Gregory F. A. Pierce recommends ten ways for achieving balance in life on-the-job in his book Spirituality @ Work (Loyola Press, Chicago, 2001). He is critical of spiritual writers (and modern preachers) who think that spirituality requires withdrawal from the world or that work in the world is somehow profane. The world of business and work is - or should be - creative and a service to people. For the past few years he has conducted an online discussion of ways to integrate the spiritual values of creativity, integrity, and service into the business world. The book is the fruit of this ongoing discussion.

Pierce is also critical of those who think that spirituality in the workplace is an opportunity to urge one’s own values on coworkers. At a minimum, real spirituality will bear fruit in treating others with common decency, acting with honesty and integrity and justice towards coworkers, employees and customers. At the maximum, our work will build a better world for everyone. Pierce follows the saying of Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel, use words if you have to.”

There are ten disciplines which, if practiced on a regular basis, will raise consciousness of spiritual values and bear fruit in making the world a better place. These disciplines must be ones that we can practice in the workplace. If they require withdrawal to a mountaintop or a monastery they won’t help us. Each discipline must be such that we can practice it regularly and without disrupting our work. It should be triggered by some regular event that will remind us to practice it. Lastly, it should be unobtrusive. If anyone asks, Pierce would not deny the spiritual practice, but he does not want to give even a hint of being self-righteous or interfere with someone else's work.

The first practice is decorating the workstation with objects which remind us of sacred or spiritual values. These need not be overtly religious symbols. Pictures of family or mementos of turning points in our lives can reinforce our dedication. In my case, putting on my suit jacket - with its Kiwanis pin - is both a reminder of a community of dedicated men and women and a memory of how Kiwanis stood by my family during the painful period after my mother died from leukemia.

Living with imperfection can become a spiritual practice. While craftsmanship means that we must strive for excellence, striving for perfection can be unduly expensive and damage morale for ourselves and our colleagues. There is much wisdom in the Russian engineering proverb that “The better is the enemy of the good enough.” Attempting to find the causes of imperfection while accepting its reality can lead to compassion for ourselves and others.

Top performers strive for quality. It is a mark of what we think of ourselves and is noticed by those who do business with us. Striving for it leads us to be more careful, and to continuously critique and gradually improve our procedures and processes.

We need a regular practice of giving thanks and congratulation for big and small jobs done well. The attitude of “You get your thanks in your paycheck” is worthy only of Ebenezer Scrooge and produces resentment and cynicism in the workforce.

Strong businesses build support and community by offering welcome to new employees, suppliers and customers. The practice of concern for employees pays rich dividends. Sixteen years after the fact, I am still loyal to one of my former commanders for the time he took to give our oldest son a pep talk and encourage him to complete his Eagle Scout project. There is another way of showing concern: bringing a sense of joy onto the job. A well placed joke can do much to reduce stress and improve morale.

Practicing the Golden Rule is occasionally difficult - but it is often good business and maintains one’s own sense of integrity and morale even when it isn’t good business.

We need to discern how much is “enough”. In an era when working “24/7” (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) is a badge of honor, we need to remember that at some point we have enough money and have put in enough time and effort.

There must be a balance between work, community, family and church. Churches, in particular, can disrupt this balance by insisting that time spent in church activities is of greater value that the service that might be given on the job or time spent in the family.

Perhaps the greatest challenge and discipline arises when we are part of an organization which has a dysfunctional culture. Terms such as “corporate culture,” “school spirit,” and “vision and values statements” all point towards a corporate spiritual reality. Employees at all levels have the responsibility to influence this reality and make it healthy. Spirituality at work requires that we work to change the culture so that sound business practices are followed. A corporate culture that, for example, even tacitly permits the production of crash prone automobiles, needs to be changed. The same can be said for a school which undercuts the effort to educate every student. In these cases we must discern what to change and seek the courage to change it.

When confronted with the challenge of shaping corporate culture, it is important to follow the advice of Reinhold Niebuhr, seeking “serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change those that we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

The last discipline is the one of ongoing personal and professional development. This means more than just acquiring technical skills relating directly to performance on the job. It means developing oneself mentally, physically and spirituality in order to bring wholeness and health to the job.

Herbert P. Ely is a retired federal executive and a certified enneagram trainer.