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The Contemplative Organization

So we are able to integrate a contemplative practice into our life and create something of a contemplative support system in hour home. As Jesus said, we can't hide our light and love under a basket. It's time to share the fruits of contemplation and engage the world through our employment and avocations. Our intent in this chapter is to discuss the bridging from our inner world to the economic institutions we directly participate in each day.

We may be employers, employees or self employed or volunteers engaged in good works outside of our employment. In each case we are affected by and able to create a culture of interactions and understanding that will either conflict with our contemplative intentions or nourish them.

How do we evaluate employers and organizations in light of a contemplative perspective? What does a "contemplative" orgainization look like? Organizations are complex and will have personalities, virtues, dark sides, habitual behaviors and values just like people. How do we determine if there are values and a culture consistent with our values of presence, mindfulness, kindness and caring for the other? We could observe with a silent alert mind and ask some questions like:

Is there a feeling of order in the physical space or are boxes, papers and equipment in disarray proclaiming their neglect and a chronic culture of confusion?

There may well be speed and noise and challenge (that's OK), but are employees or volunteers focused and clear on their roles and job descriptions?

Are staff moving frantically or just as bad, lethargically?

Do staff seem to understand and feel aligned with the mission of the organization?

Is there a sense of pride among the staff in the quality of the product or service offered?

Do we hear some occasional laughter and sense a feeling of emotional safety among staff, even when mangers are present?

Are there systems in place that allow staff to focus on their tasks, customers or clients? (this is a big one: we elaborate below)

Fifty years of research in business management has revealed that 95% of all error, employee failure and service problems are due to systems, not the shortcoming of people. If every employee were to exert superhuman effort, we would see and average of about 5% improvement. The "contemplative" organization has superb systems that make it easy for employees to excel not mediocre systems that require heroic efforts to sustain survival performance. Systems include: The workplace layout, management directions & leadership, procedures for daily operations, budgets, staffing levels, training given to staff and managers, communication channels, quality assurance, marketing & promotion and other systems particular to a certain industry. So again, with our best contemplative instincts, we would be looking for clear directions and a two-way flow of communication between management and staff. We would look for equipment adequate to the job to be done and enough well trained staff to do the job well. We could ask some questions about employee benefits, ongoing training and managerial support through community relations or advertising. We won't find the perfect organization anymore than we'll behold a perfect person. We do want to see, however, if our values and expectations are close enough to work together in a common endeavor.

How do we impact the contemplative presence of the organization in a creative, humane, good humored fashion, respecting the history and relative perfection of "things as they are"? Is this situation best left alone? Will it overwhelm us in its momentum or are we strong enough to make a real contribution to what we see? One certainty is it must begin at home. That falls on us as individuals. Are we keeping our contemplative presence? If it is real, then sharing it with those interested might be all that we need to do (or should do). Please do share your experiences with us after you leave Tepeyac. We want to provide a forum and ongoing support for those "in the world" working at the nitty gritty level of contemplative change.