A Reflective Workplace

 In his book Rediscovery of Awe, Kirk Schneider asks his readers to imagine a workplace where "there are weekly 'discussion hours' to air philosophical concerns, where health and exercise are encouraged, and where workers have a consistent say in operations" (p.77).He goes on to identify an area in the workplace where "ethical philosophers hold monthly seminars and depth-psychologists work intimately with employees to reflect on their lives." (ibid) While a lot of this sounds Utopian and, to some, impractical, Schneider suggests that such a work site would value "meaningfulness as much or more than making a profit and as a by-product of its emphasis generally becomes profitable in spite of itself." (ibid) As I am reading this passage, I do wonder, how feasible is it to make a work place a site for philosophy?
    I think that Schneider makes an interesting point: when a person looks beyond profit, they often inadvertently become profitable. Why is that? From the perspective just described, I think it is because dialogue is a way for people to become human, not just seen as wheels in a cog of profit. Rather than assuming that the value of a person is in what they do or how much they produce, Schneider puts a dialogic spin on the workplace. People can connect on different levels and have meaningful discussions about what makes a good life. In doing so, they can be more creative and real, which ends up giving them the passion to produce and create at the same time.
   A lot of what Schneider writes makes sense from the perspective of allowing workers to speak their minds and not attach to any dominant thoughts. But it's often hard to implement. It's not because people are only profit-seekers. I think it is because most ideas start out as suggestions, and then quickly build inertia until they are seen as absolutes. Whenever there is a discussion and free talk, there is a tendency to almost seek out the idea that 'fits' the best. But it seems that ideas are always based on a context that is always shifting. What is true for this moment may not be true for the next.
    I have also observed that the freshness and spontaneity of conversation almost requires a deep and heartfelt suspension of trying to find the 'best' answer. Eventually, people need to make decisions, but even these decisions don't need to be treated as permanent or absolutely 'right'. I wonder if perhaps, what might be needed in Schneider's account is how people in organizations cultivate space and silence, so that they are not clinging to their thoughts or opinions. Such a practice might round out Schneider's vision of the 'philosophic' workplace and make for a more harmonious process of dialogue, where people are not taking their thoughts as themselves.

Schneider, Kirk (2004) J Rediscovery of Awe St Paul: Paragon House