INNER WORK
When organizations stop seeing inner work as separate , the energy invested in dysfunctional coping mechanisms ( e . g . sabotage , malicious compliance , triangulation ) largely abates . People who feel valued and understood put their energy towards connecting with each other , leveraging their strengths , and advancing the mission of the organization . In order for organizations to build resilience , they have to build connections . As one leader succinctly put it , in order for organizations to survive this time they need to “ focus on connection rather than work ” and let the work be a by-product of these relationships .
If unaddressed , the collective trauma of the health and racism pandemics we are navigating right now will continue to reverberate through organizations for generations . Institutions need to invest heavily in this paradigm shift to build institutional muscle around inner work / healing , designing systems and strategies that are individualized for the particular organization , just as inner work is personalized for the individual . When organizations invest in the ongoing practice of inner work , we create practitioners of it .
Another organization we have been working with during this pandemic has started short , daily inner work practices , woven connection / group processing into the fabric of their meetings , and started applying ritual at the beginning and end of the day that supports navigation through anxiety , ambiguity , and grief . This organization is in the early stages of adapting to the changing needs of employees and integrating a holistic approach where each person is welcomed , witnessed , and supported . Employees report feeling more valued and connected to each other , key elements in fostering organizational resilience .
In both of these cases , the exponential positive outcomes the organizations are experiencing are a result of the individuals within the organization rewiring their brain ’ s synapses , creating new channels and thus new patterns . This neurological shift requires practice over time . Inner work is a discipline ; when we engage in it regularly , like exercise builds muscle , we build capacity for it . We rewire the brain to react and respond differently to our environment , and as a result the entire organizational operating system gets upgraded .
Barriers to Inner Work
Don ’ t turn away . Keep your gaze on the bandaged place . That ’ s where the light enters you . - Rumi
If we accept that inner work has everything to do with how we show up and what impact we have , why do individuals and organizations not make this a more explicit priority ? Why have we not gained a level of mastery over this concept , both in our language and in our ability to accurately track and measure its success ?
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CSEE Connections Fall 2020 Page 15