The Power of “Ordinary Workers” Applying their Core Beliefs

by Kent Johnson, J.D., Senior Corporate Advisor, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Part of the blog series, Authenticity & Connection

As the world spirals deeper into cynicism, divisiveness and distrust, many are wondering: “I’m just an ordinary worker; down in the org chart; what can I do about it?

You can do a lot.

It only takes a handful of courageous employees to exert a significant positive impact on a company’s culture.  We’ve seen this play out in company after company… large and small.  In the end, what really carries the day is the heart and soul of the people at the “grassroots” – the ordinary workers.

We compliance lawyers wonder:  Why didn’t somebody at Volkswagen raise serious questions early on about the “cheater devices” being installed to fraudulently defeat diesel emissions tests? How did that blatant cheating continue over 9 years without someone – at some level – blowing the whistle?  If but one employee – over all those years – had visibly pressed the obvious question, “What is this device FOR?” VW could’ve avoided billions in reparations and fines, huge reputational damage and untold havoc on many employees’ lives.

In a similar vein, many questions should be asked.  How is it possible for a “boss” to get away with denigrating women in the workplace, day after day, month after month?  How can a manufacturer gloss over a known safety risk?  How can a company persist in muzzling a whole class of employees that yearns to do the right thing?…

Understandably, the main focus in many of these cases is on the behaviors and words (or silence) of the few leaders at the top.  They’re the ones considered responsible for company culture.  The high profile “big fish” is the most attractive target for prosecution and blame.  Makes sense. But I’d submit (from experience) that the heart of an organization rests largely with its rank-and-file.  You. 

Often, top managers are less able than the common worker to truly impact the culture of the company, especially on “softer” ideological topics like ethics and inclusion.  People expect bosses to give “lip service” to ethical considerations.  Rightly or mistakenly, workers often think “that’s what the top brass need to say to cover themselves; but the only thing they really care about is achieving measurable short term profit goals; and they want us to get there, whatever it takes.”  Especially in today’s cynical culture, people are apt to wonder: Did our leader do the “right” thing because she really believes it’s right, or just to avoid the penalty if she got caught? 

Authenticity of company leaders is certainly important.  Those in power should be among the first to speak out.  But in today’s cynical workplace, leaders’ credibility is often suspect. My point is that the entire company’s authentic commitment to the company’s stated values and principles is fundamentally put to the test when an “ordinary worker” courageously points out behavior that contradicts those values.  Here are two of the ways this scenario can play out:

• — If the worker is publicly commended or rewarded for raising the issue, a culture of integrity can be strengthened. This scenario demonstrates that workers’ integrity and caring are valued. (Even then, skeptics may think management was forced against its will to commend the whistleblower).

• — If a legitimate concern is ignored and the worker is demoted or fired for raising it, the objection can have an even more powerful positive impact. Others are inspired by the courageous ordinary worker.  The fact that the stakes are high adds weight to the words and actions of the ordinary worker.  The risk authenticates the worker’s heartfelt commitment to the core principles.  When authentic commitment is evident, it’s transformative.

Of course, day-to-day work issues aren’t always so clearly “right” or “wrong.”  It often turns out, after respectful and diligent follow up, that what appeared to be a violation of the company’s core values has a legitimate explanation. Wherever it’s feasible to do so, that explanation should be clearly explained to all those involved, so they aren’t crushed under the misimpression that there may have been a cover-up.

In each of these situations, the courage and virtuous intent of an ordinary worker is a powerful influence for institutional change of heart.  Sincere, heart-driven integrity is infectious.  Over time, the brave and respectful questions from “ordinary workers” make truly illicit behavior very uncomfortable. In all but the most unscrupulously-run companies, it only takes a few vocal “ordinary workers” for integrity to prevail.  And when this works, workers feel personally affirmed, encouraged and fully engaged.

Some readers are saying, “You’re urging those without power to take significant risks with their careers!”  To that, I say… well… yes, I am.  But by so doing, I’m not letting management off the hook.  When you take these bold steps, you’ll present opportunities for management to demonstrate their genuine commitment as well.  In many, many cases, you’ll find that integrity is appreciated at the top.  Most significantly in your life, you’ll be acting in accord with your own core personal values.  That speaks volumes.  That inspires. That transforms entire cultures.

We compliance lawyers often argue (of course we do) over what’s the best training to influence people to “do the right thing even when nobody’s looking.”  To my thinking, the best training encourages workers to act according to the core values and beliefs that they personally aspire to live out.  Frankly, for many, it’s demoralizing to work in corporate cultures that frown on authentic and open discussion of how worker’s heartfelt principles relate to their work.

