Faith in the Workplace

Now let's return to our Google search. While not a new idea, spirituality in business is taking a new direction. The workplace is becoming a venue in which employees could and should practice their faith.

Notre Dame University established the Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business to "strengthen the Judeo-Christian ethical foundations in business and public policy decisions." Os Hillman's newsletter, TGIF Today God is First Marketplace Meditations, encourages women and men to express their faith in the workplace. Parker Palmer has been writing about spirit and vocation for the last 15 years. His works include Now I Become Myself, The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity and Caring and Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.

What about the nonprofit business world? Not much is said about our industry in the business literature except for that part of our sector identified as faith-based organizations, where some sort of spirituality is expected. But, Scripture leads me to believe all nonprofit businesses are faith-based organizations and should therefore be unafraid to acknowledge roots and practice spiritual disciplines.

Jesus the Christ was open and comfortable with everyone He met, but He especially loved to be with those who were in distress or considered to be outcasts: prostitutes (Luke 7:36-47), those with physical impairments (John 5:1-9), the diseased and consequently ostracized (Matthew 8:1-4), those unfaithful in marriage (John 4:9-26), and occupying military officers (Luke 7:1-10). In fact, He had a life-changing impact on anyone who had the courage to be who they are instead of presenting a mask of who they thought they should be. These honest and courageous people admitted they were not self-sufficient and instead were in need of help.

Christ's commitment to "such as these" continues today through the office of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we serve the poor, homeless, abused, imprisoned, orphaned or otherwise disadvantaged person, Christ is indeed there too, as promised, and perhaps more powerfully than anywhere else we might meet Him, including a church sanctuary. It would therefore seem most appropriate to conference with the Holy Spirit from time to time as we consider our customers, strategic plans and marketing environment.

Next: Techniques for Conferencing With the Holy Spirit

The Spiritual Side of Marketing Strategy

I believe that the most powerful marketing strategy today has a spiritual element to it. Brand management brings all marketing tools to bear to build up equity in a particular brand. Proctor and Gamble was the first company to organize its marketing efforts around a brand. In branding, managers work to imbue a product with a set of values. Hopefully, these values are attributes of a product that will be perceived as desirable by the buying public. 

Branding goes far beyond demonstrations of a product's consistent good quality, an important value but usually not sufficient to drive sales. Brand management links other product values that will separate it from competing products in the marketplace. A car does not just get you from point A to point B cheaply and effectively. It also expresses the buyer's lifestyle better than any other car. In advertising, these other value statements usually speak the loudest  (see the video for Toyota's Swagger Wagon). In Nike's case, its logo, know as the "shoosh" even unadorned by copy conveys a potent marketing message (product endorsement by celebrities is another story altogether).

Spiritual values can also be potent marketing messages. Consider Texas Interfaith Power and Light. This nonprofit business makes a connection between the theology of creation stewardship and reducing carbon emissions. It has formal ties to the Islamic, Jewish and Christian faith traditions. 

Next: Faith in the Workplace