Being Buddha at Work 108 Ancient Truths on Change, Stress, Money, and Success

by Metcalf, Franz; Gallagher, Bj

• ISBN13: 9781609942922
• ISBN10: 1609942922
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-06
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Summary

There are lots of books that address how we should take care of ourselves, find calm, and enjoy happiness in a hectic work world. But few of those books apply the lessons of Buddhist thinking as resolution and guidance tools. These questions, though found in the modern day, are actually the core of all Buddha's teachings ; impermanence, suffering, and the quest for happiness (freedom from suffering). This makes Buddha the kind of consultant or coach we need today in our workplaces. Following in the tradition of the authors' first bestseller, this work goes on to explore and answer 101 dilemmas that we encounter at work, with topics ranging from time management, goal-setting, conflict to job dissatisfaction, unemployment, and even workplace trysts. The authors emphasize practical learning and coping, not esoteric insights or metaphysics, applying concrete solutions from Buddhist teachings to real problems in easily digestible chunks.

Author Biography

Franz Metcalf teaches religious studies at California State University, Los Angeles. He is the president of the Western Region of the American Academy of Religion and an active leader in the Forge Institute. His books include What Would Buddha Do? and Buddha in Your Backpack.
BJ Gallagher is a workplace consultant and dynamic workshop leader and speaker. Her clients include IBM, Chevron, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Chrysler, John Deere Credit, and the League of California Cities, among others. Her business books include the international bestseller A Peacock in the Land of Penguins and Yes Lives in the Land of No.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction: Putting Buddha to Work
Part I: Becoming a Mindful Worker
CHOOSING MINDFUL WORK
Advantages of mindful work
Choosing the right career or job
Becoming a great employee
Self-esteem
Dealing with distractions
PRACTICAL ENLIGHTENMENT
Beginner’s mind
Establishing priorities
Time management
Procrastination
Too much email
Getting lost in cyberspace
Selling without selling out
Really distasteful jobs
QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
When smart people do dumb things
Discouragement
Rumors and gossip
The company you keep
Achieving work/life balance
The cost of integrity and wisdom
BEING SUCCESSFUL
Achieving goals
Multitasking
Finding the “right” answer to a problem
Admitting mistakes
Getting promoted
Celebrating accomplishments
Happiness vis a vis success
MONEY AND HAPPINESS
“The root of all evil”
Personal wealth
Creating a long-term spending plan
Greed
Getting rich
Financial setbacks and losses
Financial hardship
Planning for retirement
DEALING WITH CHANGE
Resistance to change
Anxiety, fear and stress
Losing your job
Changing careers
Finding new work
Taking care of yourself in difficult times
Part II: Cultivating Mindful Work Relationships
WORKING WITH OTHERS
Getting along with others
The golden rule
Influencing others
Doing something extra for others
Double standards between ourselves and others
Work spouses
The importance of listening
Receiving negative feedback
Teaching or training a coworker
Criticizing someone
Encouraging personal accountability
Helping others deal with change
DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE
Dealing with jerks
Coworkers who lie
Handling people-pleasers
Being badmouthed
Anger
Adulterous affairs at work
Whiners and negative people
Conflict with a teammate
CUSTOMERS: LOVE ’EM OR LOSE ’EM
The importance of customer service
Encouragement for customer service people
Handling an angry customer
Bad customer service
Public relations
Part III: Creating a Mindful Workplace
LEADERSHIP AND BOSSES
True leadership
Identifying and selecting good leaders
Becoming a great employer or boss
Bosses who surround themselves with “yes” men
Tough, demanding bosses
Executive egos
Power struggles
Terrible bosses
THE BIG ISSUES
Making a profit
Bottom line thinking vs. Buddha mind thinking
Writing a mission statement
Investing in the future
Developing a learning organization
Encouraging creativity and innovation
Corporate responsibility
Going Green
WORK PRACTICES AND PROCESSES
Short-term versus long-term thinking
Designing work processes
Technology
Business gurus and consultants
Improving communication within an organization
Running an effective meeting
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF EMPLOYEES
Selecting and hiring the right person for the job
Motivating people
Expectations
Employee training
Increasing employee morale
Job security
Guiding career development
Incentives and bonuses
SOLVING PEOPLE PROBLEMS
Policies and procedures
Employee diversity
Stereotyping
Sexism
Sexual harassment
Squabbling coworkers
Firing someone for poor performance
Lack of trust
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Reorganizing, mergers and acquisitions
Outsourcing and rightsizing
Corporate crises and scandals
Turning around a business
Starting a new business
Glossary of Buddhist Terms
Notes
About the Authors