Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D.Executive Soulwww.ExecutiveSoul.com

The Soul of Care

Overview

Last night: Soulful leadership in tough times

This morning: The soul of care

Definitions

Soul: a person’s or organization’s deepest core (May, 2004)

Leader: Leaders influence people to wrestle with conflicts in values, or with gaps between stated and lived values (Heifetz).

Choosing the PathFollowing the heartFinding partnersDaring to dream

Staying on TrackKeeping mission at the forePracticing gratitudeBattling for the soul

Persevering to the EndBreaking the cycle of violencePersevering to the endFinding spiritual guidance

The Soul of Care

Choosing the PathFollowing the heartFinding partnersDaring to dream

Staying on TrackKeeping mission at the forePracticing gratitudeBattling for the soul

Persevering to the EndBreaking the cycle of violencePersevering to the endFinding spiritual guidance

The Soul of Care

Following the Heart, Finding Partners

Rabbi Samuel Karff

Spiritual foundations of healthcare

“Nobody can take away my power to heal.”

-- Sacred Vocation Program

Morsi Mansour

The dream: Healthcare for all

The means: Empowering nurses

-- Aswan Regional Healthcare Project

Daring to Dream

Choosing the PathFollowing the heartFinding partnersDaring to dream

Staying on TrackKeeping mission at the forePracticing gratitudeBattling for the soul

Persevering to the EndBreaking the cycle of violencePersevering to the endFinding spiritual guidance

The Soul of Care

Jim Sanger

Operationalizing the mission

-- St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital

Keeping Mission at the Fore

Meg Clapp

Goal: Operationalizing the mission

Means: Shifting the culture through gratitude

-- Mass. General Hospital Pharmacy

Practicing Gratitude

Expansive Cycle of Gratitude

Meg makes habit of thanking employees regularly

MGH Pharmacy team practices gratitude

Meg finds her heart expanded; she develops a thankful heart

Atmosphere in group shifts; a culture of gratitude is created.

Doing Being

Individual

Group

Jean Quinn

Goal: Thriving teams

Means: Ongoing support

-- Sophia Housing

Battling for the Soul

Choosing the PathFollowing the heartFinding partnersDaring to dream

Staying on TrackKeeping mission at the forePracticing gratitudeBattling for the soul

Persevering to the EndBreaking the cycle of violencePersevering to the endFinding spiritual guidance

The Soul of Care

Genny Nelson

Goal: a safe place to be nurtured and to heal

Means: practicing nonviolence

-- Sisters of the Road Café

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Bob Carlson

Enduring Dark Nights

-- Reell Precision Manufacturing

Persevering to the End

The Leader’s Three-fold Path

Purgative 1st Dark Night Illuminative 2nd Dark Night Unitive

Awakening to awareness of spiritual reality

Discovering that Godgives good gifts

Realizing that followinga spiritual path bringsadded dimension to life

Discovering addictionsand attachments

Good works and floweringof the virtues

Great energy todo God’s work

Listening prayer

Easier to persevere

Discovering that the spiritual journey Is about one’s own transformation

Fully letting go – surrendering the illusionof absolute autonomy

Soul experiences unionwith God

Ego and life become relativized to a highergood

Abundant gifts fromGod begin to dry up

Confusion – missing thecloseness to God

Questioning: What am Idoing wrong?

Redoubling efforts, onlyto experience more drynessand frustration

Familiar approaches toprayer stop working

God seems to havedisappeared

Even through alternativemethods of prayer, Goddoes not return

Learning to desire God For God’s self

The Leader’s Three-fold Path

1. Purgative

2. Illuminative

3. Unitive

First DarkNight

Second DarkNight

Continual processof learning to let go

Awakening to awareness of spiritual reality

Discovering that Godgives good gifts

Realizing that followinga spiritual path bringsadded dimension to life

Discovering addictionsand attachmentsGood works and

floweringof the virtues

Great energy todo God’s work

Listening prayer

Easier to persevere

Discovering that the spiritual journey is about one’s own transformation

Fully letting go – Surrendering the illusionof absolute autonomy

Soul experiences unionwith God

Ego and life become relativized to a highergood

The Organization’s Three-fold Path

Purgative 1st Dark Night Illuminative 2nd Dark Night Unitive

Chose to follow a spiritual path during formative years

Adhered to spiritualprinciples through thickand thin

High morale,high productivity

Financial success

Sought spiritual direction

Perceived, understood, and articulated the soul of the organization

Business back on values-based course to success

Clarification of valuescreated new energy and commitment

Vision renewed

Egos and company itself became relativized to a highergood

Transition: Can we growand stay true to ourvalues?

Bob feltdissatisfied

Questioned whether principles would hinder success

Naysayers’ voices getstronger

Internal politicsintensified

Creativity stagnated

Leadership weary

Hit a wall: no wayforward

Began to move entireorganization intoIlluminative Way

Values tested throughchallenges

The Organizational Three-fold Path

1. Purgative

2. Illuminative

3. Unitive

First DarkNight

Second DarkNight

Continual processof learning to let go

Chose to follow a spiritual path during formative years

Adhered to spiritualprinciples through thickand thin

High morale,high productivity

Financial success

Clarification of valuescreated new energy and commitment

Vision renewed

Egos and company Itself became relativized to a highergood

Sought spiritual direction

Perceived, understood, and articulated the soul of the organization

Business back on values-based course to success

Began to move entireorganization intoIlluminative Way

Values tested throughchallenges

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The necessity of caring for the soul.

Finding Spiritual Guidance

Soul Care

Centering prayer Yoga Walk in woods

Yoga class Religious services Centering prayer group

Look out window and breathe Stone in pocket Connect with co-worker

Patient story Celebration, fun Mission discernment

Outside Workplace Inside Workplace

Individualsoul-enhancingpractices

Groupsoul-enhancingpractices

Enliven the soul in your organization

You are empoweredAll members of an organization have a sphere of influence.

Listen for soulPride in workmanship and joy in work are manifestations of soulful care– and provide an opening to celebrate the human spirit.

Don’t go it aloneSoulful care transcends cultures and traditions – reach across differences while holding on to what makes you strong.

Patience in PerilDifficult times are the very times it is most important to be patient and faithful.

-- Your soul score?

-- Gratitude chart?

-- Soul care for self?

-- Enliven organizational soul?

Your Commitment

Your Soul Score

Yourself ______ Your team ______ Your organization as a whole ______

(on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest score)