#Service is one of seven foundational principles of ebbf, which it defines as: “The highest station is service to all humanity and to the common good, a principle that applies equally to the individual, to government and to private enterprise. Service is principles put into action.” Service is something we regularly live in our lives. During the dedicated video conference held on the 2nd of April we explored “How can service to society become the central purpose of every business undertaking?” with ebbf board member Paul Hughes.
He introduced the discussion telling of his experience in hotels in India. “I was struck by the quality of the service; service was a honour. The service industry in America, aimed at getting tips, is very different from India”. Some other highlights from the 90 minute online event was that for organizations service is a value, of course, and it can be declined in different ways: service to the customers and serving each other. Service is a state of mind, recalling a quote from Abdul’Baha: “Service to the friends is service to the Kingdom of God”. Service put in action means also creating a collaborative culture even if you are working in a competition based culture. We should also remember the relationship between service and generosity. A good explanation of the value of service in the workplace can be found in this quote from Abdu’l-Bahá: “Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship“.
If you are interested to join one of these online video explorations of values and their application in our workplaces and economic systems click here to view the next online google hangout that you can join searching for the hashtag #ebbfvalues .