enlightened orgs: inspiration

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PASSION

I discovered our Enlightened Corporation for this week while watching a segment of the Oprah show in which she interviewed young, self-made millionaires.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, was one of the guests. He is a great inspiration, a model CEO of a model corporation, for our Enlightened Orgs directory.

His business achievements are certainly significant for such a young man. While still in his twenties, Hsieh (SHAY), a computer undergraduate from Harvard, co-founded an internet advertising agency called LinkExchange, which was sold to Microsoft for $265 million in 1998. But it was actually his business philosophy or mindset, that really caught my attention.

“I AM NOT NECESSARILY PASSIONATE ABOUT SHOES…WHAT I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT IS…

CUSTOMER SERVICE“.

Hsieh says the company could go in any direction, perhaps even the airline business, one day, because it is CUSTOMER SERVICE that he is passionate about, and it is their commitment to customer service that will drive the success of the company regardless of  its product line.

“We`re continuing our focus on service, which includes 24/7 customer service, free overnight shipping and free return shipping with a 365-day return policy.” (source:ecommerceoptimizations.com)
Zappos believes in putting WOW into service.

Zappos.com is an electronic commerce company specializing in footwear and is currently based in Henderson, Nevada, USA.^[2] The company warehouse is located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, along with an outlet store. In addition, Zappos has two outlets stores in Las Vegas, Nevada and Henderson, Nevada.[wikipedia]

The company was founded in 1999 and went from virtually no sales activity in its first year, to grossing over $800 million in 2007 and projecting sales of $1 billion in 2008.

The company specializes in Relationship Marketing.[wikepedia]

Using this model the company knows its primary focus must be on the customer and the relationship the company will have with the customer over extended periods of time. Contrary to many companies, a company committed to Relationship marketing puts retention at the top of their agenda. It seems an obvious position to take when research indicates that retaining even 5% of your customers can increase your profitability by 25 – 85%.

WHAT QUALIFIES ZAPPOS AS AN ENLIGHTENED ORG?

The things Tony Hsieh described that most caught my attention, and why I have included Zappos in our directory of companies that are doing things differently, and achieving great success at a time when others are “dying on the vines” include…

1.  Relationship Marketing model – it is ALL about the customer and customer retention. That the e-commerce business is built on customer retention is one of their core values.

2. Corporate Culture and Values -they have a Culture Book written by the employees describing what the company culture means to them. A core value for Zappos is the realization that you MUST manage your Corporate Culture. They are absolutely correct. You will have one! It will develop at the water cooler, if you do not define it, manage it… and live it.

3.  Core Values – their website has 10 core values or guiding principles so everyone, both inside and outside the company, can understand what makes the company succeed.

4. Customer Loyalty Training Program - all employees attend this 4 week program. At the end of the first week, they are offered $1,000.00 to leave the company immediately. About 10% of potential employees take the bait. This offer is made to ensure the employees who stay are dedicated to the values and the company, and not just the money.

5. Corporate salaries – Hsieh mentioned he pays himself the same amount of money as his employees make – $36,000.00 per year.

6. Corporate Perks - at a time when Wall Street CEOs are paying themselves $18 Billion in bonuses out of the tax dollars given to keep them afloat, CEO Hsieh, does not have a corporate car, does not have a corner office, sits in a cubicle like everyone else… and says he and his brother share a suit.

7. Work and play have few lines of separation – at any time, Hsieh says, a department may initiate an impromptu parade in costume through the office. He had great difficulty describing his work hours, “Staff like to be together and often the activity at the office spills out into dinner or evening activities together…because I am passionate about what I do, it is hard to tell when it is work, and when it is play.”

8. Don’t be secretive. Don’t worry about competitors - this is another core value at Zappos -  one that is consistent with our belief system for a Corporate Mindshift or a Conscious Corporation. Worrying about your competitors is a belief built on the old model of scarcity. If you believe there is more than enough for all -  you will be open and supportive with all whom you come into contact.

9. Trust Yourself - in our definition of an Enlightened Org, we place heavy emphasis on TRUST and INTUITION (click to see the chart). We believe this is the first step a corporation must take to make a shift from Old Business model to New business model. Learn to trust and rely upon your intuitive voice. It is as powerful for guiding your new reality  – as your physical vision is to guide you in a physical world.

