Search this site

Urban Zen is not a far-out sushi bar but rather a non-profit foundation created by fashion designer, Donna Karan. I had the wonderful opportunity of talking with Donna when we were both speakers at Simmons Leadership Conference. Little did I suspect that the soul of this black-draped woman resonated with passion for creating integrative healthcare among children, caregivers and communities. She has used her considerable resources to distribute tents as shelter for displaced Haitians. Urban Zen has produced a year-long series of nutritional workshops that focus on whole foods. Karan's foundation has hosted mission-driven events with the Dalai Lama, collaborated on art projects to preserve the indigenous artists of Australia, and joined with Beth Israel Medical Center to develop a program that uses integrative therapies in the care of cancer patients. DKNY will never look the same to me again!

It doesn’t seem like much of a secret—except that few hotels even do this so perhaps it is hidden behind the corporate veil I had come to Boston to speak at the 35th annual Simmons Leadership Conference. The Seaport at Boston Harbor, across from the World Trade Center, served as the conference hotel. Unlike other high-end hotels, Seaport doesn’t nickel and dime the guest for services like Internet and the health club. In fact, you don’t even need a password to log on and the health club is state-of-the-art. But wait!  There’s more: No tipping is permitted. Period. Does it impact an employee’s performance? Not on your life. In fact, in the Boston Business Journal’s 2010 list of "Best Places to Work" the hotel was there for the fourth year, taking second place in the large company category. But wait! There’s more: Attention to detail abounds. A single black washcloth is embroidered with the word “makeup”. A Keurig coffee maker brews a perfect cup of java from a selection of coffees lined up in the bathroom. Gilchrist & Soames hair care products are dispensed from a stainless steel container in the shower. No more little bottles to waste and recycle. A discreet trash bin encourages you to recycle paper on one side and glass and plastic on the other. But wait! There’s more: A large-sized umbrella hangs in the closet for the guest’s use on rainy days. The TV remote control is by far the most simple device I have ever handled. AND—not be outdone by electrical gadgets, a tent card invites the guest to call for the Seaport Pillow Library. Yes—a library of nine different kinds of pillows to make a good night’s sleep assured.  (I didn’t even know there were nine kinds of pillows ranging from Swedish memory to buckwheat and water-filled. I wanted to stay for nine nights so I could sample the difference.) But wait! There’s more: You don’t have to mortgage your first born for food or a good glass of wine. You find employees eager to help and ready with a smile.  And with Logan Airport just a quick ten minutes away, you have access to the world as well as the bounty of a marvelous historic city. I can’t wait to go back!

Dateline: Alaska, Kupreanof Island. In nearby Kake, Alaska, unemployment stands at 80%.   In an attempt to help the battered timber industry, the U.S. Forest Service has been planning to open up several large stands of old-growth trees which would require building 25 miles of roads at a cost of $6 million. For the three tiny sawmills in Kake, bidding on such an enormous operation is out of the question. However, the local Forest Service ranger did something unheard of:  he asked some 500 Kake residents what they wanted to happen in the remaining uncut forests around their village. Yes. They wanted jobs—just enough timber sales to keep the mills going. But here’s the surprise. They wanted no roads going into the virgin forests! They want to protect their way of life: hunting the black tailed deer. The result is a new plan that will reduce the number of board feet of timber and require only 1.8 mile of new roads. According to Lincoln Beach of the Native Tlingit tribal council, “We want to protect what’s left…we want to see a sustainable logging operation…We need to protect our hunting lands and our watersheds.” Since I speak on resiliency and finding multiple solutions for an issue—it seems that listening to the people at ground zero in the Alaska timber industry makes darn good sense.

My friend Jesse Lyn Stoner and Ken Blanchard have revised and expanded their popular book Full Steam Ahead! Through a beautifully written, engaging story about two people who are struggling to create visions—both for the company where they work and for their own lives—Blanchard and Stoner detail the essential elements of creating a successful vision. In Full Steam Ahead! you’ll learn: How to use the power of vision to get focused, get energized and get great results How to create a vision that touches the hearts and spirits of everyone in your organization How to create a vision for your own life that provides meaning and directionThis new edition is thoroughly revised, with a new chapter on sustaining your vision, updated examples, more information on creating vision for teams, and a new section that includes a vision assessment and a game plan for creating a shared vision. "This story provides a wonderful road map through the very important territory of vision that can move into action.  I found myself recalling many details of the journey well after I put the book down--it stayed vividly in my memory.  A powerful, simple guide for a journey we all need to take." —Margaret J. Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and Walk Out Walk On “For those who … extract the lessons from this wonderfully powerful and simple book and put it into practice, the rewards will be extraordinary.” —from the introduction by Patrick Lencioni, President of The Table Group and author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team You can purchase the book at Berrett-Koehler.

