ENDEAVOR

“We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.” This is the Preamble, the first sentence and starting point of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philip-pines. “Pinagpala ang bayan na ang Diyos ang Panginoon” (Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord) is written near the top of every currency note of the Republic of the Philippines. It is the counterpart of the phrase “In God we trust” that is printed on every United States currency note. What makes it important for governments and states to preface the most vital documents such as their basic law and their currency notes by invoking God’s help? More than a decade ago, I reflected on this when I wrote my doctoral dissertation on organization development (OD). I was required to present my own OD theory, my individual contribution to the body of knowledge to the community of scholars that I was aspiring to join. Allow me to revisit the foundational discussion in my book, DIWA Spirit-Led Organizations in the Philip-pines: Charting Pathways to Excellence. Organization development (OD) is a strategy for optimizing value creation from the leaders, managers and people who comprise the enterprise. Vision and mission are translated into objectives deployed across several key result areas and measured according to performance indicators. An organization’s OD strategy complements its product and marketing, operations and financial strategies. As an organization evolves, the enterprise is enabled to meet the changes and challenges posed by dynamic trends and developments in its competitive milieu. “Innovate or stagnate” is not simply a trendy slogan; this phrase encapsulates the two stark alternatives: thrive or perish. The scope and scale of change ranges from the incremental to the transformational. What is the desired destination of an organization’s journey? Is it not to attain excellence and to continually scale the heights of achievement? Excellence is not a final destination but a continuing journey or cycle. The apex of excellence is perfection and whenever perfection is thought of, where else could it lead but to the concept of a perfect being or God? From the initial concept of a spirit-driven organization, a more robust concept emerged. A Spirit-led Organization is one in which people’s drive to achieve and excel is powered by a transcendent cause that is greater than themselves. They are moved by a sense of mission and purpose. What they do for their companies becomes a channel for actualizing their values. Hence, there is alignment between organizational and individual goals. Such convergence then produces immense energy that emanates from deep within and provides the wellsprings of inspired efforts. Excellence in organizations is a continuing journey toward higher ground. The quest for meaning and purpose drives individual initiative and inspires people to scale new heights of achievement. Spirit leads the way from the depths to the heights. In Filipino, spirit is diwa, which also means consciousness, thought. It is closely related to the concept of Kapwa that is deeply ingrained in the Filipino consciousness and ultimately, in the Filipino management ethos. Jun Cabochan delves into the significance of Kapwa: “The sustaining core of companies and communities embodies the indigenous concept of kapwa, a mode of being by which one identifies with another. It is more than being a keeper of one’s brother. It is oneness of being that recognizes the other as a mirror of one’s own self. Relating to each other as kapwa tao (roughly, fellow hu-man being) expedites virtuous action, joint effort, teamwork, and collaboration. With kapwa at the foundation of personal being and human relationships, interactions at work tend to solidify the workforce into a cohesive and effective organization.” Globe Telecoms underlines the importance of interpersonal cohesion in its advocacy of soul in action. Ac-cording to Ato Jiao, Globe’s chief human resource officer: It’s about you, me and all of our ka-one globe making soul a way of life. He cites the eight facets in which this could be manifested:  “It means leading your heart, mind, spine, eyes, ears, voice, hands, and feet.” Each of these eight facets is a call to action. Jun Cabochan reflects: “The shared self is a step closer to shared identity” that is the essence of Kapwa. Faith, family and fellowship are three driving forces of a work community. When bonded by shared beliefs that underpin the core of one’s existence, they elevate their drive to achieve. He points out three outcomes that are achieved in the Diwa-Kapwa organization: personal growth, productivity and progress. Self-actualization and deeper spirituality enhances one’s feeling of self-worth and fosters personal growth. Work output and quality of service is upgraded. Personal progress materializes in a continuous upward spiral. “Is there anything more excellent than life-affirming organizations?” Jun Cabochan inquires. Then he reflects further: “In life-affirming organizations we witness the flourishing of creativity, resilience and abundance. As we draw upon the wellsprings of a Diwa-Kapwa organization, there is palpable energy, there’s excite-ment in the air.” In sum, the Diwa-Kapwa organization is one that promotes people first and, in the process, generates extraordinary performance for the benefit of all stakeholders.