“Make certain you are passionate about what you do – and the money will follow,” says Tony Hsieh.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
If you know a company that is making a Mindshift towards serving humanity while still turning a profit, we would like to know about them. Let us know by contacting::
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com... or leave the information in the comments section of this post.

Organizational Behaviour Consultant

author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

enlightened organizations: global trends: inspiration

WHAT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY?…AND, WHATEVER DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH SHOES?

There has been a ground swell on the Internet to send old shoes to the White House showing support for Iraqi anger, following the Iraqi journalist shoe-throwing incident. US President George W. Bush used his finely-honed skills of side-stepping…this time to avoid physical injury. Is it possible the mystery shoes may be a statement to George W. Bush about how the country feels about US foreign policy?

If indeed, this is the solution to the mystery of the scattered shoes, it is also a statement from ‘Main Street’ crying, “Enough!. What is happening in global policy is wrong, it is immoral, it is inhumane.”

When we speak out about something we believe to be morally wrong, we are engaging the prefrontal brain capabilities. Extraordinary changes are possible in our society, as individuals recognize the need to balance all three aspects of the thinking and reasoning process, and then take action on ethical and moral grounds.

LEFT AND RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTION

Much has been said about the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Although we risk over-simplification, this left and right brain stuff makes for an “easy-to-relate-to” model when we refer to the left functioning of the brain as the area in which rational, logical, scientific thought arises, and the right brain as the centre for creative and intuitive thought. The western world is heavily reliant upon left brain thinking. The right hemisphere is more closely aligned with creative, intuitive thought processes, more commonly accessed in eastern and aboriginal thought and philosophy.

Generally speaking, cultures that are predominately reliant upon left brain thinking often dismiss the value and credibility of right brain thinking for decision-making, business, or governance processes.

PREFRONTAL CORTEX-THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

Ethical and moral stances emanate from a newly-studied brain function found in the prefrontal cortex. We can now put into the left brain/right brain mix, another component…it is the prefrontal cortex. Current study shows this area of the brain seems to be engaged when one is involved with thoughts of moral, ethical or spiritual nature. It is highly engaged in compassionate, loving thoughts. It is often referred to as the executive function of the brain whose role is making assessments between right and wrong, good and bad, anticipating consequences, and engaging in spiritual concepts of faith and trust. In other words, it balances the impulsivity of left or right brain singular thinking.

CORPORATIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENTS MUST BALANCE ALL THREE

We believe a Corporate MIndshift involves balancing and engaging all three brain functions.  A highly functioning human being finds a balance between left and right brain thinking, and moderates choices of actions through the prefrontal cortex. Making a Corporate Mindshift means corporations, institutions, governments and individuals become more balanced and value the use of all three aspects of the thinking processes; taking into consideration logic and reason; creativity, intuition and cognition; and ethics, compassion, morality and spirituality, in ALL decision-making.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abudant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.
Enquire: attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com

enlightened organizations: global trends: inspiration: best practices

ACTING ON EPIPHANY

Denise Cerreta’s business model at One World Everyone Eats is more about giving of herself and her business -than taking. She says when she told her first customer, “Just pay me what you think the meal is worth… it was like my heart expanded and I realized my true purpose in life.” (epiphany – wikipedia)

Five years ago, Denise awoke with a new awareness that the patients she had been treating in her acupuncture clinic…“were not sick, they were lonely.” That revelation prompted her to open a daring and innovative restaurant in Salt Lake City.

NO MENU – NO PRICES – NO SET PORTIONS

At One World Everybody Eats cafe there is no set menu, no set prices. Patrons pay what they think the meal is worth, choose the size of portions they want (refills are welcome)-it is waste that is discouraged. Those who cannot pay are allowed to volunteer at the cafe or organic garden to pay for their meals.

Denise has set up guidelines for others who may want to establish this model of restaurant, and entrepreneurs in Denver, Colorado and Mosab, Utah have followed suit, with discussions now underway for similar restaurants in Durham, North Carolina and San Francisco for 2009.

…the benefits of the free market should accrue not just to individuals but to society as a whole.” – Adam Smith, “Wealth of Nations”

A BUSINESS OR A WELFARE SOUP LINE?