For the best few days, as I  made my early morning run along the beach and across the headlands that overlook Dana Point Harbor, I have kept a sharp lookout on the ocean. The ocean has been flat, pacified, and still: perfect for finding the spouts of the California gray whales as they make their annual migration. This weekend and next is the annual Dana Point Festival of the Whales. Alas. No whales! To be sure, they are somewhere in that vast blue sea but it appears that a strong current onshore might be pushing their huge bodies further away from the coast. Guess these mammals didn't get the memo that this was a command performance and thousands would be on hand to cheer their journey.  Reminds me of the swallows that are supposed to come back to Capistrano every March.  Nope.They don't show up either. The swallows now prefer to nest in the overhanging eves at Mission Viejo Mall.  Perhaps Nordsrom is a bigger draw than the Mission of San Juan. No matter. The humans will continue to gather. I rather like the notion that we can't command nature to appear at our beck and call. Whether a whale or a swallow - it puts us in our place to realize that the natural world responds to its own urgings. Humility is good for the soul. And so are the gatherings of art, music, and parades that accompany festivals. Happy Sunday.

Imagine a chain of hotels that decides to take on special causes and create one-of-a-kind music that support each cause! In their own words: The Choice Hotels Music Initiative brings together the emotional power of music with great causes to raise awareness and funds like never before. Using the leading marketing and distribution channels of Choice Hotels, artists are given a chance to introduce their original music to millions of listeners, while supporting signature nonprofit causes through song downloads. The non profits feed the hungry, rebuild communities devastated by Katrina, provide home for the developmentally disabled, preserve natural environments, and support after-school programs for kids. And Choice Hotels has just started. Find an artist, find a cause that resonates with this amazing company- and the next music track becomes a reality. They look for a match in four key areas: room to GIVE, room to REBUILD, room to be GREEN, and a room for EVERYONE. Go listen. Better still: download. And for every download, the hotel will donate $1 for every download up to $10,000. In an era where business smacks of self-service and greed, your spirits will soar. Come see for yourself.

My twin brother, a professor in the School of Theology at Boston College, just sent me a powerful reading for the Feast of St. Francis. When I tried to locate the original document to give you all just a link, I was unsuccessful. So, with apologies to National Catholic Reporter, here is the article in its original form. If I screwed up, I'll just claim the Jesuit "rule"-- do what you think is right and beg forgiveness later. Some Things Never Go Away Some things never go away. The best ones, in fact, come back to us in whole new ways. Saints are like that. For instance, October 4 is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, il poverello, the poor one, whose voice in the newly emerging mercantile class of the 13th century warned of the greed and corruption and destitution that would come when the world was run more on profit for the rich than it was on a prophetic commitment to the poor. And he was right. But Francis was known for more than protests. Francis loved animals, too. He was a walking apostle for ecology and the protection of woodlands, which, having been destroyed for parking lots and housing estates, leave animals who once lived in caves and forests to spill over into our largest cities. He talked to the animals. He understood them. He knew their place in creation. No doubt about it. In a world where species after species is disappearing under the rubric of "progress," where animals are being used for research on materials and cosmetics, where the boundaries between forests and cities are fast disappearing, where bears show up in shopping districts of major cities and crocodiles show up on people's front lawns, we need St. Francis now. It is also becoming clear that Francis knew what we are only now discovering. In our time, the science that separated us from nature is now declaring that animals, too, have intelligence, have emotions, have needs like ours. Research by Dr. Filippo Aureli, professor of animal behavior and co-director of the Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology in Liverpool, England, indicates that the study of animal emotions, particularly in birds and primates is providing new insight and information on the emotions of humans, as well as the feelings of animals. Well, I am an animal lover, too. And I have been threatening for years now that my last book would be Two Dogs and a Parrot: The Spiritual Lessons I Have Learned From My Pets. The parrot, named "Bennie" for obvious Benedictine reasons, is the most obvious educator of them all. From Bennie I am learning persistence and emotional sensitivity. Both of which are needed in this world of invisible women and neglected children. Persistence is a very good thing for a woman to know in a man's church. If Bennie needs something, she simply refuses to give up trying to get it. She will knock at her hopper until it gets filled, until the door gets opened, until you put her on your shoulder and make her a real part of the community. Emotional sensitivity, the awareness of the needs of needy others, is her forte. She stretches herself out on the top of her cage, thin as a pencil, rigid as a piece of steel and stares at you until you stop work and give her the loving she seeks, for her sake and yours. She teaches us to be very aware of very small signals in life. No wonder that churches to this day bless animals on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis. St. Francis would find it all very normal, very necessary. From where I stand, we need to take another look at what animals have to teach us today, yes, but we have to take another look at what the saints have to say to us today, too. Somehow or other, the models we have put in their stead have not, as a class, managed to fill the gaps. — originally appeared at NCRonline.org.

