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URGENCY, EMPATHY & THE NEW SLOW BIZ What you'll find in this Ivy SeaZine edition: ** Edition Intro: Urgency, Empathy, and the New 'Slow Biz' ** Article: 'Culture of Urgency' is an Empathy Killer ** Article: Tenets in Common - Virtue-Mastery at Work ** Article: Slow Business - Being a Master Craftsperson, Whatever Your Work ** Article: De-Stress and Re-Connect with Timeless Practices ...and a few other Mojo-motivating delicacies. Greetings! Empathy and work? Empathy and urgency? These may seem like strange topics to link together. Yet there is a link, and it's not a positive one -- at least not at first. We can create a positive link, though, and that's where we can find a great opportunity. Many of us who have worked in corporate cultures, and even many nonprofit organizations, have become used to mantras such as 'a culture of urgency', connecting 'speed' with 'being world-class'. Just as 'greed is good' became a cultural icon, 'speed is good' followed suit. But we may have also noticed another phenomenon: As work, culture, and we were speeding up to the religion of urgency, other values and experiences were decreasing. In 'fast' corporate cultures, or cultures in general, where urgency is a goal and norm, we might have noticed that interpersonal connection suffered, and the organizational cultural norm became a type of rudeness, brusqueness, preoccupation, or curtness. Another phenomenon that has surfaced in parallel with the rise of 'urgency' is an increase in stress and conditions such as clinical anxiety and depression. Fatigue and sleep deprivation are also a reported cultural norm. And in cultures of 'urgency', there is apparently both a decreased tendency towards receptivity and listening, and for empathy and compassion, according to researcher and author, Daniel Goleman, who wrote the best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence. Urgency and emotional intelligence don't seem to co-exist well. The faster we go, the ruder and sicker we get. But we already knew this, didn't we? Goleman addressed the connection in a TED talk, which I've written about in my Engaged Spirituality blog (link below). Thankfully, there is also a balancing trend co-arising: a trend towards spiritual and wellness practices that offer us the potential for slowing down, and coming out of our materialistic speed-freak trance. Our bodies, minds, spirits, friends, family members, and co-workers thank us for that. There is also the trend of 'slow food', for example, where we slow down, get back to basics, get back to the Earth, and enjoy self-prepared, non-competitive meals that nourish body, mind, soul, and our connections with Earth and others. We can apply this 'slow down' concept to get connected (or reconnected) and more well and skillful in other areas of life, including work and business. For me, 'slow business' means to reconnect with what is most important to us, and begin healing a culture of urgency and its costs of disconnection, rudeness, and traumatizing impact. As 'good medicine', we cultivate presence, attention, skillfulness, empathy, kindness, and calm. And guess what? Everything important gets done. Slowing down in personal, spiritual, and work life is art, science, and practice -- and promises a great wealth of benefits. Who can argue with that kind of well-rounded Return on Investment? Our old version of 'ROI' seems to have had pretty high costs and likely a net loss, in and of itself, so it seems we're past ready for an alternative, or at least a more complete consideration of what real R.O.I. might mean. These are themes and practices that we at Ivy Sea have been exploring, writing about, living, and consulting on for over a decade. We'd be delighted to offer our experiences, insights, and suggestions as you look to bring these themes into your own life and work. Below you'll find links to a few articles on complementary themes, as well as the blog entry that links to Daniel Goleman's TED talk. It's terrific! And if you want a more tailored, one-on-one consultation to explore these and related concepts, send us an email to schedule a tele-consultation. Sincerely, Jamie Walters P.S. SPECIALLY CREATED FOR HEART & PURPOSE-CENTERED ENTREPRENEURS, LEADERS, AND CHANGE AGENTS - Find out more...
