What Would Buddha Do At Work?

If Buddha worked in your office, how would he work? What would he think? What values will he live by?

I recently read What Would Buddha Do At Work by Franz Metcalf & BJ Gllagher Hateley. The wisdom is just right, and there are answers to all common business problems in this book. I am going to do a series of posts summarizing the key ideas I liked! Feel free to comment on them, and share your experiences from workplaces.

Part 1: Becoming An Enlightened Worker

• First recognize that you are responsible for your own future.
• Second, recognize that you always have a choice.
• Mission statements for your organization and life are key to enlightened work. The mission statement is a compass to guide your priorities and decisions so you do not become lost in day-to-day activities.
• Do great work, all the time.
• Start work before the boss gets in, and leave after she does.
• Do not take more than you should. Taking home a pencil or minor office supply is stealing.
• You represent your employer, so uphold the company name.
• Your self-confidence increases when you know you have done good work. Good results come from healthy self-esteem.
• Action always beats inaction. Making mistakes is better than not doing anything at all. If you aren’t making mistakes, it means you are not taking risks and not trying hard enough.
• You are a work in progress. You are responsible for your own self-improvement.
• Practice yoga or meditation to learn how to focus.
• If you have ten things to do and only enough time to finish six things, choose the right six and go home without worrying about the four you had to let go.
• There is nothing you can do about the past and you cannot predict the future. The only time that matters is now.
• Speak your mind and share your ideas. Do not keep them to yourself.
• Under-promise and over-deliver. Keep all commitments.
• Talk is cheap. People like to see action, results, and follow-through.
• Your internal moral compass will warn you when you are violating your own integrity.
• Respect company property like it is your own.
• Go about your work quietly and deliberately. There is no need to make public all your efforts. Results will speak for themselves.
• There is no single right way to solve a problem. The problem itself is always changing.
• Be flexible and learn to live with uncertainty.
• Admit you made a mistake. It means you are teachable and humble.
• Do your best work. Promotions and perks are only side effects of doing brilliant work.
• If you wear self-confidence, it doesn’t matter what you are wearing.
• Celebrate the successes of others.
• Physical and worldly things like money are necessary for survival but they will not make you happy.
• The best things in life aren’t things.
• There is nothing wrong with personal wealth as long as it is put to good use. Good stewardship of money comes from a sense of integrity.
• Real happiness comes when we are free from cravings and endless desires.
• Treat money like a visitor we respect but we know can be dangerous.
• When depressed, the best way to feel better is to do something for others.
• You don’t need a lot to get by. Work with what you’ve got.
• Learn from every opportunity, even if it means taking on a task you don’t want to do. It may be that nobody else can do the job except you at the moment.
• Hypocrisy happens when you fool yourself.
• Gossip is a waste of time.
• Surround yourself with people you admire and respect. When you work with someone better than you, your performance will improve.
• You can change.
• Make every day productive.
• It is healthy to balance work and personal life. This is the Middle Way.
• It’s easier to just follow the pack and be mediocre. Living a life of integrity is hard work.
• Wealth and power won’t make you happy. Health, love, and peace of mind will.