An interview with Lucy Shaw
Lucy Shaw
Do you feel that people just don’t have their “heart” in their work anymore? Do you see it in how people interact with you at the bank, grocery store, or doctor’s office? Do you see it in yourself and how you interact with others? You are not alone. Lucy Shaw (no relation), business consultant, has witnessed an increasing lack of heart in the workplace, but she hasn’t let it get her down. Instead she has responded by offering The Heart Service Workshop. She knows firsthand how workplace discontent and seemingly intractable attitudes and behaviors block profitability and positive brand recognition, and she has an antidote.
We asked Shaw to share with us the “heart” of her work, and why it is important for each of us to know how we choose to serve ourselves and others. “We all show up as employees/ customers/ clients/ constituents at businesses, churches, and/or schools to engage in relationships to fulfill professional, personal and communal needs. We go to these places, expecting feedback and services – and workplaces – that soothe our desire for inclusion whether we admit it or not!” But sometimes that’s not what happens.
Here’s what Shaw has learned. “Within organizations, the spirit of service begins at the top, having a life of its own as it trickles down (below) with or without intention and from there, good or bad, it rises back up (above) and continually permeates the spirit of service (within) and (without) the organization. Employees take these behaviors and attitudes out into the community and home with them. Organizations with the courage and stamina to explore gaps in intentional and person-centered influence, create an environment where people love to work, and with whom the community love to partner as consumers or otherwise. This becomes amazingly organic when how we serve above and below, within and without is imbedded into the daily work structures for responsibility and accountability.
Shaw encourages others to take this deep dive with her. “When all leadership and staff above and below, within and without are given structures and tools for accountability and responsibility the elusive quality of positive collective impact shows up organically! Imagine yourself working in an environment where people embrace the simple, but enigmatic values of paying attention, asking, and answering questions without fear and blame, knowing that they are rewarded for documentable excellence and the continual reinforcement of the wisdom that “it is how we are alike rather than how we are different” that makes our products and services unique and profitable and our employment stable.
Shaw knows what she is talking about. She has 40 years of national and international leadership and commitment to growing organizations and the people in them. She has leadership experience in healthcare, education, and banking and has published three books on the spiritual components of leadership. You can learn more about The Heart Service Workshops, The Spirit of Service, SoS® and Lucy Shaw, go to www.heartservicellc.com or contact her at info@heartservicellc.com.
Copyright 2022 – Mel and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw – Comprehensive Fund Development Services. Video and phone conferencing services always available. Let us help you grow your fundraising. Call us at (901) 522-8727. www.saadandshaw.com.
