Spirit of Work it Is Difficult Being,

Spirit of Work

It is difficult being, at worst, a pessimist and, at best, a realist. One not only feels guilty about complaining and seeing the glass half full, but also disappointed and angry about the way things exist. These are the personal feelings evoked when reading "The Spirit of Work" by Lance Secretan in Imagine - What America Could be in the 21st Century by Marianne Willamson. As a point in clarification, it is not what Secretan says about daily life that is troublesome. Unfortunately, he paints the situation very clearly as it exists with most people today. There are a great deal of very psychologically unhappy and emotionally frustrated people in Western society. Rather, it is difficult to accept Secretan's belief that there are and will be individuals who step up to the plate as spiritual leaders in businesses throughout the country to resolve this situation. Surely there are always people who want to end pain, who want to help others find answers, who strive to make improvements wherever they exist. These types of individuals will always exist. Yet, the question remains how such a small handful of so-called spiritual business leaders can make a sizeable dent in a very troublesome world.

It is not necessary to look far for the problems in present-day society. As Secretan noted, one can easily see the extent of discontent in the working world. Just today, November 30, the news of Manchester Online led with a story about the number of people who would like to change their jobs. Two out of five or 40% of workers plan to switch jobs within the next year. This shows how employers are failing to keep their staff motivated. Of 1,600 workers surveyed, a third felt it was acceptable to stay in a job for less than three years. Also, different from the past, it is not money or the lack of it that is causing the unhappiness. The report added that almost half said they were most interested in variety and a challenging job, suggesting that pay and flexibility were not the main factors in retaining staff. Employees want more from their jobs than "paying bills," and they are not getting it.

Another news story today about the work situation on Business Wire stated that the 21st Century economy places unique demands on the American workforce and on those who manage them. The traditional business model is becoming increasingly rare, and both employees and their managers must constantly adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Few managers are trained to effectively supervise workers under these new conditions, and, as a result, more than 80,000 complaints were filed in 2003 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Such concerns at work are taking their psychological and emotional toll. A new national survey noted on Report on Business indicates that one in five working women in Canada report having experienced depression and anxiety that affected their day-to-day work lives. Such mental illness greatly impacts the employees, as well as their companies and the economy overall. Depression may be costing American companies $44 billion each year in lost productivity, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (ibid). That figure is $31 billion higher than would be expected in the absence of depression, the researchers revealed. In phone interviews with 1,190 workers, researchers found depressed employees report losing about 5.5 hours each week in reduced performance while on the job.

In "The Spirit of Work," Secretan also talks about the tremendous amount of competition that exists due to increasing globalization and worldwide economic pressures. In turn, these economic pressures are placing more stress on workers due to downsizing, lower pay schedules, combination of job responsibilities, longer hours, etc.

Secretan's comments on competition are also very true. More employees are trapped in a job with long hours, overwhelming workloads, tight budgets, and demanding managers who are also under the gun. Commutes are longer than ever before, and people are relaxing at home or having less time for entertainment. Further, the fear of unemployment still looms, despite the fact that the economy is supposedly getting better. In fact, stress is one of main universals at work across the world. About 40% of Japanese teachers suffer from mental or health problems such as frequent headaches, depression and feelings of anxiety. In Switzerland, one in four executives admits to being seriously dissatisfied with his/her work. In the United Kingdom, one-fifth of workers suffer from anxiety and depression. Further, 45% of salaried workers say they experience excessive stress and 15% have nervous depression (Wolfer 2003).

Such statistics and negative conditions only confirm the situation noted in "Spirit of Work." There is no disagreement found with Secretan's conclusions about how many people are miserable in their daily jobs. However, he goes one step further than such gloomy statements by saying that he sees an increasing number of people in businesses and corporations who are trying to find answers and help others with these problems.

In an article by Secretan titled "Wake Up Call," (2001) he notes that many people, including himself, have had a reawakening after they experience a major close-to-death illness or injury, or lose someone very close. This rebirth allows them to see what their life has become and what they want it to be instead. It is often such people who become the leaders that Secretan believes will bring spiritual enlightenment to the unhappy workers. Secretan adds that such individuals have asked themselves:

As leaders, how do we live? Are we leading with spirit and passion? Do we engage with followers and each other in ways that will never cause regrets? Do we lead others with a generosity of spirit? Do we avoid sweating the small stuff? Do love, compassion, courage, and fun characterize our leadership style? Are people enriched and inspired because of our leadership?

Such caring individuals have to be commended and encouraged for their involvement. However, it does not seem particularly realistic that society can rely on the leadership of the relatively few people who have had a personal transformation and decide they want to bring their compassion into the work world. Compared to the number of individuals who need guidance and support, these new insightful leaders are few. Granted, as noted by Secretan, there are a number of businesses who have decided to overhaul their management approach and be more inspirational rather than motivational.

What about the other 99.9% of companies still running things the non-spiritual way? What will change them? The trouble with gurus such as Secretan and their "how to" books is that they are usually read by the people who already realize the importance of what is being suggested and could probably write the book themselves. Although Secretan means well, the people who need inspiration to alter their ways require a great deal more than a book with uplifting quotations or a stimulating speaker.

It is often said by those who hear Secretan speak that he is truly inspirational, helping people see the potential within to achieve personal success for themselves and others. There is little doubt that this is the truth, given the number of positive articles and reviews about him. The problem is that there are so few leaders like Secretan and so many people who require inspiration.