FINDING LOVE ON THE JOB

The headline blared “Why You Hate Work.”

The New York Times article in the Sunday Review was about issues such as lack of work satisfaction, authenticity, employee engagement, freedom and leadership — things on which Jamie and I have built careers. Of course I was intrigued.

And then. And then…. Nothing new or surprising. Not a single revelation, illumination or expansion of the issues that have plagued the modern workplace for at least 30 years appeared in that valuable media real estate. It was a little disheartening.

The article included this statement of the what-should-be-obvious:

Employees are vastly more satisfied and productive, it turns out, when four of their core needs are met: physical, through opportunities to regularly renew and recharge at work; emotional, by feeling valued and appreciated for their contributions; mental, when they have the opportunity to focus in an absorbed way on their most important tasks and define when and where they get their work done; and spiritual, by doing more of what they do best and enjoy most, and by feeling connected to a higher purpose at work.

This article (which one friend of ours categorized as “advertorial”, but that’s another story for another day) cataloged a bundle of workplace woes that have been exposed ad nauseum in myriad ways. It also includes a 2013 worldwide survey of 12,115 workers (94 percent white collar, 6 percent blue collar) done by The Energy Project. This project underscores the rarity of the modern workplace that offers fulfillment and satisfaction. Among the 10 workplace deficits people cited were:

• No regular time for creative or strategic thinking

• Inability to focus on one thing at a time

• Few opportunities to do what is most enjoyed

• Low levels of meaning and significance

• Lack of connection to company’s mission

• No sense of community

• Few opportunities for learning and growth

• Lack of opportunities to do what you do best

• Inability to prioritize your tasks

• Lack of overall positive energy

For decades, thousands of books, consultants, leaders and organizations have been dedicating themselves to recognizing and addressing these problems. And yet the problems seem ever more intractable, leveraged by technology that plugs in people 24/7 yet drains them of energy. In addition, the propensity to put profits before human well-being is deeply entrenched, along with an unwillingness to make the connection that the two are intimately connected for true sustainability. We don’t have THE answer, but we know where answers can be easily found:

Yoga.

Everything on this list is something that yoga’s philosophy addresses. Not the Westernized version of “Tara Stiles in a glass box” yoga. This is yoga with no mat required, nor is it necessary to touch your toes, do a handstand or work your feet behind your head. It is ancient wisdom of yoga that offers the modern workplace culture simple, elegant (and free) ways to address all these issues.

The solutions offered up in this NYT article could have been ripped from the Yoga Sutras authored by the ancient Indian sage Patanjali. These simple practices, consistently lived, would quickly and easily solve the top 10 issues named on the The Energy Projects’ survey. Here are a few examples taken from yoga precepts:

• Practices in meditation, sense withdrawal and non-stealing (of time, energy, etc.) would create time for reflection and creativity. They also help people develop presence and compassion for others.

• The Sixth Limb,  dharana, translates as focus — which is about developing and strengthening the mind’s ability to be fully present in a given moment.

• Lack of connection to company mission and sense of community could be addressed by non-violence (compassion for others, recognizing human potential); practices in surrender (individual ego is surrendered to the good of the whole, fostering non-attachment); non-stealing (including the time and energy of others); discipline and zeal (ability to hang with the discomfort of change to experience growth) and more.

• The practice of non-greed would put a stop to the corporate practices that foster ever-increasing disparity (outlandish CEO bonuses, corporate jets and other unnecessary perks) as well as elevate compensation for people who do the work (the Costco vs. Sam’s Club example in the article illustrates this.)

Companies such as Aetna, General Mills and the Huffington Post are incorporating  yoga principles into the workplace. Other companies, such as Netflix and Zappo's, have policies that aren't called yoga, but certainly reflect the principles. This wisdom is simple but not simplistic. The practices are pragmatic and easily customized. Why not turn to this time-tested wisdom to create modern workplaces that people can fall in love with? In the end, everyone will reap from the benefits.

The first 10 people to share this post on their social media network(s) will receive a free, signed copy of Yoga Wisdom at Work. (A great gift for a forward-thinking leaders!)

Once you’ve shared, please send a private message on the Jamie & Maren Showkeir facebook page or email namaste@yogawisdomatwork.com. Put "shared" in the subject line and be sure to include a name and mailing address.