So, here’s the “call to action”:

• — If you’re in a position to influence company policy, please consider joining the growing number of major companies that have embraced religious diversity and inclusion. Encourage your people (those who may be willing to do so) to talk with one another about their core values and beliefs, and where they’re drawn from.  Sincerely encourage them to follow through.

• — If you’re an “ordinary worker,” please don’t just wait for your “bosses” to do something. If you’re not already doing so, start thinking about and talking with colleagues who are willing to listen, about how your core values and beliefs impact your work. Encourage them, and learn from them.  Stand up.  And follow through in accordance with your beliefs.

The “ordinary worker” MATTERS.  You can do this.  You can do a lot.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2021

Workplace Religious Inclusion Highlighted in 2nd Annual Conference

Hosted by Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Busch School of Business, Conference Highlights Successes at Google and new EEOC Guidelines

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) The Second National Faith@Work Employee Resource Group (ERG) Conference will bring together representatives of Fortune 500 companies who are members of faith-and-belief ERGs Feb. 9-11, 2021. The conference supports the growing movement of top companies that are making their workplaces religiously inclusive, and is a national convening point for workplace chaplains and those interested in faith, ethics and technology.

The conference, hosted by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., will be held virtually this year. It features best practices on religious inclusion in the workplace, shared by representatives of organizations including: the Intel Corporation, American Express, Tyson Foods, Accenture, Salesforce, SAP, and Equinix.

Sharon Fast Gustafson, general counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), will deliver a keynote presentation EEOC’s General Counsel, will deliver a keynote presentation on why religious nondiscrimination is good for business. “We are honored to have General Counsel Gustafson participate in the Faith@Work conference. It is a wonderful opportunity for companies to hear directly from the EEOC General Counsel on the legal obligations relating to religious nondiscrimination and accommodation in the workplace,” says Andrew Abela, dean of the business school.

Tomas Flier, Google’s Global Diversity and Inclusion lead, will deliver a keynote presentation on how building a culture of belonging for all at Google includes religious inclusion. At the conference, Flier will premier Google’s Inter Belief Network video. “We are excited to hear from Mr. Flier how religious inclusion benefits not only Google’s global workforce but also all of us who rely on the many innovative products and services provided by Google every day,” says Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation.

Other speakers include:

• Juliet Funt, CEO of WhiteSpace at Work, on banishing the thieves of productivity and recovering time to be creative.
• Rear Admiral (ret.) Margaret Grun Kibben, chaplain of the US House of Representatives and retired chief of chaplains for the US Navy and Marine Corp, will discuss with Chaplain Karen Diefendorf (Tyson Foods) and Chaplain and Chief Flight Controller Fr. Greg McBrayer (American Airlines) how workplaces can build civility despite the challenges of a pandemic and social and political unrest.

The conference also features panels on faith, ethics and technology, and remarks by Frank Torres, director of public policy in Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI, part of the company’s Technology and Corporate Responsibility group.

The conference will kick off with the results of the Second Annual Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Index being revealed. The REDI Index is the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s annual benchmark of the state of Corporate America’s inclusion of religion as an integral part of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Major conference sponsors include American Airlines, PayPal, Texas Instruments, Dell Technologies, the Global Leadership Network and the BYU Marriott School of Business.

Click here to register for the 2nd National Faith@Work ERG Conference.

MEDIA: For more information, to attend the conference, or to schedule an interview, For Press Inquiries, contact:

• The Busch School of Business: conlon@cua.edu or 202-319-5873.
• Religious Freedom & Business Foundation: media@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org.

Foxhole Relationships at Work: How Connection can arise out of Conflict*

by Kent Johnson, J.D., Senior Corporate Advisor, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Part of the blog series, Authenticity & Connection

Now we’re going to explore a different facet of Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB). We’ve extolled the benefits of freeing individuals to “bring their whole selves to work,” the desirability of making people feel welcomed and valued for who they are, and the merits of transparency and deeper interpersonal knowledge. It all sounds warm and friendly, friction-free. Now we’ll turn our attention to conflict, and not just the appearance of conflict that’s readily resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.

Conflict is often seen as a force for division. It can drive people who are “alike” to shift blame onto those who are “different.” It’s been known to promote an ethos of “every man for himself.” But today, I’d like to begin to probe how, through times of conflict and trouble in diverse workforces, FoRB is helping build civility, authenticity and connection among those who are different.

