Sue Howard, of EPICC.

The ancient buildings of St Albans Abbey were the setting, early this month, for the launch of a book which sets out a radical new approach to enable people to ‘bring their whole selves to work’ and so feel truly ‘valued’ in their workplace. New Zealand-based authors Dr Marjolein Lips-Wiersma and Lani Morris launched their book – ‘The Map of Meaning’ (ISBN 978-1-906093-65-5) – at the Abbey in conjunction with the launch of EPICC, the consultancy arm of Workplace Matters, a charity which has over 50 years’ experience providing chaplaincy to a wide range of companies and organisations within the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.

 

Lips-Wiersma and Morris’ book sets out a framework of the dimensions and process of living and working meaningfully. It outlines the Holistic Development Model (HDM) which draws together the aspirations of individuals and the organisations in which they work – allowing people to align their deeper life purposes with their daily actions in the workplace.

 

The principles and processes outlined in the book form the basis for EPICC’s approach to bringing greater recognition and status to spirituality in the workplace. EPICC believes that this radical approach is unique in the world of human resources-related consultancy.

 

Sue Howard, one of EPICC’s consultants and author of the book, ‘The Spirit at Work Phenomenon’ (ISBN 1-902694-29-5), explained: “EPICC’s emphasis is on human care within organisational strategy and culture.  We can help to develop the intellectual, emotional and spiritual intelligence of leaders to support the emergence of caring economics and a sense of ‘thriving’ more than ‘surviving’. Our approach focuses on taking a systemic view around two aspects: growing and developing an organisation and its people together, as well as creating an environment that draws out underlying wisdom and releases energy.”

 

EPICC (http://www.workplacematters.org.uk/consultancy) offers:

  • Action Research – to explore how to change working life for the better
  • Development – of projects to support organisational and individual transformation
  • Mentoring Support – a reassuring ongoing relationship to help maintain progress

 

Comment: Having attended the launch and met Dr Marjolein Lips-Wiersma and Lani Morris, along with a number of other people who are involved in making work a more ‘holistic experience’ from a spiritual as well as physical point of view, the HDM seems well worth exploring.