Article: Relax and Re-Connect With the Riches of Your Ancestral Wisdom Ultimately, any menu of Sacred and Ancestor wisdom practices is very personal, based on one's cultural traditions, faith and wisdom practices, preferences, and place at any given moment. Yet there are a few practices that are included in many cultures to foster a connection with the Divine and to discern the insight and wisdom we see reflected there, and then incorporate that in practical ways into our everyday lives. By doing so, we are able to think, speak and act more mindfully and skillfully, and have a more positive effect on those around us. Read the rest of this article, and the companion article, here at Ivy Sea Online Article: 'Culture of Urgency' is an Empathy Killer Most of us have heard it, probably more than once. And we've surely felt it, and been caught up in it at some point. Or perhaps we're still caught up. When I first became aware of the 'Culture of Urgency' that I'd been entranced by, I was consulting to several different large-sized organizations, on significant change-management projects. One was a healthcare system; all had corporate or organizational cultures that emphasized, and even idolized, 'urgency'. As I conducted a wide variety of conversations with people throughout the organizations, it also became clear that the organizations of 'urgency' had something else in common: a culture with norms of rudeness, curtness, brusqueness, and high levels of stress and problematic communication. Read the full blog entry at my Engaged Spirituality blog. Article: Tenets in Common: Virtue-Mastery at Work Many wisdom and faith traditions share core tenets that seekers might apply on the everyday path to an enlightened life. Even if you shudder at the thought of spirituality at work, many of these Golden Rules can be applied as interpersonal mastery practices. Read the rest of 'Tenets in Common' here at Ivy Sea Online. Article: Being a Master Craftsperson, Whatever Your Work A master-craftsman or craftswoman is one who does his or her work at a level of intention, attention, elegance, and quality that far surpasses the status quo. In a culture where many people have been trained to value speed, ease, and cheapness over quality, master craftsmanship found its way to the fringes. The walkers of the path of conscious mastery look to preserve and reinterpret the timeless ideals and practices of master craftsmanship, and endeavor to usher in the era where everyone strives in some way to be a master of their craft — rather than one who half-heartedly clocks the time on their way to somewhere else. Master craftsmanship is one form of 'slow business', in which we slow down enough to really be present, and really practice mastery in thought and action. Conscious mastery is applied to knowing one's self, to mastering one's inner-landscape of thought and spirit, of expressing outwardly in the world in a way that is highly skillful, and translating that craftsmanship into the masterful and visionary products or services of their workday. Read more about master craftsperson paths here at Ivy Sea Online. ON THE FEMININE MOJO SHOW (Internet-Radio on BlogTalkRadio) I've felt really fortunate to learn that the Feminine Mojo Show has a quickly growing audience of listeners, with over 1000 listening in to these inspired conversations! Listeners, thank you! Recent shows included: Jamie talked with FeMojo Show guest Teri Degler about 'Shakti' -- divinely creative power (within us!) -- and shared a bit about her Feminine creative-and-spiritual journey, and from her creativity-stoking books, The Divine Feminine Fire and The Fiery Muse. John Lamb Lash returned to the FeMojo Show to join Jamie for the latest in their Sophian Mysteries Series. This show explores the 'gender rift', gender-love and sacred relationship. Other recent shows exploreThe Sophian Mysteries & Working with the Secret Light of the Mystics,and "Conscious Feminine Leadership" and "The Holy Grail of Organizations" andThe Fabulous Priestesses of Ancient Greece (Dr. David Hillman) You'll find other inspiring conversations, too. (Follow Twitter and/or Facebook for updates and announcements.) Check out The Feminine Mojo Show page and ask for a 'show reminder'... FEMININE MOJO MYSTERY SCHOOL Creativity, intuition, "out of the box" vision, empathy, inspiration, joy, sensuality -- these and other Feminine Mojo gifts help us to navigate change and transformation (and have an idea of its purpose). And they expand our quality of life. Access a rich archive of inspired audio-sessions in our private online forum -- they're already there, waiting for you. Each audio-seminar includes powerful stories, energy updates, and guided meditations designed to spark your Feminine Mojo gifts (and help you to know what they are!) -- each includes a powerful energy and intuition transmission. Plus new audio-seminars and special live tele-gatherings coming as the year unfolds. Join us now for immediate access to the audio-session archives and the private online forum. Join the Feminine Mojo Mystery School... SESSIONS & INDEPTH CONSULTATIONS If you're ... There is a "Spring Forward" special right now for three consultations -- you'll find the details here at Ivy Sea Online. Schedule your Mojo consultation sessions or a more indepth project or special-initiative consultation. Send an email to info 'at' ivysea 'dot' com to explore which Mojo-Flow option is best for you, and to schedule your session-series to Get Your Mojo Flowing. You can also learn more here at Ivy Sea Online.
Did you miss the recent Mojo-SeaZines on: Spring Forward: Venus, Green Man, Special 9s & 'Magical May' Rat-Race Fatigue (Do You Have It)? The Conscious Feminine and Feminine Leadership The Creativity Issue - It's Time to Spark Your Muse De-Stress & Clear the Toxic & Negative Energies That Drag You Down
Until next time... Wishing you inspired vision, heartful purpose, and artful relationships. Heart-Full Mojo Blessings, |
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