It’s no secret that conflict and pressure can drive extraordinary accomplishments. Especially in diverse countries like the US, conflict throws diverse people together in proverbial foxholes, where necessity compels cooperation and task-related loyalty. Military conflict, in particular, ironically drives some of civilization’s greatest technological progress. Also ironically, war can advance cultural tolerance among colleagues. For instance, WW 2 occasioned many positive interracial and interfaith friendships among the troops that didn’t end on VJ Day. Soldiers who had absolutely nothing in common were thrust together in literal or figurative foxholes, in crisis. Many soldiers came to learn each others’ core identities and beliefs — different as they were from their own — and yet emerged from those foxholes as fast, lifelong friends.

Luke Ryan is a case in point. While serving in Afghanistan in 2013, he and his fellow Army Rangers were ambushed. Four were killed. In an interview recently published on by War and Life: Discussions with Veterans (see YouTube), Luke spoke of the awfulness of combat. And yet he missed knowing that he had to be completely trustworthy, and knowing that he could trust the others. “When you’re in a life or death situation, then every moment is charged with purpose,” he says. “You’re there for the mission and the people you’re with. The people are what you care about more.”

Don’t misunderstand: I am no advocate of war! I’m simply posing the question: What might we learn from collegiality and trust among diverse soldiers that would help us advance civility in our diverse workplaces? How are foxhole relationships among diverse colleagues forged at work? How do people really come to know about and begin to care for one another?

How do you feel when you know that someone at work trusts you and is depending on you? How do you feel when you know that your coworker would selflessly help you, even at considerable personal cost? Do the “foxhole situations” at work leave you feeling valued? Do they help you learn to value your coworkers?

Do the conflicts and stresses of everyday work energize you? Do they help you come to grips with what you truly believe: the core principles, values and beliefs that define who you really are? Do they move you to a deeper resolve to act authentically and consistently with coworkers, in accordance with those beliefs?

My point is simple: The conflict and friction that’s inevitable at work presents opportunities to build relationships with our coworkers. The world’s current divisiveness and the isolation we’ve experienced due to the pandemic heighten the need for deeper, more trusting personal connections. Workplaces are crucibles where civility can flourish, provided we don’t quash communication about what people consider their core identity.

This is not just about your workplace. Over time, the positive byproducts of civility among diverse people in workplaces can spread through the entire world, with lasting positive effect long after particular battles have ended.

We’ll probe this theme more in coming weeks, as we continue to unpack the various ways that FoRB spurs authenticity, trust and friendship in the workplace. Your thoughts are welcome!

Join the discussion on LinkedIn or Facebook.

And join us at the Feb. 9-11 Faith@Work conference where this and many other important topics will be discussed!

*Special thanks to Preston Jones, Ph.D., professor of history, for his inputs on relationships in warfare.

The Intel Corporation is one of the most religiously inclusive companies in America, according to the 2020 Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Index.

This is due in no small part to the significant investment made by the company to incorporate religious diversity into their overall diversity and inclusion framework. The organization’s commitment to religious inclusivity is seen in their willingness to incorporate new employee resource groups (ERGs). For example, Intel Corporation’s inclusion of a resource group dedicated to Bahá’í believers is notable. Across the entire Fortune 200 companies, no other company provides a dedicated community for practitioners of the Bahá’í faith, which globally has 8.5 million followers according to the World Religion Database.

Religious inclusivity has many benefits. One in particular stands out to Hadi Sharifi, the head of Intel’s Muslim ERG: It makes the company feel like his home and he feels like his coworkers are family, regardless of their faith.

Hear his words below. And join us Feb. 9-11 at the national Faith@Work conference for the whole Intel panel and more!

Hadi Sharifi – What Impact Does Intel’s Faith ERGs Have? from Religious Freedom & Business Fnd on Vimeo.

The 2021 national Faith@Work ERG Conference is less than two weeks away! You are in store for inspiring insights and authentic connections with the world’s foremost thinkers and leaders on the interconnections between business and our hearts, minds and spirits.

We’ll hear directly from those who have built and are building faith-and-belief employee resource groups (ERGs) in some of America’s most successful companies, including: Google, American Airlines, Intel, American Express and PayPal.

We’ll also hear from people from companies that have launched new interfaith ERGs during the pandemic, such as Equinix, and others that are just beginning the process, as is SAP.

But — as we’ll learn from Accenture — religious inclusion in the workplace is more than just setting up an ERG: it requires a shift towards an accommodation mindset. In companies like Tyson Foods and American Airlines, that includes having workplace chaplains.

Former US Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Suzan Johnson Cook, brings her Global Black Women’s Chamber of Commerce network to discuss how faith is integral, authentic and energized within the African American business community. Spoiler alert: Get ready to dance!