Can this approach to business also turn a profit, or even be considered a successful venture? Well, without previous knowledge of the incredibly competitive food industry, Denise Cerreta has operated her business for 5 years, something of a record in the restaurant industry, especially in difficult economic times. She is currently experiencing some financial challenges which she attributes to her lack of management experience. As the business prospered and grew, she found she was lacking administrative skills-a situation she is not giving up on, and has yet to close her doors.  Detractors of the no pricing, no menu concept point to its folly, as the underlying cause for the current problems.

GIVING VS TAKING

In a recent conversation with Todd Smith, photographer, he told me of a similar approach he used when he was first establishing his photography business in Virginia.  After seeing the dismay experienced by brides with the ever-mounting prices quoted for the photography for their weddings by other photographers, he decided to set a few package deals at varying prices.  Once the package was agreed upon, he felt free to practice his craft in any way he chose, providing the best possible memories for the wedding couple and spending his energy on what he loved most about his business. His generosity in going beyond the tight confines of what was laid out in the pricing structure, spilled over to the caterers and other service providers, giving them free CDs so they, too, could have a record of their work. “My business flourished by giving away,” said Todd.

Blaine Watson, Ayurvedic astrologist also has a “pay what you think it is worth and what you can afford” model for his Astrological readings, a model that has served to attract 30,000 clients world wide.

Gary Scotts daughter who owns an acting school franchise in London, England has, on average,more of her students in West End plays… her secret? ““This is very simple.  I give the children who have extra talent free lessons. I bring them to my home and work with them there.”

WHAT MAKES IT WORK

It is to be expected there will be detractors for any business model that does not conform to a capitalistic, profit-driven model. For this approach to succeed, the owners, as well as the clients, will be those who live outside of judgment and evaluation.  You cannot ask someone to “pay what they think it is worth” and then say, “Is that all you think it is worth?”. There are two sides to this… “what is it worth to me”... and “what can I afford.” To use this model, you are someone who has decided the rewards from your business are not only monetary but they are largely from making an important contribution. The flow of money is an expression of appreciation.

SURVIVING IN DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES

Businesses that will survive the next 5 years will be those who are flexible in their terms and relationships with their clients.  You do it because it is the right thing to do. My grandfather was a millwright, welder and carpenter, who, during the Great Depression, acquired goats, a cow and a calf, meat, chickens, wood for heating, wheat which he had milled into flour, and fresh fish, all as payment for his services to keep much-needed farm equipment and other machinery operational.

“Pay what you can afford”… maybe not be a unique idea… but it certainly is one that reflects the right we all have to basic services and the essentials for life… One World Everyone Eats...and all of society benefits.

…the traditional profit-for-profit’s sake isn’t just flawed but, “based on greed, hatred and delusion”. – Lloyd Field, “Business and the Buddha”

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
If you know a company that is making a Mindshift towards serving humanity while still turning a profit, we would like to know about them. Let us know by contacting::
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com... or leave the information in the comments section of this post.

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abudant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

enlightened organizations: global trends: inspiration

FROM “TAKERS” TO “GIVERS” – SLIDE 3

Whether you currently have a business, anticipate starting a business, or want to invest in a business; we believe this model will help you pick the winners!

Abundance, Inter-connectivity and Consciousness are the main characteristics of the emerging economy. Today, I present the third of our trio of slides explaining our TAO of Conscious Business(tm). You can use the links below to review Slides 1 and 2.

Click to review Slide 1
Click to review Slide 2

CORPORATE MINDSHIFT

There are many “enlightenors(tm)” who are already forging the new path. We feature them in our Monday postings. It is now time for a critical mass Mindshift. Critical mass will be reached through the acquisition and change in skills, values, mindshifts, and organizational structures, to become an Enlightened Organization.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Several years ago, I was stopped at a traffic light in Edmonton, Alberta, when I noticed a sweet little red-haired girl in the car in front of me staring out the back window and waving energetically.  The car was a very old model, full of rust holes.  The child was bright, happy, and animated.  Then I noticed something scratched into the peeling pain on the back of the trunk.  It read,  “Tomorrow will be a better day.

It is now time to reveal our optimism for the future. In Slide 3, of the TAO of Conscious Business(tm), we begin to paint our bright view for the future.

