Learning to Forgive (Forgiveness in the Workplace)

Madison.com ^ | December 20, 2006 | Sharyn Alden

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Conflicts inside and outside the workplace aren't new, but there is an effort in Madison to use forgiveness to build harmony in the business environment.

Madison's International Forgiveness Institute, a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1994, was established as an outgrowth of the social science research done at UW-Madison by Robert Enright and his colleagues.

He is vice president of IFI, 1127 University Ave., and he also is a professor in the department of educational psychology at UW-Madison.

IFI is expanding its focus to promote the concept of forgiveness in the workplace.

"The forgiveness business model evolved slowly, with original ideas starting in the mid-1990s," Enright said. "We only recently have gotten sufficient numbers of inquiries to see this as one of our services. Our serious concentration on the business model developed over the past year," he said.

"Businesses are after all, all about relationships. Even though businesses may think they're dealing fairly with employees' problems, they usually miss the preventive side, and that's where forgiveness comes in."

The concept encourages people to build bridges in relationships to take the place of resentment and revenge.

"When people deliberately choose forgiveness as an option, they experience increased hope and self-esteem, and a decrease in depression and sadness."

How do employees' problems interfere with productivity?

"No matter what size of company you have, employees bring their feelings into the workplace, and that leads to problems, including productivity," he said.

Five years ago, IFI leaders wondered if they could incorporate the concept of a fair and forgiving community in schools. Enright points out that regardless of the setting - school classroom or business setting - the lessons of forgiveness are the same.

In Northern Ireland, for example, IFI started working with three classrooms. Now, five years later, 75 classrooms include forgiveness in their curriculum. "Worldwide, our schools program currently serves 155 classrooms," he said.

When IFI works with schools, churches, businesses and other organizations a preventive approach is used. "It's almost like giving everyone in a group a vaccine, to treat them all, as opposed to singling out individuals," Enright said.

"We want people to be able to sustain their knowledge so that building and maintaining relationships are positive experiences," Enright said.

"They're beginning to look more to us to help them increase levels of harmony within the company," he said. "When they choose to integrate fairness and forgiveness in their business culture, they discover it's a positive way of doing business."

[JFC]

They don't work with my jerk of a boss daily!!!!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[joebuck]

"forgiveness comes with confession, admission, and a serious vow to amend their ways. Period."

Not in every circumstance. For divine forginveness I tend to agree with you, but Jesus teaches use to forgive our enemies and not just the ones who confess to us they were wrong and agree to be our friends. Jesus asked for forgiveness to those crucifying him although I don't know that they ever repented.