"The most powerful tool available for restoring meaning in the work we do is ourselves. We are largely in control of our experience; even in the most unpleasant situation we'll have choices in how to respond, each one leading to an outcome. Observing those outcomes and exploring the why behind the choices we make marks the beginning of workplace wisdom.
"Andrew Ferguson, founder of an organization called Spirit in Business, recalled a conversation he had with the CEO of The Caux Round Table, an international group of senior executives who advocate 'principled business leadership' and 'ethical and responsible corporate behavior.' 'I learned,' he reported, 'that the sudden growth of Chief Ethics Officers in corporations has catalyzed a parallel need for employee personal growth — through mindfulness and spiritual practices . . . and that each individual must take personal responsibility for their own practice and actions in order for companies to act in a truly "ethical" manner.'
"This challenge extends across the entire spectrum of work; no matter what your job is or how much responsibility you do or don't have, the battle to make work meaningful is ultimately a personal one, to be fought against our own conditioning to settle for less, to give in to the status quo, to sell our principles for cash. Overcoming our fears, taking risks, changing long-held attitudes, these are the keys to workplace transformation, whether or not our employers look ahead with similar vision. Paradoxically, as more and more people take their small steps toward healthier workplace consciousness, the organizations around them will change as well. As the process becomes reciprocal, then a true revolution will have started."
