Last night, here in Jamaica, invited by Synergy Communications, I gave a talk over dinner to senior executives on Big Think Strategy. Before I spoke, Father Ken Richards said a few words to the audience on business and ethics; he also said grace and spoke a short prayer before dinner began. I was touched by his words but disappointed, as I told the audience, that he did not include increased sales of my book in his prayer.
I also chatted with the Father before and after my talk. He is working on an article on business ethics. When I asked him about the relevance of his thoughts to the current financial and economic crisis, he pointed out the spiritual immaturity of many movers and shakers who view business just as business, that is, “business dealings are transacted on the sole basis of one’s own business interest,” excluding moral considerations. Perhaps this compartmentalization of life can explain, in part, the mess that we are in.
