Thoughts on Organizational Change Management - Working From Faith

Is it possible to work in Organizational Change Management (OCM) from a Faith-based perspective? Yes, indeed, it is. Whether your religion is one of the most prominent in the world such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Judaism, Shinto, or another one, or perhaps you're agnostic or atheist, each one contains a similar core of ethics summed up in the Golden Rule "Treat others as you wish to be treated." which is at the center of a successful OCM office and working from our Faith in doing what is right and good.

Ethics are typically included in Best Practices of any profession or field and in OCM this means treating each person we interact with in the best way possible with respect, dignity, consideration, kindness, patience, understanding, empathy, and in some cases, sympathy. This should also be tempered with mercy, which we all seek when wishing to be understood. Is this feasible in business? Yes, it's not always easy, and in some cases takes a great deal of courage and fortitude, however, it is possible and in most cases expected that we conduct ourselves in an ethical, honest, open, and transparent format.

Faith also extends to the data as we search for the truth. The only way to solve any problem is to be objective and neutral, apply the numbers, identify the patterns and trends, and then drill down to the root cause. Glossing something over because of concerns of how our organization, subsidiary, division, department, or team may look solves nothing. Whatever is wrong or incorrect sits in place, festering, growing, and transforming from an ant hill into a mountain or even a wall. Withholding information or communication which some view as a threat to their power, position, or authority, only compounds whatever is wrong, can mislead, bottleneck, or even derail the efforts needed to keep things going and bring resolution, hindering the success of everyone.

In our Stakeholder Analysis and/or Stakeholder Assessment conversations, Faith requires that we keep our word in retaining the confidentiality of what has been talked about, communicate in the most transparent, honest, and open format, and treat one another within the conditions mentioned in the 2nd paragraph of this article.

Another way to look at things is that in our own case, we expect Faith-based ethics in the goods and services we purchase. When grocery shopping, if a can says "Beans" on it, we don't expect potatoes when we open it up, and we trust that what is inside is safe to eat meaning it is clean, grown in a healthy format, has the vitamins and nutrition of the label, and is healthy for our family. When we go to a hotel/motel and pay for the room, we don't expect to be sheltered in a cage or a shed, we have reasonable expectations for a bed, closet, television, clean sheets, and healthy continental breakfast.

In each preceding case, we expect that those working at our establishment and those who serve us are working in good faith, here meaning that they do their jobs to the best of their abilities, put in the time and effort required for a quality good or service and that we usually get our money's worth in exchange for our purchases. It just makes good sense for our organization, and a clear conscience for each one of us at the end of the day.

Of course in life there are times when things go wrong, a product doesn't last, breaks down, or needs replacement. The service wasn't quite what we were expecting because the timing was rushed, the attitude was bad, or there was a delay of some type. Normally, we complain or express our frustrations and it then gets fixed, again because of our expectations for the ethics involved. However, in other cases, there is a purposeful disruption, cover-up, or criminal cause, for which we then turn to our legal system for correction or compensation.

Faith does have a place in our lives, not just at home, but in the workplace, and during our leisure, and can permeate successfully in all aspects to create a better atmosphere, build solid relationships, instill confidence in our products or services, improve customer value, enhance community interactions, and set the moral compass by which we should all be functioning.