From Sue Warnke of Salesforce, Dean Bridgette Madrian of the BYU Marriott School of Business and Dean Andrew Abela of the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, we’ll hear how the business leaders of tomorrow expect to enter workplaces that welcome their faiths and beliefs.

Drilling down on the conference’s theme of Authenticity and Connection, Kent Johnson will moderate several panels ranging from “Today’s Need for Greater Empathy and Thicker Skin” to how “Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists are an Important Focus for Diversity & Inclusion.”

The keynotes are must-hear:

– Tomas Flier, Google’s global diversity and inclusion lead, will release the premier of a fantastic video introducing Google’s Inter Belief Network to the world.
– Sharon Fast Gustafson, EEOC’s General Counsel, “will deliver a keynote presentation on why religious nondiscrimination is good for business” and “will explain legal obligations relating to religious nondiscrimination and accommodation in the workplace.”
– Juliet Funt, CEO of WhiteSpace at Work (brought to us thanks to the Global Leadership Network), will inspire with practical advice on banishing the thieves of productivity and recovering time to be creative.
– Margaret Grun Kibben, chaplain of the US House of Representatives and retired chief of chaplains for the US Navy and Marine Corp, discusses with Chaplain Karen Diefendorf (Tyson Foods) and Fr. Greg McBrayer (American Airlines) how workplaces can build civility despite the challenges of a pandemic and social and political unrest.

There is also a fascinating series of panels on faith, ethics and technology, including remarks by Frank Torres, Director of Public Policy in Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI, part of the company’s Technology and Corporate Responsibility group.

There will be plenty of live interaction as well as a special religious freedom & business short Film Festival, PLUS some humorous spots along the way … but that part is a secret. 🙂

Invite others to join you – registration is open!

by Kent Johnson, J.D., Senior Corporate Advisor, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Part of the blog series, Authenticity & Connection – Join Kent’s conversation on Facebook or LinkedIn.

“THOSE people are awful!” [But my coworker is one, and she seems to be a pretty good person…]

Have you ever heard that kind of mixed sentiment?

Personal familiarity often overcomes categorical bias. In the workplace, when diverse employees engage meaningfully over time with one another, they can get a more nuanced view of their colleagues’ character as it relates to their work. Turns out, “those people” aren’t so bad (at least not all of them) …

My point is that our diverse workplaces provide fertile ground for bridge-building relationships to flourish. As we spend hours at work co-laboring to achieve shared goals, we begin to witness how one of “those” people navigates the daily challenges of work. Even in the current virtual work mode, we get signals of our coworkers’ character from thousands of incidents like these:

– A manager openly commends someone for correcting her.
– A salesperson refuses to take an unethical shortcut which could’ve won him a big sale.
– A coworker ascribes credit to others where it’s due, though the coworker could’ve easily kept all the credit for himself.
– Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg befriended Justice Antonin Scalia.

We draw character inferences – good and bad – from brief glances like those. Our inferences may be wildly inaccurate, because, frankly, most of the time we have no idea what really makes our coworkers “tick,” and our unconscious biases can distort our perceptions of what we see. We’re told about the importance of trust and teamwork; but we’re left in the dark about our colleagues’ hearts and minds.

WHY do our coworkers do what they do at work? What are the work-related core beliefs and principles that they aspire to follow? It seems inappropriate to ask. Often, it feels like avenues for deeper connection are blocked. Our corporate culture is too fearful to let us truly connect.Management is worried that if we really knew one another’s core motivations, we’d hate one another. Seems the presumption is that we can only “tolerate” each other from a distance; we can only work civilly together so long as we remain ignorant of our coworker’s core identity. (Heaven forbid we learn they’re one of “them!”). We’re worried that opening the “pandora’s box” of religion and belief and core defining principles would cause chaos.

This kind of fear accelerates the growing frenzy of rancor and distrust. We can do better.

Before I go further with this post, I want to make something crystal clear: We’re not advocating a corporate culture that puts employees on the spot and compels deep self-disclosure. That kind of compulsion wrongfully invades people’s privacy and can create an oppressive environment. Besides, it’s wildly counterproductive. Forced disclosure of core beliefs and values is, almost inevitably, inauthentic. Everyone must be free to opt out with no negative implications at all.

That said, we at the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation have seen how a purposeful championing of freedom of religion and belief in companies can enable voluntary, authentic connection among those who want it. And where this happens, it’s powerfully freeing. And affirming. And “catching.” Many (not all) of our coworkers are aching to tell us about their core beliefs and principles; but they’re waiting for permission to open that box. When they see a few being transparent and vulnerable, they begin to see that it’s ok for them to be transparent and vulnerable too; and to listen to others. It’s even ok for “bosses” to speak from their heart (what a thought)!For many, that’s liberating.

