FAITH MATTERS

 This beautiful Jain temple in London was financed entirely by professionals, entrepreneurs and pensioners and is now one of the most beautiful places to visit in London. People may not show their faith at work, but it does inspire and drive many people- leading to better performance and leadership.

"Faith has no place in work. It is something people should leave behind at home." You can hear these whispers very often today and in all kinds of organisations. They are synonymous with the view that "Emotions have no place in business."

The reality is otherwise. People are complex, faith is complex, emotions are complex, and no, they cannot be left behind at home. They are part of the inner life of millions of people in Britain today.

So how do workplaces deal with faith? Here are our suggestions:

• Accept its existence and stop denying it.
• Deal with its richness and complexity, with care and sensitivity.
• Use faith to improve performance and productivity - e.g. have a relaxing prayer or meditation room which is open and accessible to all.
• Provide faith training to senior managers and leaders.
• Faith has an important role to play in developing your ethical policies and value statements.
• Do not marginalise dis-believers, but also ensure that they respect people of faith.
• Celebrate major festivals in the workplace, or at least acknowledge them to employees and greet them appropriately. You never know - this may ignite their loyalty and dedication to the organisation.
• Above all, make sure people understand that faith is a fundamental part of human history and it cannot be erased or stripped.

Article added on 22nd December 2009 at 5:08pm