Earlier this month, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation sponsored a seminar debating the role of faith in today’s global marketplace.
Wait–What? Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has started a Faith Foundation? I had no idea, but apparently that’s what’s been going down across the pond these days with the tidy Mr. Blair, ever since his retirement from Prime Ministry of the United Kingdom.
The Foundation’s mission is to “promote respect and understanding about the world’s major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world.” Brilliant, Tony! Spot on! (Note my convincing British accent here.)
The particular seminar that I am referring to was aptly entitled, “Faith in the Workplace?” Yes, the squeaky little question mark is there on purpose. Like I said, it was a debate. One of the Keynote speakers was former investment-banker-turned global Work and Faith guru, Ken Costa, who is the author of the book God at Work. Although I am sure Ken Kosta was a fine choice for this seminar, I was ever-so-slightly offended that Tony didn’t think of inviting me to speak at this event, since I had done such a smashing job at Princeton Seminary’s prestigious Leadership & Spirituality seminar last week, where I presented my “Five Rules of Spiritual Engagement at Work” to a capacity crowd (it was a very small room). But I suppose Ken Costa has a leg up on me because, well, first of all he is also a Londoner, like Tony, which must count for about 90% of the selection criteria. Plus he has that clever book title going for him, God at Work. All I have is a lousy Blog with a camel in it. And, so, yeah, okay, Mr. Kosta also has a vast amount of global business and financial experience compared to me, so I guess he was a pretty good speaker choice after all.
Anyway, Ken’s message was one of tapping into the faith of workers to rebuild trust in the workings of the economy, especially as we sit on the haunches of recovery from an unprecedented global financial meltdown caused by, what else, but excessive greed trumping the better part of reason. He suggested that if our corporate cultures had allowed more expression of faith in the workplace to begin with, then perhaps those financial shenanigans would have been called out a lot sooner, or maybe never would have happened at all. Ken Kosta puts a lot of faith in faith in the workplace. “The reality,” he says, “is that religious believers possess tremendous resources to promote exactly the sort of values that are required to build solid foundations for the global economy.” Good point.
You can read the entire transcript here, but there was one particular quote from Mr. Kosta that really stood out to me, that captured the essence of the ideal co-mingling of faith and capitalism. I thought it was equally clever as it was true:
“Religious believers are well placed to building up a market place concerned not only with producing goods and services but to producing those things that really are good and of service.”
This caught my attention, because it sounded more like something that would come out of the mouth of someone like Bono or Marcus Goodyear. In fact, last week, Marcus Goodyear, Senior Editor here at The High Calling, had run a post highlighting an article from Fast Company magazine that more or less spoke to this same idea-–namely that of companies doing good rather than producing goods. After several comments were bantered back and forth defending our own companies’ commitments to “doing good,” Marcus finally asked the provocative question, “Does Capitalism need to be re-branded?”
Well, I think, yes. Probably more like an extreme makeover. Because, as Mr. Kosta says, capitalism has a true calling: it is to create real goodness and to provide true service, for the benefit of everyone, rather than merely producing goods and services that benefit only the shareholders. We need to be reminded of that and to participate actively in it. Our work then transcends from a bland obsession with tangible outputs, to a meaningful contribution of fundamental goodness to the world. I think that is how God designed it to be. It’s how He designed us to be. Try to remember that today as you go about your business.
Maybe Mr. Kosta read that very same post before he gave his speech, and saw Marcus’s comment. Brush up on your British culture, Marcus, because you’ll probably be the one to get the call from Tony Blair next year.
Artwork by Clare Burge, used with permission. Post by Bradley J. Moore of Shrinking the Camel.
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The same phrase that caught Brad’s attention caught mine: “Producing those things that are really good and of service.” Even within companies that are market-driven and market-focused and market-inspired, that simple statement would inject an element of the political that is (usually) minimized. “Good and useful” according to whom? Different faiths would also have different answers to that question. But influence may be another realm altogether. People of faith can be a major influence in the workplace, in a number of positive ways.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Brad, I feel totally humbled. But you inspired me to open up the U2 radio station at Last.fm.
Glynn, you raise an important issue about people not agreeing on what is good and useful. I wonder, though. Aren’t there some things that people agree are good no matter what they believe? C. S. Lewis proposed a universal Natural Law at the end of The Abolition of Man. I’m not suggesting we all go out and become universalists, but I do think Natural Law (and common grace?) might be a good place to start looking for common ground with people of all faiths.
Finding common ground (and compromise) doesn’t have to mean we betray the tenets of our faith.
Marcus – Good deal on the U2 radio station. You and Bono will meet some day soon, I’m sure of it.
