Urgency and Empathy at Work - Vol. 5, No. 4

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.

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
Founder, Ivy Sea
Author, Big Vision, Small Business (Berrett-Koehler Publishers) & a few other things.

Here's what's in this Ivy SeaZine edition:

** 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

** Article: 'Culture of Urgency' is an Empathy Killer

** VIP Premium Content, PDF Workbooks & Guides, and More - See What's in Store

** Tele-Consultations and Insight-Sessions to Help You Spring Forward

** Quotations to Inspire Your 'Great Work'

** About Ivy Sea, the SeaZine, subscribing and unsubscribing

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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.

This piece includes a brief look at five of our favorite "Tenets in Common" – encouragement, forgiveness, accountability, service and mindfulness – and offers examples of how they might be very relevant to bringing out the fullest potential in your group.

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.

Article: De-Stress and Re-Connect With Timeless Ancestral Practices

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.

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The Ivy Sea Online VIP Member 'Premium Content' Center and our PDF Resource Store offer a wealth of articles, workbooks, and guides to help you re-engage with your passion, reconnect with your vision, and catalyze your passion for a new level of skill and purpose.

You'll find our online articles, PDF workbooks & guides, audios, connections to advisors and mentors, and more on topics such as:

* big-vision small business and 'conscious' business

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Visit the Ivy Sea Online Store now to check out the offerings.

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It's a powerful alchemy to clarify your vision and power-up forward-momentum -- and it's an alchemy that we at Ivy Sea are very familiar with, not just from 'intellectual knowledge' but from our own real-world experience as well as deep research.

Is there a question you're exploring, or a sense of chaos, overwhelm, or 'too many options' (or no clear options)?

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Send us an email or give us a call to explore and schedule a tele-consultation, insight-session, or arrange for a more indepth consultation with an Ivy Sea advisor or mentor-coach.

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Take a step into a richer potential and more authentic experience.

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We'd be delighted to speak with you.

Inspiration for Your Journey

Until next month...

As you live into Spring, may you leave behind the prison of old thinking and limited self-perception, and step into the joy and fullness that you truly are, wherever you are, and whatever you may be doing.

Wishing you a joyful and brilliant new growth. Just remember: slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy the journey!

Sincerely,
Jamie S. Walters
Founder, Ivy Sea
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Ivy Sea Online &
Author, Big Vision, Small Business (Berrett-Koehler Publishers)

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