“Taking the decision-making process away from people disempowers them. It also makes them much less likely to buy into the decision, however right it may be. One’s own conscience remains the ultimate arbiter.”
In an age where organizations emphasize collaboration and employee engagement, Lama Surya Das's insights hold significant relevance. Disempowering individuals by removing their role in decision-making can lead to dissatisfaction and disengagement, regardless of how well-intentioned the decisions may be. This perspective resonates across various sectors, highlighting the importance of inclusion and personal accountability in fostering a healthy workplace and community culture.
Empowering individuals by involving them in the decision-making process can enhance commitment and morale. When people feel their voices are heard, they are likelier to support outcomes and adapt to changes. Moreover, in today's interconnected and rapidly evolving world, diversity of thought is crucial for innovation and problem-solving. Embracing collective input not only validates individual perspectives but also strengthens the fabric of organizational culture.
Ultimately, as we navigate complex challenges, recognizing that each person's conscience and judgment are critical can lead to more resilient and adaptive systems.
Lama Surya Das highlights the importance of individual agency in the decision-making process. This quote embodies the tension between authority and personal empowerment, shedding light on how decisions made without individual involvement can lead to disengagement and lack of commitment.
The initial assertion that "Taking the decision-making process away from people disempowers them" emphasizes the value of participation and autonomy. When individuals feel stripped of their ability to contribute, it can result in a significant loss of motivation and ownership over outcomes. This disempowerment can be detrimental not only to individuals but also to the overall effectiveness of the group or organization.
The second part of the quote, "It also makes them much less likely to buy into the decision, however right it may be," stresses a crucial psychological aspect of decision-making. Even if a decision is objective and logically sound, it may encounter resistance if individuals do not feel involved in the process. This underscores the notion that the emotional and psychological connection individuals have to decisions significantly influences their acceptance and support.
Finally, the phrase "One’s own conscience remains the ultimate arbiter" reinforces the idea that internal values and personal judgment are paramount. Even in the face of external authority, individuals will often rely on their principles as a guiding force. This highlights the intrinsic need for people to align decisions with their personal beliefs to achieve genuine buy-in and cooperation.
Overall, the quote serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusivity in decision-making. Engaging individuals not only fosters a sense of empowerment but also enhances commitment and ownership, ultimately leading to more effective and harmonious outcomes.
“Other people can’t cause us to be impatient unless we let them do so. In other words, others don’t make us impatient. We make ourselves impatient, through our expectations and demands, fixated attachments and stuckness.”
“I've also learned that you don't always get to pick the people with whom you travel the journey. You sometimes may think you do, but don't be deceived. And the corollary of that - and this was my real lesson - is that you start to realize that you can love even the people you don't like and must love and help everyone.”
“Everything passes, nothing remains. Understand this, loosen your grip and fine serenity...”
“You are in charge of your own karma, your own life, your own spiritual path, and your own liberation, just as I am in charge of mine.”
“By meditating, we´re learning to disengage ourselves from habitual clinging and disperse the defilements and obscurations that hinder our capacity to serve others, such as illusory feelings of scarcity and fears of deprivation. We gradually learn to be more conscious and make better choices. We develop simplicity instead of comlexity, open-mindedness instead of narrow-mindedness, flexibility rather than rigidity. We feel ourselves to be more available to others and to give more generously of ourselves.”
“The more truthful I am with myself and others, the more my conscience is clear and tranquil. Thus, I can more thoroughly and unequivocally inhabit the present moment and accept everything that happens without fear, knowing that what goes around comes around (the law of karma). Ethical morality and self-discipline represent the good ground, or stable basis. Mindful awareness is the skillful and efficacious grow-path, or way. Wisdom and compassion constitute the fruit, or result. This is the essence of Buddhism [...]”