Meditation for the Bottom Line

Alan L. Pritz

Within the business community we have been facing a period of rapid technological advancement coupled with an increasingly “conscious” work force. Computer technology, rather than simplifying lives, has in many cases brought increased production capabilities and management expectations. Many beleaguered employees feel this particularly in light of fluid occupational status, re-engineering, and duty restructuring. In addition, when companies decide to boost market share by trimming the corporate tree, this spells increased responsibility for fewer personnel, a lot of stress, and plenty of shaky morale.

Now consider that this same group is also increasingly aware of global strife, ecological concerns, and a host of social issues. Not a complacent picture! Mixing rapid change with maturing consciousness yields an employee base ready for change. In seeking such change, many people have begun exploring alternative health, lifestyle, and work arrangements. Flextime schedules, on-site day care, wellness programs all reflect this trend. More individuals are also turning to spirituality in an effort to renew meaning and restore purpose in their amazingly hectic lives. Management has likewise begun to recognize that personal growth, like a liberal arts education or athletic cross training, can enhance professional performance. Enter employee renewal programs.

Personal growth / renewal are broad terms referring to that which stimulates, nourishes, and expands individual awareness. Meditation, a powerful tool in the personal growth kit, fosters such inner development by quieting the mind and deepening realization of one’s spiritual essence. But where does meditation fit into the business picture, and why? First consider some of the negative by-products that daily stress and social tension generate for employees – lower morale, difficult office relationships, generalized anxiety and depression, decreased productivity, increased health care utilization, and so forth. Can unhappy or sick persons do their best? Not for long! Unfortunately there are many unhappy people in the work force performing at sub-optimal levels. The bottom line is that there are huge health care, insurance, job training, and downtime costs associated with decreased performance and productivity. What can meditation do to help curb these expenditures?

At least one study (originally conducted by the TM camp) on meditation reported the following benefits:

TQM and Continuous Growth training primarily focused on external skills and knowledge emphasizing technological development. They didn’t explore the “human side of total quality”, how people feel and what really gets them going. However the upcoming business generation is evolving, as is society in general. They require proficient technical skill and methods of renewal, self-cultivation, and balance. They need internal training to cultivate the awareness and resources necessary for optimizing creativity, energy, growth, and poise. Meditation does all this. Case in point: A former executive VP for Procter & Gamble strongly supports such inner development. Here is a recounting of his experience:

“I was led to meditation after a heart attack, a stroke, and open heart surgery. My cardiologist, a daily meditator himself, recommended it, and I used the method he employed. I made two 15-minute periods of daily meditation habitual – the first immediately after my morning shower and the second right after returning home from work, thus bracketing my workday with quiet time. The principle benefits were these:

I enjoyed a 36-year career with a wonderful company – Proctor & Gamble. It would have been even more enjoyable if I had learned earlier the value of meditation. I am thankful, however, that I was led to meditation in time to make the latter years of my career and the early years of my retirement better than they ever would have been without it.”

Is this individual alone? No! Organizations such as Marriott, Polaroid, Boston Co., Adolph Coors Co., Medtronic, and the US Green Berets are but a few of the groups that have recognized the value of various meditation programs. Common feedback from such activities includes increased happiness, decreased stress & worry, boosted performance, productivity, and creativity. As the psychologist William James said,

“The greatest revolution in our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitude of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”

As a consultant with extensive experience and considerable passion for meditation, I’ve noticed rising interest in meditation as both a spiritual vehicle and practical tool. Not a function of institutional religious doctrine or politics, meditation addresses a fundamental human yearning for “essential connection”. It integrates universal principles into daily life and work converting them to personal, non-dogmatic use. The great spiritual master and author of Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda, offered these practical applications of meditative mind: (paraphrased)

Silencing thoughts means attuning them to Spirit. This is also where true prayer begins.

The voice of Spirit is silence. Only when our thoughts cease can we hear Spirit communicate through the silent voice of intuition. In our silence, Divine silence ceases.

Calm the mind, affirm oneself as a child of God, and then call to Spirit for what you truly need, be it material or otherwise. Do so until you feel saturated with expanding joy.

Then be still, feel, and listen inwardly. Persist if need be until you feel gentle inspirations wash over you or know that an answer will be forthcoming.

With the mind devotionally tuned and calm, choose the best solutions that come.

Follow those that bring a palpable sense of joy to insure your success.

It is within our power to support those things that restore personal balance, enhance business relations, and promote responsible enterprise. Meditation, given its wide range of personal and professional benefit, demonstrates such promise and fiscal potential that it merits implementation. And, organizations can do so easily and inexpensively. In the legacy we pass on to future generations, meditation can be that unique gift which makes all the difference in how we govern our affairs and ourselves.