BACKGROUND TO THE TAO TRIO OF SLIDES

In our first Blog, Slide 1 on the TAO of Conscious Business(tm), model, we presented an overview of the “V” showing the decline of the old and the emergence of the new. In the second Blog, Slide 2, we explained in greater detail, the phase of Power and Scarcity, the phase that we believe is on the decline. In that blog, we drew attention to some of the events characterizing that devolution. At the apex of the “V” is the point of great confusion.  Certainly, even one episode of the evening news gives credence to the state of confusion we currently find ourselves living in. The upside of the V is what we think needs to happen for business to succeed.

IN EVOLUTION THERE ARE ALWAYS SURVIVORS

Everything on the planet has been and always will be in a state of evolution. What is different today is the speed at which that evolution is occurring. When the speed of change was slower, it was not necessary to make about-face shifts in the values and means by which we conducted our daily lives and businesses. The luxury of a lull in transition is no longer possible.

Solutions that worked in an Industrial Society will no longer work in this new economy. Whatever this New Society will be called – be it, A Sustainable Society – be it, the Ethics Society – Consciousness Society – or the Existential Society – whatever the label, we believe this Society will be about breaking the last frontier, the frontier of the human mind and the discovery of our true purpose for existence.

Man has conquered the land, the skies and the planets – and now the greatest discovery of all, the last frontier, is within the human mind.  We have found other galaxies and planets, but we are still in search of the meaning for our own existence.

BURIED DEEP WITHIN

I am fond of this traditional story…

The Creator wanted to find a safe place to put life’s greatest treasures and secrets.

The ground hog said, “Give them to me, I will dig a hole in the ground and bury them.  They will be safe there.”

The Creator responded, “No, man will dig up the ground in search of treasure.  He will surely find it there.”

The squirrel said, “Give them to me. I will climb up into the highest forests and put them into the tops of the tallest trees.  He will not find them there.”

The creator again replied, “No, he will tear down the forests in search of treasures.  He will surely find it there.”

The eagle said, “Give it to me, I will fly to the greatest heights. Man will never find it there.”

To which the Creator again replied, “No, He will build crafts to travel to far away places beyond the skies.”

Then, the Creator paused for a moment, and said, “I know. I will bury it inside of him.  He will never think to search inside himself for life’s greatest treasures.”

Luke 18:16-17

... Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The rational mind cannot access those inner treasures. They will be found only when we find a complete balance between our creative mind, our rational mind and our spiritutal mind… a balance between left and right hemispheres and prefrontal cortex… what we define as a “MINDSHIFT”.

This biblical quote I think refers to the need to access our inner child, our creative, intuitive, imaginative state, to find the greatest treasures that are buried within us.

The turning point of “Mindshift” and the portal to future success begins with “ME”.  I must come to terms with who I AM before I can raise to greater heights.  Once I make the change within me, once I search for and find the treasures within myself, only then, can it emanate outwards and influence change in my environment and profound change in my results.

On our TAO of Conscious Business(tm) model we set out several key components of the new reality.  Each of these factors will be discussed in depth over the next weeks.

• Creativity
• Intuition and Cognition
• A “We vs Me” worldview
• Gratitude and BE – ingness
• Technology
• Green and Sustainable living
• Hope – for all
  We invite you to join in on these discussions with your ideas, challenges and stories.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy  Berg  has been intrigued by organizational behavior throughout her career in the Canadian federal government where she held the position of Director of Public Affairs and Communications. She often stepped out on a limb “nudging” senior managment to embrace the “softer” side of organizational change.  There was much more to effective change processes than “shifting the chairs on the Titanic”.  Today, she is passionate about bringing this message to all organizations as it becomes clearer that an organizational revolution is underway. Her observations of this process over the past two and one half decades, is summarized in the”TAO of Conscious Business” trio of slides.

Enlightened Organizations: inspiration

100 Mile Diet
click for more

THE VALUE OF LOCALLY GROWN FOOD

Vancouver, British Columbia’s, Alisa Smith, free lance writer and journalist, and partner J.B. McKinnon, author, challenged themselves to a one year mission to eat only locally grown foods from a 100 mile radius of their Vancouver home as a statement in support of the environment and local growers.

