Transformation
Life is transformation. Nature offers us so many ways to see this reality in motion. Everything and everyone is connected in a web of life where the primary imperative is clear and inescapable: learn and evolve if you wish to survive. To meet this transformational imperative, we must continue to reinvent ourselves. To do this, we begin again, revisiting our intention, our beliefs, and our practice. Read Article
Organizations as Catalysts for Change
At the heart of all work is this human structure we know as the organization, where work occurs mostly in small groups. When we think of change in the world, most of this work occurs in small groups working in organizations. It makes sense then, that we focus on improving the intent and structure of our organizations if we want to improve our world, because organizations are, in many ways, the catalyst of change. Read Article
Beginner's mind
Life is transformation. Everything is connected in a web of life where the constants are impermanence and interconnectedness. Impermanence is driven by continual transformation—a change in form. All form is in the process of change. Nature offers us so many ways to see this reality in motion. Streams are one example (see Catalyst, p.3). To meet this transformational imperative, we must continue to reinvent ourselves. To do this, we begin again, revisiting our intention, our beliefs, and our practice. Read Article
Happiness is now
Like most people, I like to be happy, and I look for moments of happiness in my day. But what if looking for happiness is what leads us away from it. What if it only exists right here in the now. Marshall Goldsmith, an executive coach who practices Zen, has a simple philosophy about happiness: be happy now. His point is this: happiness is not somewhere in the future or in the past. It is here in this moment, right here, right now. Read Article
The art of influence
In every walk of life, we find ourselves needing to influence people to do something. There is an art and science to influencing people, which is to say influencing behavior. This ability to convince someone to help you with something is at the heart of everything we do, and therefore, a vital skill. Read Article
Your world in a cup
With all the busyness of life, it is easy to get lost in the trees and lose our ability to see the bigger picture. Sometimes we simply take things for granted and lose our ability to appreciate all the miracles around us. If you can relate, think about the miracle of a having a cup of coffee in the morning. What is required to make a cup of coffee in the morning? It turns out that your cup of coffee in the morning requires everything in our universe, everything from the stars to the soil.Read Article
The nature of change
Change is ubiquitous. It is the process of life. No matter what we do, we are always standing in the middle of change. Everything in our world is constantly changing in form. For organizational leaders, this reality of constant change translates to uncertainty. Organizations must adapt continually, adjusting business strategies to meet changes in their external environment. We know this to be true, and yet we still struggle with change.Read Article
A skill for all seasons
After completing an undergrad degree in public relations, I practiced PR for 12 years at HP. Everything that followed in my career benefited from this foundation in communications. If I was given a redo in life, one thing I would not change is my education in public relations. The ability to communicate is perhaps the most valuable human skill and the one skill that is useful at all times. Read Article