What’s the alternative? Shall we perpetuate the current predominant culture of “don’t ask, don’t tell” about core beliefs and values that pertain to our everyday work?

Some readers are probably thinking it’s way too touchy and hard to promote this kind of deep authenticity in the workplace. We can report that it’s not.This is doable. Companies that have already started down this road can help. The Religious Freedom and Business Foundation can help. So can a growing number of faith-at-work organizations, and multi-faith chaplains, and HR professionals.

There’s great cause for optimism here. Increasingly, corporate leaders, business school faculty members, social psychologists and HR consultants are extolling the benefits of full personal engagement, transparency and authenticity in the workplace. The time is ripe to take the next step toward truly valuing our employees for who they are, by championing their freedom of religion and belief. We can free workers to have deeper one-to-one connections in the workplace – connections across diverse cultures. Over time, those one-on-one relationships, built on personal knowledge and authentic connection, step by step, can help dissolve the barriers of distrust and suspicion that are strangling society today.

It’s happening in more and more companies. There’s no need to fear. Climb aboard. And join the conversation on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Join us as we overcome unconscious bias at the second annual National Faith@Worth ERG Conference, held virtually Feb. 9th-11th, 2021. Register today!

Corporate America offers a compelling model of religious inclusion as the Biden-Harris administration emphasizes diversity

by Brian J. Grim

Corporate America offers a compelling model of religious inclusion as the incoming Biden-Harris administration emphasizes diversity, including “building a diplomatic corps that fully represents America in all its talent and diversity.”

For the World Economic Forum’s 2020 annual meeting in Davos, I contributed a piece titled “Diversity is top of the corporate agenda. Why doesn’t that include faith?” In it, I summarized our data showing that the majority of Fortune 100 companies fail to mention faith or religion as part of diversity efforts.

Indeed, faith and core beliefs are taboo topics in many workplaces. But that is changing. In the wake of the pioneering religious diversity work of companies like American Airlines, American Express, Texas Instruments, Intel, Target and Tyson Foods, more leading companies are realizing that people’s diverse personal faiths and beliefs give meaning and purpose to their work. They are also realizing that including religion as part of their other diversity and inclusion efforts not only strengthens overall inclusion, but it is also good for the bottom line.

This can bee seen in this week’s blog from Salesforce’s 360 blog by Miranda Dafoe, 4 Ways To Ensure Faith Inclusion in the Workplace. She notes that with 77% of the U.S. population identifying as religious, an inclusive workplace makes space for employees of varying faiths to feel welcome.

Increasingly, workplace leaders are realizing that their most powerfully impactful “products” are not limited to the products they make or the services they provide. They’re seeing that through their day-to-day operations, they can also export a culture of respect, compassion and freedom – a different kind of “product” that both enriches the entire world and increases brand warmth.

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index spotlights a diverse spectrum of companies where people are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work — including their faith. It’s not just confined to the early pioneers. It is also happening in companies like Google, Apple, Salesforce, Accenture, PayPal, and Walmart where faith-oriented employee resource groups (ERGs) are proliferating.

Workplace chaplains are another visible symbol of this movement, not just in workplaces such as the military, hospitals, athletics, the US Senate, but also in Fortune 100 companies, with Tyson Foods leading the way.

What is at the root of this burgeoning movement?

The short answer is that businesses are recognizing that for many people, trying to separate their faith from them while at work is as difficult as expecting a person to separate themselves from their race or gender or age. Their faith is as baked into their personhood as these other characteristics, and for some people, even more so. As Julia Oltmanns of Zurich America puts it:

“Over the years, the companies I had worked for had recognized my identity as a woman, but my identity in my faith is more important to me than my gender. Once the organization recognized that importance and supported my expression of my faith at work, I felt encouraged to be an integrated, aligned, values-driven leader in the company, allowing me to reach my full potential.”

Join us Feb. 9-11 for the (virtual) 2nd annual national Faith@Work conference to learn more – register today!

With 77% of the U.S. population identifying as religious, an inclusive workplace makes space for employees of varying faiths to feel welcome.

Miranda Dafoe offers 4 ways you can create a faith inclusive workplace:
1. Create an interfaith employee resource group (ERG).
2. Create a culture of trust and inclusion.
3. Ensure faith inclusion at events.
4. Take action on instances of cultural appropriation or religious bias.

Read full blog.

Miranda is an associate success guide on the Tableau CRM team at Salesforce, helping customers learn the platform and solve their business challenges. She also serves on the employee resource group’s Faithforce Global Communications team.