For sixty years, Roffey Park has pioneered the arena of people and organisational development and in that time it has seen many changes. Nevertheless, there are some constant themes – golden threads – that have informed the Roffey Park ethos from its inception to the present day. Key among these is the concept of enlightenment at work.
During the past 60 years, many people have experienced moments of enlightenment at Roffey Park. These have been described as life-changing, revelation, self realisation, clarity and understanding, and even ‘a-ha’ moments.
In the year before its 60th anniversary, Roffey Park decided to review its purpose to see if and how it has changed. Although the wording may have been updated, the core ethos remains the same:
To work with organisations and their people to create a more enlightened way of working; to shed light on organisational issues and create clarity where there is confusion; to promote creative business, enlightened working and build enlightened organisations by awakening the potential of working people.
To achieve this purpose in today’s working environment, Roffey Park is committed to continue to help individuals and organisations achieve a more enlightened way of working. However, Roffey Park also wants to understand how enlightenment can be realised even more widely across the world of work. As this is a journey of discovery, Roffey Park has begun asking what ‘enlightenment at work’ means as a concept to a cross section of the Roffey Park staff. This exploration has helped to build a picture of how individuals experience enlightenment at work.
Ten themes have emerged as follows:
| Trust |
I trust the organisation and feel trusted |
| Meaning & purpose |
I understand how I contribute to a meaningful purpose |
| Social responsibility |
I am encouraged to act responsibly towards the world outside |
| Identification |
I can identify with my organisation and feel proud of it |
| Autonomy |
I have the right balance of space, freedom and direction |
| Personal growth |
I have opportunities to learn and grow |
| Support |
I feel cared about as a person |
| Moments of clarity |
I see things in new ways and experience ‘aha’ moments |
| Inspiration |
I feel uplifted at work |
| Authenticity |
I can be myself at my best |
Whether these ring true in your organisation, or whether you have a different interpretation, Roffey Park would greatly value your input into the research.
Enlightenment is central to Roffey Park’s heritage and – with your help – will continue to underpin every aspect of the work we do as we look forward to the next sixty years.
Have you experienced enlightenment at work?
We would love to receive your stories of how you applied an enlightened approach to your work.