Why You Should Read the Rule of St Benedict
I refer to The Rule of St Benedict from time to time. Sure, it was written in the 5th century for monks of that time. But it has been read by Benedictine monks ever since. Interestingly, though, its advice has been followed by many others, including regular working people like us Catholic men.
Remember that monasteries were "corporate" enterprises. There was a boss (the Abbot) and all the monks pursued holiness together. Their means of pursuit were prayer and work: ora et labora in latin. Everyone had to get along in order for there to be "stability" in the monastery. Stability allowed the orderly, peaceful atmosphere of the monastery to support the activities of prayer and work with minimum distraction. The monks had to get along. Disputes were disruptive.
The Abbot functioned as a kind of boss and father. The monks took an oath of obedience - "holy obedience" - and gave up their right to do what they wanted. They were supposed to obey the commands of the Abbot. The theory was that such holy obedience led to a withering of ego and a growing closeness to God.
Can you see how a well-run business shares some aspects of a well-run monastery? If you read The Rule each day (it's designed to be read daily throughout the year), I'm confident you'll find ideas that will be helpful in your work. Here's one idea I just came across. It has to do with the Abbot. As we read St Benedict's description of what makes a good Abbot, think about attributes of a good boss.
"The abbot ought to always remember what he is and what he is called, and to know that to whom much hath been entrusted, from him much will be required; and let him understand what a difficult and arduous task he assumeth in governing souls and accommodating himself to a variety of characters."
A good boss can't just be "one of the guys." He represents authority (a concept that's become foreign to most people) and takes on a serious responsibility. A well-run company has a plan, establishes specific objectives and the bosses job is to make sure those those objectives are met. He reports "up" to his boss, and his staff - professional and administrative - is expected to support the bosses efforts. His superiors expect much of him and the more authority he possesses and/or the more employees he oversees, that much more is expected of him.
A lot of times, people take on supervisory responsibility because they've been promoted. All of sudden you're a manager. You've got authority over others and it's a big responsibility. Are you up for it? You - just like the Abbot - must realize what you've taken on in your role as boss. The success of the organization and, to a great degree, the success and welfare of those on your team depend a lot on you. And the bigger your team, the more different "characters" you have to deal with. Not everyone's the same. To get the best out of everyone, you have to know them well enough to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and supervise or manage accordingly.
Remember that monasteries were "corporate" enterprises. There was a boss (the Abbot) and all the monks pursued holiness together. Their means of pursuit were prayer and work: ora et labora in latin. Everyone had to get along in order for there to be "stability" in the monastery. Stability allowed the orderly, peaceful atmosphere of the monastery to support the activities of prayer and work with minimum distraction. The monks had to get along. Disputes were disruptive.
The Abbot functioned as a kind of boss and father. The monks took an oath of obedience - "holy obedience" - and gave up their right to do what they wanted. They were supposed to obey the commands of the Abbot. The theory was that such holy obedience led to a withering of ego and a growing closeness to God.
Can you see how a well-run business shares some aspects of a well-run monastery? If you read The Rule each day (it's designed to be read daily throughout the year), I'm confident you'll find ideas that will be helpful in your work. Here's one idea I just came across. It has to do with the Abbot. As we read St Benedict's description of what makes a good Abbot, think about attributes of a good boss.
"The abbot ought to always remember what he is and what he is called, and to know that to whom much hath been entrusted, from him much will be required; and let him understand what a difficult and arduous task he assumeth in governing souls and accommodating himself to a variety of characters."
A good boss can't just be "one of the guys." He represents authority (a concept that's become foreign to most people) and takes on a serious responsibility. A well-run company has a plan, establishes specific objectives and the bosses job is to make sure those those objectives are met. He reports "up" to his boss, and his staff - professional and administrative - is expected to support the bosses efforts. His superiors expect much of him and the more authority he possesses and/or the more employees he oversees, that much more is expected of him.
A lot of times, people take on supervisory responsibility because they've been promoted. All of sudden you're a manager. You've got authority over others and it's a big responsibility. Are you up for it? You - just like the Abbot - must realize what you've taken on in your role as boss. The success of the organization and, to a great degree, the success and welfare of those on your team depend a lot on you. And the bigger your team, the more different "characters" you have to deal with. Not everyone's the same. To get the best out of everyone, you have to know them well enough to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and supervise or manage accordingly.
"Let him so adjust and adapt himself to everyone—to one by gentleness of speech, to another by reproofs, and to still another by entreaties, to each one according to his bent and understanding—that he not only suffer no loss in his flock, but may rejoice in the increase of a worthy fold."
If you understand the individuals on your staff, your turnover will be minimal. If every boss in the company, from the biggest boss to the smallest supervisor, understands their people and treats them like individuals, coaxing out their best efforts and minimizing errors, laziness and bad behavior, your business may thrive and the people who work for it won't always be complaining (as so many employees do) and looking elsewhere for a new job.
What I like about The Rule is that it doesn't use all that "corporate speak." Our consultant - St Benedict - is inspired by a very special profit motive: the salvation of souls. Meanwhile, he understands both what it takes to run a smooth operation as well as the importance of treating the individuals involved as people, not just numbers or "functions."
I only covered one small example here, but you'll find so many others if you take a few minutes to read The Rule each day. It's helped me not only in my spiritual life, but in my work life as well.
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