I believe that most organizations operate without soul. I'm not saying that the people that work within corporations do not have soul.  It is the corporate entity that has no soul.  Corporations are meant to generate profit. Although there may be other reasons for corporations to exist, their real motive is profit for the owners. This is particularly the case with publicly-traded companies. Decisions are made based on how they will increase revenue or decrease costs. It’s called the [tag-tec]profit motive[/tag-tec] and it is inherent in the definition of the corporation. Whether you know it already or not, we are at a turning point in human history. People are more interconnected than ever, both electronically and spiritually. The human race is awakening spiritually and raising its level of consciousness. If you didn’t already know this, now you do and you are therefore already more conscious and enlightened than before you read this (see how easy it is to walk the path of enlightenment?!) Much has been written about this [tag-ice]spiritual awakening[/tag-ice]. However at the corporate level, consciousness is much slower to evolve. People spend a significant portion of their waking hours at work and in an environment that contributes to higher levels stress, worry, anger, boredom and fear. It's not like this all the time, however, and I’m sure you have also had very positive experiences at work. You may have made friendships, had fun, been productive and achieved great things. But at some level, don’t you agree that the workplace could be better? Furthermore, many corporate decisions are made at the expense of people, places and things. Has a corporation ever caused a person to be injured or even die? Of course! Has a corporation ever caused a species to become extinct? No question! Have landscapes been changed through, for example, deforestation? Absolutely.  Do you accept these occurrences or do you question them? Are you happy that our global pursuit of “more” has put the human race, the habitability of our planet and future generations at significant risk? We need to consider the cost of “the way things have always been done”. We need to challenge the status quo. We need to try new ways of doing things. There is much at stake. Your marriage, your health, your happiness and those of your co-workers and anyone your company affects, directly or indirectly. Many people put these extremely valuable assets (marriage, health, family, happiness), second to their career. Why? Why would an investment banker be more concerned about the wealth of his or her client’s shareholders, most of whom he has never met, than his own marriage? I propose that people do these things because they think they have to. Because they are not yet enlightened. Because they have not yet considered that it CAN be different. Imagine if we could serve ourselves, our loved ones AND the corporation and its stakeholders. It’s possible. We just have to want to. In a subsequent posting I will share what I believe to be the Thirteen Qualities of the Enlightened Team. 

My next series of posts will address the question "Why do [tag-tec]organizational teams[/tag-tec] need to be enlightened"?  Corporations are meant to generate profit.  Although there may be other reasons for corporations to exist, their real motive is profit for the owners.  This is particularly the case with publicly-traded companies.  Decisions are made based on how they will increase revenue or decrease costs.  This very often comes at the expense of employees. Here is the first of a number of examples of "what's wrong".  This is a direct quote from an ex-employee of this company: "One very large credit card processing firm called an early morning meeting of all the headquarter staff in the large lobby. They told all the employees (about 600) that attendance was mandatory and to bring their badge and keys. After a head count, individuals were called up to the "stage" and fired one by one until 150 people had been humiliated. The rest of us, now terrorized, were told to be "happy you have a job and get back to work". I walked out the front door. I still can't believe I was a witness to this, it was awful." I can't even imagine how the remaining employees could work in that environment after what happened.  What must the morale have been like?  Would you want to work there?  Do YOU have a "what's wrong" story.  Comment on this posting or do it on LinkedIn before November 6, 2007.  http://www.linkedin.com/answers/hiring-human-resources/personnel-policies/HRH_PPO/122920-1826262