Among the natural attributes of women are collaboration and team building. (And, we hold many more.) Our ability to use these gifts has been recognized by such groups as CARE, Heifer International and The Hunger Project. (See notes below.) These groups have invested their resources and total faith in women to rebuild their communities as they know that women will use their opportunities to feed their families and strengthen their communities.
Relationship building, networking and community building are some of women’s finest gifts. Therefore, The Essential Feminine Company™ is opening its “Living Room” as a place for women to get together once a month to share ideas and suggestions about various topics. This is a free event happening at noon (Pacific Time) on March 24 and continuing on the fourth Wednesday of the months following. Continue reading » »
Many (many) summers ago, when I was in training to be a lifeguard on New York’s Lake George, the first principle I learned was how to safely approach a swimmer in distress. A safe approach included talking to them, letting them know I was there to help them, and giving them instructions.
The second principle I learned was how to get out of harm’s way if I didn’t successfully execute the first principle. Good to know. If the victim locked his arms around my neck, my automatic moves were: my right arm over his arms, right hand under right side of his chin, strongly Continue reading » »
As a 10-year board member of the Peter Drucker Foundation, I had many opportunities to listen to this great man. Among the myriad wise things I have heard him say, the wisest was, “We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”
Very true, indeed. Think about your own organization. Have you ever attended a corporate retreat or executive training session that was titled something like Stupid Things We’re Doing That We Need to Stop Doing?
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As a nation, we have projected a sense of righteousness and superiority attitudes that are deeply resented in world. Separateness and superiority have become our way of life, rooted deeply in fear. A question– is our way of living necessarily “right”? Many aspects of American life are unraveling before our very eyes (such as, the ability to live and lead from truth and the ability to care for the whole, our health care system, our economic foundation). I wonder who are we to put forth our superiority? Collective responsibility expressed through empathy and understanding would benefit us all. Therefore, one of the most important things we need in the world today is for each of us to have a sense of what it is like to walk in the shoes of another. Continue reading » »
I have a lot of trouble with integrity. That’s not a personal confession and it’s not a statement about today’s (occasionally challenging) business climate. Instead, it’s a problem I have with the word itself. My difficulties emerge when I’m doing a values exercise with a senior team. As we discuss what makes their organization unique, someone inevitably suggests that “integrity” be included on the list. That’s when my brow furrows and my headache starts.
According to a Harvard Business Review article[1], 55% of all Fortune 100 companies define integrity as one of their “core” values. When working with a senior team, I could just cite that statistic if I wanted to discourage the inclusion of integrity on their list. Or, I could add that integrity was one of Enron’s values too. But either because I’m too polite to take a cheap shot or an optimist at heart, I take a deep breath and say: “Okay. If integrity is one of your values, let’s define it in a way that is meaningful to your organization.” And let the fun begin. Continue reading » »