GRADUATION GURU

Although I try to live my life without regrets, I often wish I had discovered yoga at a much earlier age. And not just the physical practice (although I am always happy to sing praise about the benefits of that.) Knowing and practicing yogic wisdom early in my life would have influenced it for the better — I am certain of that.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this because it’s graduation season. So many young people, degrees in hand, are eager to explore their potential and unleash their powerful energy on the world. They get inundated with advice about how to find or keep a job, how to be successful, how to maximize their earning potential. However, it seems to me that except for those (hopefully) inspirational ceremonial speeches, they get less guidance on how to be at work.

Truly, I wouldn’t swap the life I have today for another,  and yet still I would love to go back and advise that oh-so-young me at college graduation, that 21-year-old aspiring journalist and soon-to-be mother.

No one has ever invited me to deliver a commencement address, but then again, why wait for an invitation? Seize the day, as they say! In two parts, I’m going to share some of the yogic wisdom I wish the young me knew about as she began her first professional newspaper job, four months after graduation and three months after having a baby. I am certain that if young me had created practices based on this advice back then, she would have been a more productive worker, a more skillful supervisor, a more effective leader. Throughout her career, she would have been more satisfied (and sane) in life and in work.

The five precepts contained in the First Limb of Yoga (the Yamas), often referred to as universal morality, provide a brilliant career road map. The Indian sage Patanjali, often called the father of yoga because he wrote down the ancient precepts that had been shared orally for generations, saw them as a necessity for “the broad training of humanity.” Each precept stands alone like fingers on a hand. And each depends on the other, just as the hand is made stronger and better with all five fingers.

Here is my retroactive graduation advice to young Maren:

Non-violence (ahmisa): Be compassionate to yourself. Learn to silence the voice of that harsh inner critic who whispers (or shouts) that you are not good enough, that you don’t belong, that what others think of you is what really matters. Treat yourself with the same unbounded love and care you instantly felt when your newborn daughter was placed in your arms, and extend that to everyone. Remember that violent acts don’t have to be physical. Cutting words, vicious gossip, blaming others instead of owning your own contribution to a problem — these things and more constitute violence.

Non-lying (satya): Understand that speaking your truth, no matter how difficult, is an essential gift, even if it makes you or others uncomfortable.  Temper your truth by acknowledging that others have their own truths, and be willing to listen with an open heart. Finally, know that many things can be true at the same time. Before you speak, always ask yourself these four guiding questions: 1) Is it true? 2) Is it necessary? 3) Is it kind? 4) Does it improve upon the silence?

Non-stealing (asteya): So many things of value get stolen every day out of selfishness and lack of mindfulness. Open your eyes to the value of people’s time and energy, and ask for it judiciously. When you are being paid for your work, be sure that you are giving full value — to do less makes you a thief. Remember that stealing credit for others work or ideas is an egregious and unnecessary form of robbery, and that denigrating others behind their backs is a form of denying humanity and stealing reputations.

Non-squandering of vital energies (brahmacharya): Be wary of using your precious energy and resources on things that don’t serve you or others well — drama, unhealthy habits, worrying about the things over which you lack control. Refuse to become a slave to your cravings — whether it be for foods, consumer goods or attention. Honor and respect your relationships and those of others.

Non-greed (aparigraha): Remember that initial wonder at being paid for doing something you loved? Try to retain that joy, even in the face of discouragement and certain disappointment. Avoid being caught in the trap of thinking what you earn is what you are worth. That old adage “Whoever dies with the most toys wins”? It is a horrible, soul-sapping lie — don’t fall for it! As long as you can meet your needs, remember that work is about meaning, not about how many numbers are printed on your paycheck. Live simply, and be generous.

Finally, never, never, never stop learning and always, always, always be grateful for what you have.

NEXT WEEK: Advice from the Niyamas, often called yoga’s personal code of conduct.

SELF-AWARENESS? IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU

As the conversation wound down at a recent book group gathering I attended, a few stragglers took up one of the themes that had made the storyline so interesting: Self-awareness — or in the heroine’s case, the lack thereof.

“What’s so great about being self-aware anyway?” one woman asked.  We laughed, but it was a serious question, and my mind has been percolating on the topic. In yoga the precept that contributes mightily to self-awareness is called svadhyaya (self-study), and it's a practice that helps you get to know yourself better.

It’s impossible to realize your full potential without svadhyaya. You can’t further your development without examining  your assumptions, identifying your contribution to the difficult issues you encounter, or getting clear about the habits that do not serve you. Self-awareness is the means to living consciously and authentically. It can deepen relationships — or help you see when it’s time to let them go. As businessman and author William George writes in his book True North, “Authenticity is developed by … understanding one’s life story and the impact of one’s crucibles, and reflecting on how these contribute to motivations and behaviors.”

