Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. - Stephen Covey Life should not be a series of knee jerk reactions to the stuff that happens to us. When things become chaotic, when we have too … Continue reading Working Wisdom: Every Minute Has the Power of Choice
One man cannot do right in one department of life whilst he is occupied in doing wrong in any other department. Life is one indivisible whole. - Gandhi Balance and authenticity: it’s what I strive for every waking moment. Unfortunately, the politics of “business as usual” often challenge these virtues. The pragmatism of the ends … Continue reading Working Wisdom: Life Is One Indivisible Whole
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. - Goethe At the end of the day, how much time and energy have you spent on the things that are really important to you? If you’re like most of us, the pressing urgency of unimportant distractions often interrupts our … Continue reading Working Wisdom: Are You Focusing on the Things That Matter Most?
Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings. - Helen Keller (1880-1968), from her book "My Religion" (1927). Apathy precedes burnout. As workers descend the burnout spiral, their original hope deteriorates into frustration, anger and … Continue reading Working Wisdom: Is Apathy the Worst of All Evils?
It is how people respond to stress that determines whether they will profit from misfortune or be miserable. - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990) A stressor doesn’t necessarily lead to stress. Surprised? It’s because a stressor is simply an external condition or event – while stress is an internal reaction that may … Continue reading Working Wisdom: Your Response to Stress Determines Your Outcome
Only do what your heart tells you. - Princess Diana Mankind is a thinking species, but also an emotional one. This fact is often overlooked in today’s hyperactive, quantitative business environment. Critical analysis, measurement and judgment are necessary “hard skills” of business – but they are insufficient. “Hard skills” don’t lend themselves to innovation nor … Continue reading Working Wisdom: The Heart of Business
Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better. - King Whitney, Jr. Change management … Continue reading Working Wisdom: The Impact of Change on Your Mind
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. - Chinese proverb Profound growth requires transformational changes that take time. Although we all have experienced the sudden “a ha!” moment in which the solutions to our problems miraculously appeared, we often forget the conscious and unconscious wrestling, weighing and assessing that preceded these moments … Continue reading Working Wisdom: Ideas to Keep You Motivated
A New Way to Work 