. Such roles now include Employee Experience Officer, Culture Curator, Director of Transformation, and Chief Spiritual Officer. Cutting-edge companies have added these roles to their executive leadership team. Companies who have acted on filling the gap between work life and spiritual life include Apple, Google, Intel, Ford, Uber, and Target. This to name a select few.

These companies encourage faith-based involvement in the workplace, mainly through various groups dedicated to employee resources. Modern companies recognize the amazing opportunity to create happy environments. Research shows happy teams enjoy increased productivity by incorporating the power of a spiritual component. People are looking for a rewarding and satisfying career to enhance their life. That goal is accomplished when someone can bring their whole self to every situation.  

The Chief Spiritual Officer (CSO)

The Chief Spiritual Officer title is becoming more widely used in mainstream corporate settings. In the past, this role was limited to companies focused primarily in the wellness-related industries. Others may have a similar role, often called a Spiritual Advisor or Mindfulness Leader. Each carries responsibilities related to fostering a positive workplace culture and employee wellbeing.  Ken Blanchard, the founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, is an example of a CSO. Blanchard’s process includes a morning messages to staff. Praising people who are doing good things, asking for prayers and support for people in need, and sharing inspirational messages is the theme of his morning ritual.

Studies indicate that a large number of the population identify as Spiritual. While 8o% of the population claim to be religious, they are disenchanted with the institution of religion. Whatever the affiliations, most all would agree they desire happiness, joy, and inner peace. These are attributes of spirit, yet rarely acknowledged in the corporate world. Large scale operations train people in mind expertise and offer body health insurance, omitting the most important ingredient for success which is spiritual purpose. In order to achieve a work life balance, the spirit must be included. Why would this be an issue that is not acknowledged in most corporate settings? The answer is fear, which is the biggest barrier to corporate success. The emotion of fear is often the product of group-think and leads to decision-making strategies that fall well below optimal performance. 

An example is a team member knows what is right but is afraid to introduce innovation and leadership in a group setting. How can you expect to develop a culture of innovation and success without a focused effort in team member spiritual support? Total alignment between mind, body, and spirit with company culture and goals are true keys to success. Each person is living out their mission or purpose, which are core elements of spiritual fulfillment. The importance of cultivating a network of spiritually connected people raises the integrity of the entire team by instilling virtues. 

By the very nature of connection, collaboration becomes the most powerful force to amplify success. A cohesive group puts personal agenda aside in favor of harmonizing the group focus in order to achieve a common goal. This is the definition of fairness. An environment of fairness will foster empowerment to amplify the drive for success. The victim mentality cannot survive the feeling of fairness that gives the greater freedom to express. A sense of fairness activates courage, hope, creativity, and fearlessness to form a unified vision of achieving the goals of the department and the company. Spiritual development in the workplace builds integrity that defines spirit working through the team to accomplish the aim of the corporate culture.

Examples of spirit-driven performance

• Satisfying and empowered relationships within the team lead to higher-levels of motivation.

• Statistics indicate there is a significance to the positive relationship between individual satisfaction and quarterly financial improvements.

• According to Glassdoor, a one-star increase in the rating of the working environment, led to a 7.9% increase in the average market value of the company and 1.35% increase in stock earnings.

• Team members and employees are organizational assets capable of a significant contribution when spiritual development is nurtured in a way that leads to increased value of the firm or corporation. 

• These aspects are especially true for companies focused on new innovations which will challenge the current world economy. Balance in the area of spiritual energy related to human resources will drive better financial performance toward a future timeline on the Earth. 

The Quantum Shift

When considering peak performance, overtime hours, and competition, a spiritual burden can lead to non-quality production. The body and mind need time for recovery following an intense period of work. Demand, deadlines and performance expectations can create mental and physical fatigue. The same is true for the spirit. Our human spirit needs rest to recover in the same way the mind and body needs periods free from environmental stimulation. An individual’s human design can show us that some need more rest than others. You might observe this in someone where their output is unequal to their input. It is an energy imbalance usually related to immature spiritual development.

You know the old adage; happy wife means happy life. For many, their work is their wife, so this saying applies to the corporate world in measurable ways. Happy rested people can propel an organization to accomplish a 12% spike in overall productivity. Happy people are known to be more creative and inspired to look outside the box for new innovations. Happy people are more open to sharing their ideas with confidence and in the spirit of collaboration. Happy people are more loyal and therefore less likely to leave, which saves the company money on hiring expenses.

A Chief Spiritual Officer (CSO) can improve employee satisfaction immediately. It sends a message that you are working for a company focused on conditions of the heart. A quantum mindset shift is realized by implementing programs and management practices. The role of the CSO is to support the quantum shift. They must create the spiritual environment that helps a team member feeling more confident, more capable, and more happy in work/home life balance.

As a corporate leader, you must decide what type of culture you want to create. Spiritual practices introduced into a corporate world can bring discomfort. The willingness to lean into that discomfort produces confidence and courage. Such a paradigm shift is a departure from traditional management approaches. If the goal of the corporation is to create enduring change in our world, a CSO can provide the energy that ignites the human spirit to reach full potential. It’s all about tapping into the energy streams for observation and determination of potential areas in need of intervention.

Areas where CSO can contribute

• Onboarding and offboarding flows more smoothly for everyone when there is a spiritual acknowledgement of compassion and consideration.

• Energy Leak Reports can be used with the practice of human, department, and company energy assessments. Identifying leaks in any area of development provides a warning with potential to address.

• Funding, financing, contracts, markets, and investments generate tremendous energies in the Quantum Realm. Determination of value with this type of energy can be used to bring greater alignment with leadership to meet corporate goals.

• Idea conception, technological development, and implementation can be a guided process that leads to the vision for success.

• Provide acknowledgement of specific team member performance, inspirational messaging, leadership in the area of group spiritual practices, and corporate retreats.

Examples of CSO led initiatives

• Create themed retreats for corporate meeting

• Encourage spiritual programs and oversee critical activities

• Promote a culture that elevates perspective through the use of spiritual tools for development

• Lead activities that bring cohesiveness as a team through raised self-awareness

• Design meetings between people working together that do not know each other

• Determine critical timing around projects, work demand, and deadlines to create programs designed to balance those demands with the need for rest and restoration

• Engagement surveys to give a voice to the team and provide a sounding board for support

• Create activities that include families and friends to add personal investment in the company

• Pioneer tools for evolution that make dreams a reality

Conclusion

In our world today we witness conflict on every level, from separation in the core family unit to intense fighting and wars. We often see spiritual leaders being sent or voluntarily inserting themselves into struggles. Their effort is to create a safe space for negotiations toward the common goal of resolution. The same could apply to corporations. Why would you send a business exec to resolve a conflict, when a spiritual leader would be more effective?

Dealing with issues related to Native American tribes or indigenous cultures is one example. You are dealing with a group that insists on spiritual tradition as a cornerstone of their mission. 

The word corporation means body, since the it comes from the Latin root corpus. A company is a living and breathing organism that exists in the collective minds of founders, employees, partners, customers, and the community. A brand is the organizations name and personality. Leading a corporation is a lot like parenting a child. With the proper dose of attention and support, the child can thrive. Without that support, they can lack the tools need for optimal development.