Karma Meaning, Importance of Karma to Managers, Nishkama Karma

Karma कर्म means action, work, or deed. For the believers in spirituality the term also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect): Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths.

For the believers, the concept of karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in many schools of Indian religions (particularly Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism), as well as Taoism. In these schools, karma in the present affects one’s future in the current life, as well as the nature and quality of future lives one’s saṃsāra. This concept has also been adopted in Western popular culture, in which the events which happen after a person’s actions may be considered natural consequences.

In the context of theory, karma is complex and difficult to define. Different schools of Indology derive different definitions for the concept from ancient Indian texts; their definition is some combination of:

(1) Causality that may be ethical or non-ethical.

(2) Ethicization, i.e., good or bad actions have consequences.

(3) Rebirth.

Other Indologists include in the definition that which explains the present circumstances of an individual with reference to his or her actions in past. These actions may be those in a person’s current life, or, in some schools of Indian traditions, possibly actions in their past lives; furthermore, the consequences may result in current life, or a person’s future lives. The law of karma operates independent of any deity or any process of divine judgment.

Importance of Karma to Managers

Karma is a chameleon. You cannot always see it, but it is an energy that transforms from good to bad and to neutral. This energy is derived typically from our actions – what we say and what we do. It is that simple.

But, in a fast-paced environment, such as a place of work, considering someone else’s thoughts and feelings before we ‘act’, can easily get overlooked for prioritising results and getting the job done. And why should this matter if we are constantly producing cracking results? It matters. When it comes to karma in the workplace, even the smallest of things matter. From our body language to our tone of voice (both written and verbal), to the way we say hello to our colleagues in the morning. The way we act can have a huge impact on work relationships and getting the job done.

With the right team in place, the benefits of creating and maintaining positive energy and good karma can manifest into higher productivity, job satisfaction and more healthy, cohesive teams. This in turn can save time and money by way of employee retention and enhancing business results.

For managers, along with the demands of daily workflow and routines, it is important to instil the concept of good karma into the workplace. This can be achieved as simply as setting some basic fundamentals:

• Show gratitude and respect of others
• Offer praise for efforts
• Be honest
• Listen effectively and communicate succinctly
• Be patient
• Be mindful of others’ workloads
• Be sensitive to others’ feelings
• Support colleagues and act collaboratively

Nishkama Karma

Nishkam Karma self-less or desireless action, is an action performed without any expectation of fruits or results, and the central tenet of Karma Yoga path to liberation. Its modern advocates press upon achieving success following the principles of Yoga, and stepping beyond personal goals and agendas while pursuing any action over greater good, which has become well known since it is the central message of the Bhagavad Gita.

In Indian philosophy, action or Karma has been divided into three categories, according to their intrinsic qualities or gunas. Here Nishkam Karma belongs to the first category, the Sattva (pure) or actions which add to calmness; the Sakam Karma (Self-centred action) comes in the second rājasika (aggression) and Vikarma (worst-action) comes under the third, tāmasika which correlates to darkness or inertia.

he opposite of Sakam Karma (self-centered actions) or actions done with desires, Nishkam Karma has been variously explained as ‘Duty for duty’s sake’ and as ‘Detached Involvement’, which is neither negative attitude nor indifference; and has today found many advocates in the modern business area where the emphasis has shifted to ethical business practices adhering to intrinsic human values and reducing stress at the workplace.

Another aspect that differentiates it from Sakam or selfish action, is that while the former is guided by inspiration, the latter is all about motivation, and that makes the central difference in its results, for example, Sakam Karma might lead to excessive work pressure and workaholism as it aims at success, and hence creates more chances of physical and psychological burnouts. Moreover, Nishkam Karma means a more balanced approach to work, and as work has been turned into a pursuit of personal excellence, which results in greater personal satisfaction, which one would have otherwise sought in job satisfaction coming from external rewards. One important fallout of the entire shift is that where one is essentially an ethical practice inside-out leading to the adage, ‘Work is worship’ show itself literally at the workplace, leading to greater work commitment, the other since it is so much result oriented can lead to unethical business and professional ethics, as seen so often at modern workplace.

Since the central tenet of practicing Nishkam Karma is Mindfulness in the present moment. Over time, this practice leads to not only equanimity of mind as it allows the practitioner to stay detached from results, and hence from ups and downs of business that are inevitable in any business arena, while maintaining constant work commitment since work as now been turned into a personal act of worship. Further in the long run it leads to cleansing of the heart but also spiritual growth and holistic development.