Most of us have worked for more than one employer who didn't communicate well or at all with employees.  We all know the consequences of such an oversight but what happens if communication becomes constant and overwhelming?  When you add technology into the mix, the methods of communicating with employees far exceed face-to-face communications.  We have e-zines, e-mail blasts, streaming video, instant messaging, text messaging, telephones, teleconferences, webinars and live meetings.  How do you make sure that employees are seeing and absorbing important information without suffering from information overload? 1.  Pick a communication channel or two and stick to it.  Don't try to use every trendy method of communication out there. 2.  Be clear and concise.  Less is more when you want to avoid employee overwhelm. 3.  Don't dilly-dally.  Get important information out to employees now.  Don't wait for the rumor mill to distort your message. 4.  Talk face to face when you can.  There isn't anything that replaces face-to-face conversation especially on critical and sensitive topics.

I get daily updates on any news that comes out related to leadership and women. Today, this release caused more than a pause. According to research from Opportunity Now, balancing work and family responsibilities is the biggest barrier women face to getting senior jobs. The study, which questioned over 850 line managers about female progression in the workplace, found that 82% of women believe combining work and family life is their biggest barrier, with childcare listed as another key obstacle. Male line managers are far less likely to recognize any barriers to gender diversity and women's progression, according to the study. The organization has found little change in perceptions since similar research was carried out in 2005. Based in the UK, Opportunity Now is a membership organization of employers committed to creating an inclusive workplace for women. My question about this appalling statistic is this: What does research in the United States say is the biggest barrier for entry for women in senior level job? According to Catalyst in a 2009 article, the women respondents in a survey stated that the top five barriers to advancement are: Lack of significant general management or line experience (47%) Exclusion from informal networks (41%) Stereotyping and preconceptions of women’s roles and abilities (33%) Failure of senior leadership to assume accountability for women’s advancement (29%) Commitment to personal/family responsibilities (26%) This report indicates that mentoring, sponsorship, stretch assignments, and ability to penetrate male networks are potential solutions for advancement. Thankfully, we will not have to forgo our families. What have been your observations regarding the inclusion of women in senior roles?

Dr. Richard Carlson hit international fame with his Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series. But on December 13, 2006, a pulmonary embolism took Richard’s life and plunged his wife Kristine and two daughters into shock, heartbreak and a journey through grief. Not everything is small stuff. Kristine Carlson’s new book, Heartbroken Open, sits on my desk, waiting for my review. I glance at the pages and what jumps out—even in a cursory fashion—is the value of  the small stuff that connects us to life. It is the small things that friends do when we are  in pain. Small gestures. Small rituals that comfort through their familiar patterns. Small signs of promise--like wedding candles that remain lit when winds off the Columbia Gorge suddenly stop. I already know this book channels raw emotion, brutal honesty, and poignant navigation through the swollen, muddy rivers of grief. I need to read this book-- first and foremost to understand the little things I can do to support friends going through such intense periods. But the other reason I will read this book-and keep it in my library is that I sense Kristine will show me small steps that can help in many other kinds of losses. At the start of another decade, surrounded by disasters, tragedies, downturns,  economic pressure, and unimaginable violence like that which claimed innocent  lives in Tucson, our hearts will break many times.  But it we learn to keep our hearts open, I believe we  can grow to become more authentic and caring people.

A group of neighborhood women gathered last night at my house.  In traveling so much, I hardly see folks that are literally close to me. So, a Christmas tradition has been to come to my house, bring an unwrapped present for a child or a teen, and some small gift to exchange. We gathered around the kitchen island, held hands and I made an announcement. "I am wearing Ginny Arthur's sweater. She is here with us." As tears filled our eyes, words of thanks came out about this amazing 88 year old, tiny sprite of a woman a masters from Stanford in Political Science--the daily swimmer who put on a white plastic swim cap and jumped in the community pool to do her regime of laps her infectious laughter and her intense interest in everyone and everything her willingness to suspend judgment and listen her avid cheering of Stanford football and basketball. (Oh that she could see them this coming year in the Orange Bowl!) Ginny died in her sleep almost 12 months ago. Her daughter called and asked me if I would consider taking some things that might fit me. I opted for this sweater.  No one could wear it like her. But for one night at least--we all loved Ginny again through her sweater.

The Remembrance Study recently asked 600 people to select their top  life values from a list of 110 options. Each was asked to choose the  top six values for which he or she would like to be remembered. What came to the top?  Being a good friend was the number one choice of all age groups except men over 65. Males in this group chose honesty as their number-one value. Having observed my husband in  retirement, my suspicion is that without work where men might encounter friends, the retirement phase can be more self-absorbed rather than other-oriented. Despite the recent election that revolved around the economy, making a lot of money was dead last. Less than one percent of women and men wanted to be remembered for their financial prowess.   On a sad note—considering the men and women who are giving their lives and futures  in Afghanistan and other places around the globe, only 3% of women and  12% of men wanted to be remembered for their patriotism. Maybe we might consider the 2nd highest value (care of family) and begin to bring these families back home again. Your thoughts?