I’m with Marcus on the universal understanding of good and useful. I mean, people instinctively understand that there is something beyond the product or service that implies a greater meaning to the work, or to the company. That’s what classic business book advisors like “Built to Last” and “Good to Great” are all about – a lasting Vision that goes beyond the nuts and bolts of the widget that is being produced. Look at Steve Jobs and Apple (creating beauty and elegance) and Disney (making people happy). There are tons of examples of this. Then you can get into the Sustainable movement, giving back to the community, employees, there are so many opportunities to grow shareholder value while doing good at the same time. It’s not one or the other.
This was a delightful read.
On the ‘good and useful’ question, I think it’s terribly complicated. I’m reminded of Betty Spackman’s book A Profound Weakness, about Christians and kitsch. Any good artist knows kitsch is inferior art, right? Not good or useful. Spackman too. Until she starts digging into the psychological dynamics that promote the acquisition and sentimental collection of kitsch items. And her visual presentation of kitsch in the book is stunning.
Still, if people could buy ‘good art’ for the same psychological reasons, mightn’t we want to make that possible?
“… religious believers possess tremendous resources to promote exactly the sort of values that are required to build solid foundations for the global economy.”
I can’t help but think of the Proverb:
“Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men. “
Kitsch is good. Who said Kitsch isn’t good?
Well, I guess now we can start breaking down the “good” to demographics – good from whose perspective? Different segments of the population will be drawn to different ideas of what good is, especially when it comes to art and aesthetics.
Anne- Thanks for brining a scriptural reference point to all of this. I can always count on you for that! And I absolutely love that passage. What a great fit.
Bradley, yes. I wonder if there is any way to begin to define “good” in relation to products and services, that is useful for directing and inspiring our workplace decisions/visions?
On one level, isn’t good defined as something that gives more than it takes? That builds up (/edifies) rather than destroys? That gives life or enhances life rather than drains life?
The world uses such a definition to justify destruction of people in whom it sees no immediate gain or profit. The elderly, unborn, and handicapped are relegated to a status of “not-good” for their inability to immediately give more than they take. Yet if one chooses to take a macro, long-term view of the whole rather than the narrow view, one sees that such people push us to be our best, selfless selves, and therefore contribute to the common good. “Civilizations are judged by how they treat their weakest members.”
I’ve digressed for a moment with people to make a point about goods and services. Those things which provide a moment’s shallow gratification will always have their place and profit, and it will ultimately prove as fleeting. Those things which are truly “good” will either make a direct improvement to the whole, or will facilitate the improvement of individuals which make up the whole.
Very cool. Nice to see people of faith being portrayed in a positive light, in a world that often puts us down. I especially liked the quote about ‘producing those things that really are good and of service’.
Anne and LL – I believe that for most organizations and corporations, when they look at the “good” they can do, they are thinking in bigger, broader terms than shallow and meaningless bites. The question businesses should ask themselves is, “How does what we are doing improve people’s lives?” That can be answered many different ways for many different businesses, either directly through the product, or indirectly through financial support. I know of a guy who owns a dry-cleaning business who was very proud that his business did good by ‘making people look and feel their best.’ Shallow? Think about it next time you get dressed to go out to an important function.
It’s much simpler for a solo practitioner like myself to commercialize a calling consciously so that the spiritual aspects of calling get carried into the marketplace. I welcome the movement in larger businesses as well because every good thought counts toward the creation of business doing good for good’s sake. We work callings to serve the sweet spot between our own deep gladness and the world’s deep need. Full credit to Buechner.
Image is important to me, I admit.
I wear a tie to work, when others are progressively dress down.
I step to volunteer when others are stepping backwards in retreat.
I check — and then recheck — my work, even though non one else seems to care
I THINK I am doing these because of my High Calling, because I believe it honors God. But to be honest, I often do things to honor David. And shame on me.
Good, thoughtful post.
David
http://www.redletterbelievers.com
I blogged about corporate image today at http://www.redletterbelievers.com, “How the sausage is made”
Tom -
“We work callings to serve the sweet spot between our own deep gladness and the world’s deep need.” That is a great definition of what “calling” is all about. Thanks for your input. (and to Buechner!)
I’m home sick today and doing some blog reading. Bradley, your post resonates with me – and encourages me. It’s easy to lose sight of one’s day to day contribution of goodness in the marketplace. Thanks – I really needed that!
Debbie – Thanks for dropping by (although sorry about the conditions it was under – hope you are feeling better!). Hope you to see you around here again soon, to share your thoughts on this idea of contributing goodness to the marketplace.