To honor God in all we do, to help people develop, to pursue excellence, and to grow profitably are the espoused values of ServiceMaster Company, a leading company delivering world-class service. The first two items in its motto are the ends and the second two “to” are the means. Below are the thoughts of a practical nature, which help executives capture the opportunity to call on the soul for a strong foundation in our quickly changing times. Here are intermediary steps for marketers to re-approach the soul:
Understand the four new core areas of truthfulness, simplicity, expanded participation, and personal responsibility. These are every field’s pillars for a shining business position. Frontline marketers need to understand how a product works and provide uncomplicated experiences to users. In the meantime, distance cannot mean abdication of responsibility. Having a positive boardroom culture where discussion and respect of different views is required. Though the chair of a multinational corporation may feel herself far removed from local issues, the locals themselves take all of the firm’s actions very personally.
Introduce a mindful practice in the workplace. Leading corporations like Google, Intel, and General Mills have used the concept of mindfulness. Through meditation practice, speaker Paul Ryan in the House and Dean Almeida at Georgetown have also been working to reinvigorate core American values. Meditation is believed to not only unlock the productive habits of staff, but also to build conscious professionalism as well as leadership.
Consider the introduction of guiding key tenets in the educational curriculum of business schools. One approach could be the transference and implementation of Jesuit thought. Could one think of a reliable, productive, and high-quality mercenary as output of business schools? Education by members of the Society of Jesus could be characterized by the distinctive imperatives of ethic and honesty. When Ignatius of Loyola founded the religious order of the Jesuits almost 500 years ago, he expressly saw himself as establishing a service of special defenders and promoters of papal theological thought and clerical practice. He presented the vow of obedience and encouraged all members of the society to become “soldiers of God.” At present, Jesuit colleges teaching business should offer no less than Ignatius intended. They need to ensure that those students they honor with an MBA degree are vigorous promoters and defenders of an honest and straightforward business mission and practice. For business, there is no need to call for ghost busters when engaging the service of a Jesuit MBA. Enhanced collaboration with Jesuit education could help future executives to know and see leadership, as well as clarify, even for distanced owners, the means and ends of international business.
A key auto industry executive, Bob Lutz, used to describe two kinds of people in automobile companies: carmakers and bean counters. Car guys are those who work at General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler during the day, and then work at night on their cars as a hobby. On weekends, they would race them. During their free time, they would talk cars with other car folks. That is what built General Motors and Detroit in general. The rise of the nonmakers to positions of dominance in the domestic car industry almost destroyed the carmakers. While carmakers pursued manufacturing perfection for pleasure, nonmakers focused on financial manipulation over product excellence. As the Austrian-born English philosopher Wittgenstein stated, “A philosopher who is not taking part in discussions is like a boxer who never goes into the ring.” It is time for all of us to approach the ring with slow steps, having prepared the body for the event, and letting the soul lead the way.