Their prize-winning book, “The 100 Mile Diet, A Year of Local Eating”, published in 2007 and winning regional awards in 2008, is a memoir of their experiences in finding and preparing local food. It presents an important part of the totally new way of looking at the world and of the role we need to adopt as keepers of the earths treasures for future generations.

The 100 Mile Diet may not be an “organization” by definition, as we normally profile on Monday’s blog of Best Practices of Enlightened Organizations, but the authors are a partnership, and their project, and ultimately their product, which is a new way of thinking about how we eat, does indeed, qualify them as inductees into our Hall of Enlightened Organizations.

Their project may seem like it focused on food, but it actually brings into question issues of globalization, the oil economy, environmental collapse, and the unraveling of the social fabric of our communities. These issues are of primary concern to enlightened organizations… they are the issues and values enlightened organizations are committed to dealing with ahead of profit margins. The 100 Mile Diet has caught on internationally and is increasing awareness of how each of us can make a positive impact on the global environment by eating “from home”.

TWO SIMPLE FACTS THAT MAY SHOCK YOU INTO CONSIDERING A 100 MILE DIET

In a way, their project is also reflective of the Slow Food movement begun in France to counter the Fast Food industry. The very act of becoming engaged in the source of our food brings us into an energy that reminds us we are part of nature.  We are energetically part of the environment in which we live, which means we share an inter-connectivity with all living systems in that environment. By becoming conscious of eating from the local area, we link to the ‘terroir’ of the region, its heritage, artisans, community and farmers.

“It’s remarkable, but people who grow their own food, who reconnect with the soil, can immediately appreciate the implications of an economy that doesn’t respect the power of ecology,” says Woody Tasch, author of the book, Slow Money.

Tasch believes one aspect of social responsibility has been left out that can no longer be neglected is a more personal connection to our food. It all comes down to Earth and back to sustainable agriculture.

“Eating locally isn’t just a fad like the various diets advertised on late-night TV-it may be one of the most important ways we save ourselves and the planet.”
- Dr. David Suzuki, chair, The David Suzuki Foundation

Smith and McKinnon were at first amazed to realize that the typical ingredients in their meals were traveling a distance that spanned from Toronto to the Yukon before landing on their dinner table.  The concept of greenhouse gases, smog and consumption of energy to move this product was astounding.

Although the idea of the 100 Mile Diet has gained international awareness, the concept is not all that foreign to many still alive today.  It is a return to a life style from the not so distant past.

A 100 MILE DIET, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT PAST, WAS THE WAY OF LIFE

I recall the enthusiasm my cousins and I would have for spending time with my grandparents in rural Manitoba. I would rave to my friends about my grandmothers wonderful cooking.  Now, I realize it was not so much the cooking as the source of the products.  The garden contained corn, potatoes, cucumbers, peas, dill, beets, turnips, green and yellow beans, tomatoes, to die for…  the list goes on.  One of our favorite pastimes was playing hide and seek with a salt shaker! – lying low in the deep rows of vegetables, snacking on cucumbers or tomotoes, waiting to be found.

MOTHER NATURES OWN GARDEN

The weekends were filled with excursions to the countryside to pick a wide variety of wild mushrooms in each of their growing seasons, or low bush cranberries, blueberries, saskatoons, pincherries, rose hips, or wild strawberries.  My grandfather would pick up his fishing gear as soon as he arrived home after a full day of work, load us into his little fishing boat, and head up the river to catch fresh Pickerel for dinner.

FOOD AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES WERE INTERWINED

Evenings were car trips to the farms of relatives or friends after dinner and provided a social opportunity, as well as, a chance to pick up fresh farm eggs, chickens, beef, milk, fresh icy cold cream that was later left to sour to make sour cream that someone who has only eaten supermarket sour cream could never begin to understand… to mention nothing of the homemade butter and the homemade cottage cheese!

I guess it was a lot of work.  But I do not recall anyone complaining. It seemed there was always plenty of time to share the experience with us. The handling of the food was part of the life and social experience.  Products were swapped and shared with great pride. Pails of handpicked berries were often left by neighbours on the doorstep in the early morning, and later exchanged for the jars of preserves they had been used to make.

