Integrity Ideas are specific actions a leader can consider during the Re-Align step of Integriosity^®–actions that will begin to Re-Align the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities.  You can find more Integrity Ideas at Integrous | Integrity Ideas (integriosity.com)

INTEGRITY IDEA: Let There Be (Better) Light

“Let There Be (Better) Light” is about enhancing the wellness of employees by taking steps to improve the quality of the light in which they work.

It recognizes that the light in which people work can have a positive or negative impact on their health and well-being and that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should care about the overall wellness of its employees, because wellness is critical to human flourishing.

Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  We believe some are critical (and necessary) steps in the RENEW/RE-ALIGN/RE-IMAGINE/RESTORE process.  Others are just ideas to be considered if they feel like a good fit based on what leaders prayerfully discern is best for stewarding the organization toward its WHY.

Because it is dependent on the nature of the work environment and because it can involve significant expenditure, we believe “Let There Be (Better) Light” falls into the “if it’s a good fits” category.

The Nature and Evolution of Light

In Genesis 1:3-4 we learn that God created light on the first day and declared it “good”:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. 

As he went on to finish creation, God created our world, including humans, as an intricate system designed to work together.  The light God created was natural light, the sun by day and the moon and stars by night.  Science has revealed that God created humans with a 24-hour internal clock we call our circadian rhythm, which keeps us operating on a healthy awake-sleep cycle.

As humans fulfilled the Creation Mandate in Genesis 1:28 (be fruitful and steward the earth), we developed ways to create light in order to live and work indoors and beyond daylight hours.  From candles to oil lamps to gas lamps to the incandescent bulb to the fluorescent bulb to the LED bulb, we have continued to improve artificial light.  Artificial light allows people to work in office buildings and factories, but we have paid a price in health and wellness.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal titles “Offices Ditch Harsh Fluorescent Lights. New Tech Is On the Way” discusses new lighting technologies “such as faux skylights that mimic natural light—complete with a virtual sun and moon—and adjustable illumination systems designed to sync with employees’ circadian rhythms.”

Light and Wellness

Studies have shown that the type of light in which people work can positively or negatively impact their well-being.  Not surprisingly, the natural light God created is the healthiest.  We are told in Ecclesiastes 11:7:

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

One study found that “47% of employees admit they feel tired or very tired from the absence of natural light or a window at their office, and 43% report feeling gloomy because of the lack of light.”

Another study looking at how different glass affects the benefits of natural light found that optimizing natural light resulted in a 51% drop in the incidence of eyestrain, a 63% drop in the incidence of headaches and a 56% reduction in drowsiness.

Yet another study done in 2017 found that workers exposed to natural light reported better quality sleep than those who did not work in natural light.

Perhaps most importantly, a 2018 employee survey reported in Harvard Business Review found access to natural light to be the perq most valued by employees:

Access to natural light and views of the outdoors are the number one attribute of the workplace environment, outranking stalwarts like onsite cafeterias, fitness centers, and premium perks including on-site childcare.”

Although faithful leaders pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing can’t create better light than God created, there are ways to love and care for employees by optimizing their exposure to God’s natural light or utilizing advanced technologies in natural light in order to create healthier work environments.

“Let There Be (Better) Light” is also wise stewardship and one way to lead faithfully by curating and reinforcing a caring and compassionate organizational culture that aligns with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities, wanting employees to flourish because you want to love them as “neighbors” and not just because having “well” employees improves the bottom-line.

CONTINUUM: Practices

The Integriosity model organizes “heart change” along six Covert-Overt Continuums.  There is nothing magic about these categories, but we believe they are helpful in thinking about practical execution of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture.  The Continuums are Prayer, Proclamation, Policies, Practices, Products, People.

Each Continuum represents an area in which leaders can begin to think about, plan and institute Re-Alignment changes to the heart of the organization.

“Let There Be (Better) Light” is on the Practices Continuum. It involves practices the organization can adopt to affirm its commitment to Biblical flourishing and the Biblical principles of Imago Dei and love your neighbor, to reflect and reinforce its purpose and values, to care for its employees, and to be wise stewards of the organization.

COVERT-OVERT RATING: Highly Covert

The Integriosity model breaks the Covert-Overt Continuums into six gradations–from Highly Covert to Highly Overt–that we believe are helpful in beginning to pray and think about what is most appropriate for an organization at a particular moment in time.

Most Integrity Ideas will have one place on the scale.  Some can vary depending on how they are implemented.   “Let There Be (Better) Light” is Highly Covert (an action that would be taken by a secular company).  Even secular businesses should care about the health of their employees, if only from the Profit as Purpose “bottom-line” perspective of lower healthcare costs, less sick-time and higher productivity as detailed in the wellness white paper by Storehouse Wellness.

“Let There Be (Better) Light” can also be Overt (An overtly faith-based action known generally within the organization) if the leaders of the organization choose to explain its importance in terms of the Biblical significance of treating people with dignity as creations in the image of God and loving your neighbor.