How to develop self-awareness? Start with less certainty. Most people tend to cling to certainty because they think its opposite is uncertainty — but in reality curiosity propels us from being stuck in certainty into the realm of exploration and revelation. Spend time deconstructing some of your most cherished beliefs. Hold them up to the light, stand them on their head — find your child’s mind and look at something you’ve seen a thousand times through a child’s eyes.

Svadhyaya also is a path to developing confidence in the strengths that you already possess. Not just knowledge, skills, and techniques (although they are certainly important) but also the essence of who you are. Larry Dressler, author of Standing in the Fire, says that knowing and understanding your “way of being” can make the difference between competence and mastery: “It is a specific kind of presence that others experience as fully engaged, open, authentic, relaxed, and grounded in purpose." Svadhyaya helps you find that core of integrity and presence, so that you can call it forth in complex, heated and demanding situations.

Here are a few of the suggestions we make in Yoga Wisdom at Work for developing the practice of svadhyaya:

1. Write down three things you believe are true. Identify the assumptions in your statements. Ask yourself, “What if this weren’t true? Is there a different story I could be telling?” How many other stories are possible?

2. Make a list of your core values. Where did they come from? Are they still relevant? Are there times you have failed to align your actions with your values? When does that happen, and why?

3. Ask a few close, trusted friends or coworkers to give you feedback when they see you indulging identified bad habits, or taking actions that don’t reflect your values. Set aside specific time to get feedback. When you receive it, try to avoid justifying your actions or getting defensive. Just say “Thank you.” After you’ve had one of these conversations, what do you notice?

"I HAD A FANTASTIC DAY!"

During our “working vacation” (is that an oxymoron or what?), we did a book event at the Boulder Book Store. Two of our children are recent Denver transplants, and we were delighted when our daughter, son-in-law, son and grandson came to support us.

Among the points we stress in our presentations is that yoga’s guiding principles are ultimately pragmatic, and we share ideas with people in the audience around creating personal practices that are useful at work.

The next day we were preparing for a family dinner with Sonnet and Chris, our daughter and son-in-law. Chris had just returned from a long day at Elevation Cycles, where he works. I asked how his day went. “Fantastic,” he said. “I had a fantastic day.”

“Well, that’s a good report,” I said. “What made the day so great?”

He revealed that using a meditation technique we had talked about during our book event helped him deliver outstanding service to a customer who presented some challenges.

Chris is passionate about cycling, and hence, bicycles. His shop is in a city that boasts one of the highest fitness levels in the country, and many of the customers who wander in are familiar with cycling and have ideas about what they’re looking for.

This day he was helping a woman with a speech impediment that made it difficult for him to understand what she was saying. She was overweight and wanted to start cycling as a path to fitness, but had no clue about what she wanted or how she should start. As he worked with her, Chris used breathing and the unobtrusive meditation practice to stay present to her needs and remind himself to be patient and compassionate. It was slow going, but together they chose an affordable bicycle that suited her needs. She left the shop happy with her purchase and excited about her plans to ride her way to better health.

The meditation practice Chris used came from our friend and fellow Berrett-Koehler author Noah Blumenthal (Be the Hero: Three Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and in Life ). We began using it, and found it so useful that we included it in Yoga Wisdom at Work.  It’s short, simple, and yields immediate benefits that grow stronger with practice. Only a few seconds at a time are required. Here is how it works:

1. Deep inhale through the nose
2. Scan your body for stress, consciously relaxing any place you are holding tension
3. Silently say a focus word or intention (Chris used the word “patience”)
4. Release your breath, again through the nose
5. Smile

The technique is based on neuroscience. The idea is to connect a desired intention or behavior with breathing, body awareness, and a positive mood. (The smile is important!) Repetition is key, since each experience fires neurons in your brain that eventually “rewire” it in a way that creates good habits around your intention. Noah suggests doing the technique 20-30 times a day. He uses a phone app that gives him a quiet signal every 15 minutes. Because it’s so quick and unobtrusive, he can do it even if he’s on the phone or working with clients.  

We were tickled that Chris chose to employ the technique we described, and even happier that it helped him transform a potentially aggravating situation into a “fantastic” experience for him and his customer. Plus, it gave us one more story to tell about the usefulness of yoga wisdom at work.