EVEN A SMALL CHANGE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Maybe a full 100 mile diet is not something you want to commit to.  But I do challenge you to consider even a small change in your purchasing habits.  A lot of people, each making an adjustment, can make a huge difference. Perhaps you will try growing your own tomotoes in pots on your balcony.  You will be amazed at how much produce comes from just one small plant – and you will love the difference in flavor.  I believe you will also find getting an energy connection with your food actually changes your energy consciousness.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Happiness and True Fulfillment
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy and Jim Berg have chosen to reside in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia because of the availability of locally grown produce.  They are committed to supporting local growers. Last summer they purchased beautiful cherries directly from the grower for $1.00 per pound!  The same cherries were being sold at roadside stands for $4.99 per pound and at the local supermarkets for $6.99 per pound. Here are some statistics that should make you concerned.

Share of each U.S. consumer food dollar that returned to the farmer in 1910, in cents: 40

Share that returned to the farmer in 1997, in cents: 7

Let’s support our local growers – or all of our food will be coming from thousands of miles away.

Web Marketing: VanAmburgGroup.com

THANK GOD OUR NEW SITE IS UP

Over the years, we created and managed a lot of websites for clients, and focused on creation of MutualGravity’s software platform, leaving some of our own sites to collect dust.

Until a few weeks ago, VanAmburgGroup.com was untouched since 1999. Yet that was our public presence, our 24/7 communications with the world. If you saw the old site, you probably thought we were on a long cruise or something.

So this quarter we revamped the the entire site:

1. To share hundreds of pages of practical research, planning and marketing information,
2. To communicate some of the exciting projects we’re working on, and
3. To bring in some of our global partners.

In this process, I’ve committed to being transparent with our site development and search optimization.

Starting today, every Monday I’ll share some of our related accomplishments and challenges. On Wednesdays, we’ll offer web design and SEO nuggets for your use.

THE BLOG SCHEDULE

But before I jump in to the site development discussion, here’s what to expect with the Thinking Big Works blog.

For the main site:

• Check the chart above for the full schedule. We’ll also add posts beyond those categories and days.
• To simplify your reading experience, every post will have a category header, so you can easily choose which ones you want to read. The first line of each post will give a bit more information on what it’s about.
• Author Judy Berg now posts daily. As of today, I’ll be posting daily. Noted management consultant, Greg Pashke will begin regular posts next week. And SEO specialist, Jody Resnick, will be sharing his insights beginning in January.

Read more about current and upcoming site features below the fold.

HERE’S WHERE WE ARE WITH THE SITE

For the main site:

• We’ve completed about 70 pages of information most with charts, and will add 5-10 a week, and post the new ones every Monday.
• We’ve completed about 50% of our search optimization. We’ll share that wonderful process on Wednesdays.
• Friday of this week we’ll launch a video tour of the site to help you access the practical info you need.
• Starting next week, we’ll add white papers, slide overviews, and other detailed info for your research, planning, marketing, and web marketing use.

WHY ENLIGHTENED ORGANIZATIONS

On Mondays and Tuesdays, Judy Berg and I will be sharing a public conversation about one of the most exciting trends you will witness in the worlds of business and government.

We all experience the daily revelations of greed, corruption and other mistakes made by individuals in the recent past. There are enough news and commentary outlets discussing examples of these sad affairs. You may have lost 50% of your retirement savings so far, but we’re all just beginning to experience the fallout of these actions. Yes, there will be more.

But our focus is what comes beyond the chaos that fixates the nightly news. There are amazing people who have created amazing organizations over the past 30+ years. They are the ones who will redefine our economy, our world society, our reality – and not in a few generations.

Starting in January:

• We’ll be interviewing 100+ of the leading thinkers on the planet.
• You can join in on our Enlightenors’ Cafe online conversations, which we’ll announce soon.

Want more on our near and medium-term projections for the economy and how it will affect your business? Keep reading Thinking Big Works. Thanks.

Best wishes,
David

Consciousness: MIndshift

VIEWING THE CONSCIOUS BODY

I created the Body Conscious Guide(tm) to inspire a dialogue about states of Consciousness – a road map of sorts - from lowest to highest energy. I believe our lowest state of consciousness and darkest night is the state of Hopelessness, where there is hardly enough energy to even imagine going on with life. Progressively, there are increasing energy reserves at Sadness, moving up to Shame, Guilt, Grief, Fear, Doubt, and Anger.