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees

When we categorize faith-based actions, we also consider the stakeholders principally impacted by the action: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community and Kingdom.

“Let There Be (Better) Light” principally serves Employees by caring for their well-being.  It also benefits Owners through wise stewardship and the Community through healthier members.

IMPLEMENTATION

As with most Integrity Ideas involving employee wellness, “Let There Be (Better) Light” is conceptually straightforward.  Whether through optimizing sources of natural light or utilizing advanced technologies in artificial light that mimic natural light, there are ways to improve employee health, well-being and even job satisfaction.  It is also possible to use light intentionally to enhance specific workspaces, such as break, prayer or relaxation areas. But unlike many Integrity Ideas, “Let There Be (Better) Light” can be a costly undertaking.

It seems that the use of lighting to improve employee well-being can be thought about in two categories: increasing exposure to natural light (or artificial light that mimics natural light) and utilizing light intentionally to enhance specific work spaces.

Increasing Exposure to God’s Light

A faithful leader prayerfully discerning whether to implement “Let There Be (Better) Light” will find building standards and architectural and lighting designers to guide the path. For example, the International Well Being Institute (IWBI) has developed building certification standards based on a commitment to “advance human health and well being”.  Their “WELL light concept aims to provide a lighting environment that reduces circadian phase disruption, improves sleep quality and positively impacts mood and productivity.”

The IWBI has a White Paper detailing the key health and well-being effects of light, the scientific background supporting those effects, as well as lighting strategies tailored to those effects.

In addition to the advanced lighting strategies described in the WSJ article referenced above (such as artificial sky lights), one way to increase exposure to natural light in an office setting is to replace solid internal walls with glass walls in order to allow those in internal spaces to experience the natural light.

Utilizing Light with Intention

Utilizing light to create a mood is not new.  It is common in stores, restaurants, bars, and clubs.  Casinos famously use light to manipulate the behavior of gamblers.  Have you ever noticed that casinos almost never have windows?

We suspect the intentional use of light to create moods is less common (or nearly nonexistent) in manufacturing and office setting.  The WSJ article on lighting discusses ways that light can be used to create various moods in workspaces.  For example, light can be used to create a relaxing mood in a break or prayer room.  In post #170 (Integrity Idea 023: Segregate Sacred Space), we presented the idea of creating a space where employees can go to sit silently and pray, meditate or “chill”.  This would be an ideal space for intentional lighting.

While it may not be practical for all workspaces or within the budget of all organizations, “Let There Be (Better) Light” is one way to love and care for employees through improving employee health, wellness and morale.  By exposing people to more of the natural light God created, it reinforces a culture of faithful integrity and a pursuit of Biblical flourishing that reflects the light referenced in Matthew 5:14-16.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

PERSONAL NOTE (from PM):  This post was inspired by the Wall Street Journal article on lighting, but it brought to mind two examples of the use of light.  The first example involves the law firm where I practiced for nearly 23 years.  When I was there, lawyers sat in external window offices with a solid wall blocking all light from the internal area where secretaries and other support staff were situated.  The firm recently moved to new space.  In the new space, lawyers sit in both external window offices as well as internal offices, but office walls are glass so that the natural light flows through to everyone.

The second example involves casino lighting.  Years ago, Lisa and I were visiting our dear friend Charles Adamo in the Bahamas when we was an executive with Kerzner International.  At the time, Kerzner owned the Atlantis Resort.  Charles walked us through the new casino and as we exited, he asked if we noticed anything unusual.  Not being casino people, we had no idea.  He pointed out that the wall of windows was a first for the gaming industry, allowing guests to see the beauty of the natural surroundings.  That was when I first learned why casinos generally do not have windows–the manipulation of people through controlled light.

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific practical actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.

INTEGRITY IDEA: Let There Be (Better) Light

“Let There Be (Better) Light” is about enhancing the wellness of employees by taking steps to improve the quality of the light in which they work. It recognizes that the light in which people work can have a positive or negative impact on their health and well-being and that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should care about the overall wellness of its employees, because wellness is critical to human flourishing. It also recognizes that God created our world as an intricate system, including humans and the type of light that is most beneficial to their wellbeing.  Whether through optimizing sources of natural light or utilizing advanced technologies in artificial light that mimic natural light, it is possible to create healthier work environments.  It is also possible to use light intentionally to enhance specific workspaces, such as break, prayer or relaxation areas. “Let There Be (Better) Light” is also wise stewardship and one way to lead faithfully by curating and reinforcing a caring and compassionate organizational culture that aligns with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities, wanting employees to flourish because you want to love them as “neighbors” and not just because having “well” employees improves the bottom-line.

COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices

COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees

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Image credit: Original image by Thomas balabaud: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photography-of-clear-glass-roof-3404375/ (photo cropped)