Quaker Business Method and Secular Contexts

The Quaker Business Method, at least as practised in my experience in Britain, is – when done right – an inherently religious method with religious beliefs underpinning it. There can be some variety in the precise nature of those beliefs, as I explored in my Quaker Business Method and Theological Diversity series, but they have fundamental compatibilities in their implication for the practice of business method.

Yet Friends have, from time to time, wondered about the applicability of our methods, with suitable adjustments, in secular contexts. Small borrowings have been used successfully, but the method as a whole is difficult to square with secular expectations or to maintain without that religious underpinning. Indeed, there are many Friends who utterly reject any possibility that it could ever work. This is, perhaps, related to the rejection by some Friends – in my experience the same ones, but I do not know if that can be generalised – of non-theistic understandings of business method, even those of “mystical” non-theists.

Improving Business: Threshing

At least here in Britain, it is commonplace that Friends are concerned about the quality of their business method. Contributions being focussed ministry, rather than personal commentary; sufficient time before contributions for reflection; ministry remaining sufficiently on-topic. The reasons for concern are manifold.

It is my experience that one of the major causes of poorly-run business is poor preparation. An item may be presented poorly, so that the meeting isn't clear what decision it is being asked to make, or doesn't have information vital to making that decision. Friends may be overloaded with information, more than they can take it being presented all at once; if the information had been provided in advance of the meeting, and they had read it, it would be more readily digested and understood, to be utilised in discernment. Perhaps an item is presented my multiple Friends, and they are inconsistent between them about the nature or detail of the matter before the meeting.

There are times, however, when the preparation that is needed is not in terms of presentation or absorption of information. Sometimes, a Meeting – made up of individuals – needs to be prepared in a deeper sense. On a complex or contentious issue, it is hard for a meeting to come to a decision readily even with all of the information available and understood. If there are too many options, it is easy for ministry to become bogged down and not show a clear path between them – though I have witnessed meetings where there was such an open question, and ministry did quickly show a clear path, I have witnessed far more where ministry meandered and no decision was recorded.