The Living Workplace: Soul, Spirit and Success in the 21st Century

Susan McKnight is an administrator of the Courts Technology Integrated Justice Project at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

This book offers a compelling framework for an effective, vibrant, and
spiritually satisfying workplace that should be the hallmark of the 21st
century. Ann Coombs’s fundamental principles include Spirit, Wisdom,
Openness, and Thoughtfulness (SWOT), and the most crucial ingredient in
the success of this new type of workplace is truth. The underlying
current in the book is the need for both employers and employees to
listen for, understand, and adhere to the truth, which will then lead to
honesty in the workplace, integrity in the work force, and success in a
collaborative effort. Coombs stresses the need for faith in a higher
power and a firm desire to nurture one’s soul during one’s working
life as well as during one’s leisure time.

Ultimately, her vision of the 21st-century workplace for both employers
and employees relies heavily on the entrepreneurial approach to
business, as opposed to the outdated “boss/compliant worker”
approach of the last century. Instead of just bringing your hands to
work, it is time to bring your heart and soul to work. For their part,
employers must be ready to provide a workplace that nurtures the
passion, creativity, and need for spiritual fulfilment required for
keeping employees whole. Coombs tackles the serious problem of the toxic
workplace and examines the repression caused by using fear as a
management tool. Her approach places the onus for change on employer and
employee equally, stressing that only through working together can a
healthy and successful workplace be maintained.

The book is set up in chapters with subchapters highlighting the
various points, making it very easy to reference specific points at a
later date. The style is similar to a business seminar: each chapter
begins with pertinent questions, followed by a detailed discussion and
suggestions. There are various point-form charts scattered through the
book, and Coombs includes a framework questionnaire to illustrate a
rating system she uses to determine the level of leadership qualities
required to create a living workplace. Appendix B comprises a full
resource list of books, periodicals, and on-line sources.

Coombs is president of Coombs Consulting Ltd., which specializes in
change-management techniques and leading-edge business strategies. She
has worked with some of Canada’s largest corporations.