The next step on the guide to Body Consciousness(tm)….

is a crucial turning point. It is Gratitude. This is the shift from lower consciousness states to higher consciousness states. In Gratitude, one has crossed the portal to the potentiality for ever greater energy levels of Acceptance, Empathy, Love, Joy, Wonder, Inner Peace, Bliss, and ultimately, Enlightenment.

THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

Gratitude holds huge power.  Since it is not possible to hold two states of Consciousness at the same moment -  if one is in a state of Fear, you cannot also experience Love -  we must find a way to shift from the energy levels that do not serve us, to those that will.  The turning point is Gratitude. The good news is, it is possible to choose your state of consciousness. Regardless of the state you may be in, if you can find, for even a brief moment, a single thing for which you can feel Gratitude – a shift occurs. In an instant! It may be challenging to stay in Gratitude for long before the old thoughts and fears come swirling back. But, for that moment, your body chemistry changed. The more frequently you step into Gratitude, the longer that state remains with you.

SHIFTING THROUGH ADVERSITY

In adversity there is always hope and possibility. As an example, there is much to appreciate in this global recession. In  recent decades, abundance and wealth have taken on a connotation of consumption and materialism…but now, we have a chance to return to the real meaning of abundance. I was raised by parents who lived through the last Depression. They knew how to save, rarely did they use credit. In our community there was no indoor plumbing until I was in Grade school, no television until I reached High school, and few people took annual vacations. I thought I grew up rich!…it was a state of MIND.

YOU CHOOSE

We are now in very volatile, frightening, and challenging times. Oil prices have soared and plunged, housing prices have reached astronomical levels and cascaded to all time lows, foreclosures are at a record high, food prices could bring on the worst world-wide famine ever recorded in history, and  our monetary system is collapsing. I am not an economist, so I am not about to speculate on the factors driving this scenario but what I do know, through my years of examining this complex feedback mechanism that is Consciousness, is that the mindset  we choose when looking at our situation has profound impact on just how well we will weather this turbulent storm.

WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE?

Will the Christmas season with financial concerns become a time of fear and sadness because you cannot afford the gifts you once purchased? – or will you be Grateful for the love of self, family and community. There is no greater gift. What a wonderful time for us to learn what it means to be Soul Abundant. No recession can take that abundance away from you. When I ask participants what is their most precious asset, they rarely say TIME.  The gift of time is the greatest gift you can give.  My favorite Christmas gift was the year my parents gave me a “voucher” for a family home-cooked meal every Friday night in their home for a year.  At the time I was working, traveling and raising two teenagers.

WHAT IF I DON’T ALWAYS FEEL HAPPY?

I am often asked whether people who subscribe to the idea that we create our reality through our thoughts and feelings are just happy, happy, happy, little folks every minute of every day. Nothing bad ever comes into their lives! Of course, the statement is made with a heavy coating of sarcasm. To which I reply, “I am grateful what you describe is not true”. Bad things do happen…to everyone. It is how we choose to deal with these things that differentiate those who “seem to have all the good luck”, and those who do not. We embrace the bad times because it is in those darkest of moments we are presented with the opportunity to reach down and discover our greatest potential. Luck is not the factor. Consciousness is.

I think consciousness is a combination of our thoughts and feelings, creating a complex feedback loop and shaping our reality. The state of consciousness we are in is a like a radio station emitting a signal that is picked up by all around us, both animate and inanimate. No different than the radio signal we pick up with our radio tuners – when we link to a frequency – that is the music that is played back to us. So, if we “don’t like the music”, we need to change our consciousness channel! It is all dependent on how we CHOOSE to look at it.

Many participants from my seminars keep a laminated copy of the Body Conscious Guide(tm) on their fridge.  Instead of talking to family about what they are going to DO today – consider asking how they are going to BE today …which level will they BE on the chart.

Try it. Then let us know what happens!  You can order a laminated copy of the Body Conscious Guide by clicking here - and you may want to give the gift of abundance with a copy of my book available at the same site!

