Media Inquiries, contact: Katie Sheehan, 415-743-6477

Buddhist Lessons for the Workplace

from Being Buddha At Work (Berrett-Koehler, 2012) by Franz Metcalf and BJ Gallagher

3 Ways to Be a Great Employee 

Authors Metcalf and Gallagher highlight Buddha’s words of wisdom and apply them to employee conduct.

• Take from your employer only what is given – This is one of Buddha’s basic precepts. Although taking something as simple as a pen may not seem like a big deal, it is still stealing and can be the first step on a downward spiral.
• Strive to do your work well – Don’t waste your time on scheming or daydreaming; the Buddha always focused on effort.
• Uphold your employer’s name – You are your organization. Whether on or off the job, speak and represent your employer well and it will come back to reward you in surprising ways.

4 Tips to Selecting and Hiring New Employees 

The Buddhist lessons outlined in Being Buddha at Work can be applied to the hiring process saving organizations money, time and energy.

• Don’t just limit your search to obvious candidates – Cast your net as wide as possible in order to get a good pool of applicants. Buddha’s teaching emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind.
• Find a good match for your organizational culture – List behaviors and character traits of those people who are successful in your particular department and/or organization instead of just looking for generic, broad traits.
• Don’t use hypothetical questions – People spin nice stories when they project themselves into hypothetical situations, but these answers have little or nothing to do with reality. Do ask questions about past performances.
• Don’t be in a hurry to hire – Haste in the beginning can be costly later on.

Being Buddha At Work

101 Ancient Truths on Change, Stress, Money, and Success

By Franz Metcalf and BJ Gallagher

Berrett-Koehler Publishers

February 2012

Paperback, $14.95; 176 pages

ISBN: 978-1-60994-292-2