Into the Virtuous World:
a look into the acquisition of virtues in a virtual workplace
The separation of
work and religion
For years, a lot of us has successfully evaded discussion of
our Faith and the practice of our religion at our workplace with studies
indicating that it is not in alignment with the corporate goals as it evokes
conflict particularly stemming from differing religious backgrounds as one article
expounds.
It is with sadness that a disconnect of the employee from
his core spiritual being is enforced in the spirit of material benefits leading
to an artificial dichotomy of the individual. Research,
however, contradicts competing interests of said tenets. As the paper suggests,
the decision to embrace organizational spirituality have in fact far-reaching
benefits that embraces religious diversity and impacts all including
non-religious workers.
The rise of the
virtual work world
Recently, I chanced upon upcoming business trends and one prediction
that struck a chord is the rise of remote workers by 2020 resulting from one of
the global business leaders’ summit.
A 2017 blog for
remote predictions is proving to be right on the spot as this year ends. And
this is particularly felt even in this far-flung area in the Pacific where I am
located, Manila. Being a virtual worker myself for 8 years now, I went on to
research about what it means to have a virtual team having been immersed in
such an environment with nary a formal training on what it means to be
“virtual”. A Project Manager, by
profession, I am accustomed to running project teams with members spanning across
the globe and working at various time zones to ensure efficient communication
flows through the entire project lifecycle which would be tantamount to
successfully completing a project. Thus, it is essential for me to make virtual teams work.
A changing society
Evidence
of moral degradation greets us daily as we connect to various news media.
Almost half of the society perceive it as the reality of our times.
In the iOT (Internet of things) age, a lot of us are
threatened by the possible negative outcomes that come with it. In a
study by Pew Internet Project , the survey results indicate an almost split
perception on the impact of technology on the brains of our youth. Fears of
loss of deep-thinking capabilities and face to face social skills compete with
the idea that the change in the youth’s learning behavior and cognitive
abilities are positive steps in the human evolution. One of the interviewees
mentioned that “The
human brain is wired to adapt to what the environment around it requires for
survival …”
A future framework
for work relationships
The co-dependent nature of being virtual and virtuous and
their future roles in the business arena excites me in a way that it connotes
the beginning of an era where global business leaders begin to embrace pursuits
of knowledge beyond material and human education into the divine or spiritual
thus paving the way to the breakdown of prejudices and mediocrity as well as
the practice of genuine respect for others. It leads to a different level of
conflict management that favors a more holistic benefit for all.
1. Developing the
moral man
One core element of a virtual team is the presence of high
morals and standards. Just imagine the abuse of the privileges of working from
home or from any location by an individual that is less spiritually developed. Without
the presence of trust, such a setting will not persist. A virtual team leader will be spending less
productive time monitoring and disciplining his members as opposed to empowering them to
produce positive products for the company. It is then, imperative, that the
corporate culture should consider the spiritual education of its employees as
key in all its learning and development programs. In the book, “New
Approaches to the moral education of children” * by Dr. Martha Taylor,
she presented the educational philosophy, the principles and teachings of the Baha’i Faith and some of
their implications about values education. It pertains to an unbiased method of
inculcating deep religious values among children, regardless of their faith. It
is with this, that I endeavor work organizations to view the development of the
moral man in a similar fashion as instrumental to business success
“Man is, even as steel, the essence of which is hidden, through
admonition and explanation, good counsel and education, that essence will be
brought to light. If, however, he be allowed in his original condition. the
corrosion of lusts and appetites will effectively destroy him.” (Bahá’u’lláh, B.E, p.3)
2. Unleashing the innovative mind
As the world surrounding us spins
in an accelerated pace, mental re-wiring is inevitable and judgment skills need
to be heightened as we attempt to process multiple sources of information in
search of truth.
Working physically away from team
members unburdens the individual of actual physical distractions of co-employee
relations where only necessary interactions are maintained. During these less
frequent required interactions via the aid of technology, there is increased cooperation
and doubled effort to communicate to compensate for the lack of non-verbal
language and perceived lower engagement. More focused participation and understanding
of time limitations typically breeds a more positive result for brainstorming
sessions aiding to better decision-making capabilities.
Such a virtual structure while
encouraging absorbed team interaction also promotes isolation. As most experts
say, isolation and quiet time facilitate the creative process.
Veering away from the comforts of
a brick and mortar infrastructure to a totally different way of collaboration
such as a virtual organization most often fosters creativity and innovation as
the organizational shift translates to a paradigm shift of the mind.
3. Alignment of goals
The beauty of the socio-economic
framework presented by the Bahai Faith lies in the strong belief that we “have been created to carry forward an
ever-advancing civilization”. Bahá’u’lláh, the Faith’s Prophet-founder,
wrote, “Be anxiously concerned with the
needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies
and requirements.”
Thus, a spiritually-charged
individual is of the notion that one’s mission in the world is to promote and
seek its betterment. This principle aligns to a company’s goals of providing
quality service to its customers and being attuned to its needs and
requirements. A perception of the extension of one’s work task of one’s life
mission provides the work-life balance and motivation that attracts and retains
employees. It perpetuates a desirable output of values contribution.
The rapid growth of the “work from home” phenomenon has been
a prediction that continues to next year therefore, a trend that even small
enterprises would have to embrace and prepare for. One article
indicates that it is an attractive option for seeking talent that places a high
premium on lowering stress and reducing transport costs. It also seems in
congruence with the working styles of the millennial youth that will serve as our
prime resource pool of the new age. However, preparation and support of said
trend needs to be charted with an appropriate strategy of spiritual education
for it to be sustainable. Although models
for spirituality in the workplace are made available, a more encompassing
framework espoused by the Bahai Faith allows a systematic application of the
principles of shared values amidst diversity. Working remotely allows
prioritization of a shared value such as the family unit. Ensuring that
spirituality is present in this unit and spills over to the workplace and other
stakeholders such as the customers is essential in its continuance.
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*Taylor, Martha., “New Approaches to the Moral Education of
Children”, Third edition, 2017.