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www,soulabundant.com

]]> http://vanamburggroup.com/blogs/a-guide-to-the-body-conscious/feed/ 5 http://vanamburggroup.com/blogs/construct-model-for-tao-of-conscious-business/ http://vanamburggroup.com/blogs/construct-model-for-tao-of-conscious-business/#comments Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:24:17 +0000 Judy Berg http://vanamburggroup.com/blogs/?p=423

Enlightened Organizations: Discussion

INTRODUCING A NEW MODEL OF CHANGE

Speed of change today is exponential. In just a few hundred years, civilization moved through an Agrarian Society, an Industrial Society; and within that Industrial Society, a Manufacturing Age and an Information Age.

SOCIETAL SHIFT

We are poised for another huge shift. Normally, these societal shifts take centuries and are not experienced in the lifetime of one person. Typically, a worker entered the workforce with one set skills and continued to live and work comfortably with those competencies throughout their lives. Not so any longer. Most people in the workforce today entered in the manufacturing stage of the Industrial Society, but soon found themselves in the steep learning curve of the Information Age. We are about to be thrown into another huge shift, far greater than anything we have ever experienced or could imagine!

“No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.” – Adam Smith – The Wealth of Nations, Book I Chapter VI

THE NEXT WAVE IS UPON US

Organizations are living systems created as support mechanisms appropriate for the times. They are born, live out their usefulness, and die off or are re-created as times change. In their dying days, it becomes apparent their health is failing – but often the “know-how” to preserve them, revive or recreate them, is lacking. We designed the graphic trio of slides, Tao to Conscious Business(tm) to assist in drawing attention to some of the symptoms and to propose a direction for the evolution of business. We set out to chart a path for change.

In this Blog, we look at Slide 1 which gives an overview of this path or WAY. On Slide 2, in another Blog, we will talk more about the actual events that tell us our living systems are dying. And on Slide 3, in a third Blog, we will talk about the indicators of the healthy “organ-ism” which provide a blueprint for the successful organizations of the future.

THE DECLINE OF THE POWER/SCARCITY PHASE

The business and economic model for the past 2-3 centuries has been premised by unlimited growth, wealth accumulation and expansion of territory and power. Bigger is better. This is the era of TAKERS. The sole determinant of success in business was PROFIT. This period we call the POWER or SCARCITY PHASE. Underlying most business structures today is a model based of CONTROL and FEAR. The business model, like much of western society, was shaped by principles from classical Newtonian physics. The idea of separateness of all physical matter became a construct or world view in which the players saw themselves in competition for scarce resources. “I have to get my share before it is all gone…” There are many signs this model is no longer serving us.

CENTRE OF CONFUSION

As the living organization shows signs of decline, a state of confusion begins to emerge. We are at a loss for solutions. The old solutions do not seem to be working but we keep recycling them. Will we be able to see the things that need to be changed? Will we be willing to personally make the changes in our world view? Will we be ready to lead the change in our organizations?

THE NEW BECOMES CLEARER – THE ABUNDANCE PHASE

For several decades organizational development specialists have known a major overhaul is needed to keep organizations healthy and relevant. Only recently is it becoming more clear what that change will be. In our TAO to Conscious Business(tm) in Slide 3, we set out some of the characteristics of the new economy. We believe there needs to be a shift from TAKERS – to GIVERS… a shift from PROFIT,  to PEOPLE. It is a shift from a Phase of Power and Scarcity – to a Phase of Abundance, Connectedness and Consciousness. This new era in business is taking its principles of operation – not from classical physics – but from quantum physics. In quantum physics, we see the world as interconnected with infinite possibilities. This construct, when used to interpret a business reality, presumes cooperation, creation, and abundance. Business success in this world view will be more about the well-being of the whole. The whole will be seen in a holographic sense, not as a collage of separate pieces, but a hologram, in which every piece is an exact composite of the whole. “I am another you.”

THE PRICE OF OUR SEPARATENESS

Humanity has paid a huge price of suffering for its worldview of separation. David, I can’t think of a more exciting time to be alive -  to be part of what I believe is a paradigm shift from a world of power – to a   Consciousness Renaissance.

Are you seeing signs of change in your organization?  Is the ‘Power Phase’ still struggling to hold on at all costs? Are the same old solutions being recycled – and not working?

We want to hear your story.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: “Imagine Your Soul Abundant:Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness”
more about: www.soulabundant.com