Confessions of a manager monk

MBAs are not only for the greedy. Stephen Hoare hears how a monk is spreading the word about management and spirituality

When Saint Benedict founded the order of Benedictines in Rome in AD547, he established a path to individual spiritual enlightenment. Across Europe and spreading with Christianity to other parts of the world, closed communities of monks and nuns dedicated themselves to following his saintly example through periods of silence, reflection and prayer.

But now it appears the holy order has something to teach the world of business. Far from turning his back on Mammon, Father Dermot Tredget of Douai Abbey, Berkshire, has an MBA, lectures regularly on the business school circuit and runs a series of highly acclaimed workshops at the abbey on spirituality in the workplace for corporate movers and shakers. What is going on? Father Dermot offers an immediate explanation: "Benedictines are the oldest multinational in the world."

From Montecassino in Italy to St Benito Monastery in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, 25,000 men and women are following the rule of St Benedict and are engaging in business activities to support the running of our monasteries and convents as they always have done.

Benedictines combine the spiritual with the entrepreneurial as abbeys find ways to fund their activities. The eponymous liqueur distilled by monks at Fecamp, France, and now a global brand, is but one example. On our own doorstep Benedictines produce Prinknash pottery in Gloucestershire and perfumes from Caldy Island marketed over the internet; they run Buckfast Abbey in Devon as a tourist attraction and are heavily involved in the private education sector, as Ampleforth, Downside, Worth and St Benedict's in Ealing can all testify.

Douai Abbey's own field of enterprise is tertiary education and work-life balance consultancy. The abbey's boarding school closed down more than a decade ago as fee-paying pupils dried up – the result of a decline in armed forces overseas whose children were the school's staple client group. Moving into another sector of education, Douai's monks can now be found teaching business studies at Reading University as well as colleges at Wonersh and at Oscott near Birmingham.

There are 20 monks as well as an establishment of lay helpers and parochial houses to support, so income from lecturing makes an important contribution. Father Dermot says: "Any members of the monastery have to be economically valuable. We're not looking to be profitable, we're looking to break even." Far from charging out their services at a commercial rate, the monks rely on the conscience and generosity of their clients. He explains: "We don't charge a set rate, we suggest a donation."

Which brings us very neatly to Father Dermot's MBA. Aren't the abbey's uncompromising Christian values at odds with business principles as taught on an MBA programme? He demonstrates traditional Benedictine pragmatism. "I got my MBA before I became a monk. I was teaching at the University of Surrey management school and taking the MBA part-time at Bath University one day a week. I was 36 years old before I even thought of becoming a monk."

Like other monks, he had to spend a year as a novice being inducted into the ways of the monastery and a further four years living with the monks according to their rules before being asked to take an irrevocable vow. He is clear about his role. "A monk is someone who's looking to grow in virtue, who's not motivated by strong self-interest." In any case, the monks had good reason to be grateful for an MBA alumnus in their midst. Father Dermot's leadership skills and grasp of strategy enabled him to set a direction for the monastery after its boarding school was forced to close.

As institutions, monasteries and businesses operate by rules and shared aims. A strong ethos is a feature of successful enterprises – and is certainly a virtue that many businesses aspire to cultivate among staff. The Benedictine discipline of religious observation five times a day – beginning with Matins at 6.30am and finishing with night prayer at 8pm – imposes a rhythm to the monks' day which may be a brake on secular pursuits but, says Father Dermot, it is a metaphor for work/life balance. It is a reason why a small but growing number of people visit monasteries offering facilities for a retreat.

And so to the next phase of the Benedictine business guru's strategy – running courses to help hard-pressed executives explore spirituality in the workplace. It is a niche the monks are well placed to fill. Father Dermot explains: "Ethical issues don't feature greatly in MBA programmes. But many people want to discover a spiritual dimension to their lives and integrate it with their work. The people that come on our courses are spiritual seekers – they will not usually have any particular faith or strong religious affiliation."

The spirituality in the workplace course is run over six weekends and takes its cue from concerns expressed by its participants. The experience of a group of a dozen or so business men and women coming together at Douai Abbey – removed from the pressure of everyday life is a major advantage when it comes to discovering new values. Father Dermot describes the experience in terms of counselling and says: "There is tremendous mutual support within the group."

What does a man in holy orders think of the wave of corporate scandals sweeping the USA and western economies? Father Dermot throws up his hands. "I don't know what to make of Enron – I've no direct experience of corporate greed. But ethical issues don't feature that greatly with the people that come on my courses. Their main concerns are relationships in the workplace and work life balance."

Father Dermot gets his class to explore the meaning of trust and respect and how these values can best be developed by the individual and on a corporate level. He uses workshop techniques to draw sensitive issues to the surface and tries to involve everyone fully in discussions and role play. Where creative gurus might browbeat course participants or offer highbrow solutions to spark leadership ambitions, Father Dermot's approach is low-key and participative, which may better suit the ethos of a company aspiring to become inclusive. He offers his own explanation. "It's about sharing the experience in a confidential way – and it's definitely not a confessional."