Marc Lesser's Blog, page 38
December 9, 2009
Kaizen: Small Changes for Big Results
Many times, we resist change because change seems too big. Change is easier to accept, and to practice, when it's small. This is the secret power of Kaizen.
Originally a Japanese management concept designed to improve business practices, Kaizen is a process aimed at reducing or eliminating unnecessary physical and mental work. It encourages people to create and perform experiments as part of their daily work lives in order to become...
December 1, 2009
What's Your Story?
Every once in a while I like to take beginning improv classes – a great way to explore and develop responsiveness, helps me with not over-thinking, and also a great way to play and have fun. (If you are in San Francisco, check out Bay Area Theater Sports
I once arrived at a class in San Francisco; the teacher entered and announced with much enthusiasm, "Today we are going to do improvised Shakespeare." I could feel my body tighten; a ...
November 24, 2009
Appreciating Each Moment
I had lunch yesterday with Kaz Tanahashi, a world renowned calligrapher and translator, and friend. And also one of the most content, happy, and productive people I know. Kaz travels throughout the world teaching calligraphy and leading Zen retreats. He told me that upon returning from his travels someone recently asked him, "What's your favorite city?" What a strange question, he thought. If he named a favorite city, then, when...
November 20, 2009
Something Beautiful, Waiting To Be Born
Sometimes I'm amazed how many things can go wrong all at once. On a large scale there are recent devastating earthquakes, wars and violence, poverty, homelessness, and climate change. And then there is my life: After having lunch at a restaurant some time ago, as I returned to my car, I noticed that there appeared to be very little air in one of my front tires. When I arrived at the local gas station, I found two nails in the tire; ...
November 16, 2009
"Even while I'm working, I'm always resting."
"Even while I'm working, I'm always resting."
Last week I was interviewed by Joy Maulitz of KWMR Radio: Homegrown Radio in West Marin. Joy told me a story that I hadn't heard before about Suzuki Roshi, founding Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center.
The story is about when Suzuki Roshi was moving lots of large rocks and boulders around Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, to build walls and to create a rock garden. Suzuki Roshi was in his...
November 5, 2009
Impactful, Financially Sustainable, Fulfilling: Three Questions to Clarify Work Choices
We are nearly always making choices about what to do, what not to do, and how to spend our time. I realize that in very difficult financial times, this might not always be the case. Even, and perhaps especially in difficult times, clarifying and expanding our view of what is most important, what really matters, is even more crucial.
I find that I'm regularly applying three questions to my work:
- Does my work have impact?
- Is my work...
October 28, 2009
Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness
A quote from the book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
"Competencies come in clusters. For top performance a person must master a mix of competencies, not just one or two David McClelland found that stars are not just talented in initiative or influence -- they have strengths across the board, including competencies from each of the five emotional intelligence areas: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy ad...
October 27, 2009
Finding What You Didn't Lose
Beautiful poem, Finding What You Didn't Lose by John Fox. More info about his work can be found here: Poetic Medicine
Finding What You Didn't Lose
When someone deeply listens to you
it is like holding out a dented cup
you've had since childhood
and watching it fill up with
cold, fresh water.
When it balances on top of the brim,
you are understood.
When it overflows and touches your skin,
you are loved.
When someone deeply listens to you,
the room ...
October 22, 2009
Business As A Vehicle for Social Change
I'm in San Diego for a Social Venture Network Conference. SVN is a group of dynamic and inspiring business and non-profit leaders dedicated to creating social change through business. I first joined SVN about fourteen year ago, when I was CEO of Brush Dance publishing, and I'm now a member of the Board of Directors.
I believe that the purpose of business is fundamentally to provide goods or services that meet people's needs. This is ...
October 19, 2009
Transitions
Transitions
I've been enjoying reading the book Transitions by William Bridges, written more than 25 years ago.
Bridges presents a simple and useful framework to see that our life transitions consist of three parts: 1) the ending; 2) the neutral zone; and 3) new beginning.
When we look closely, we are often in transition; sometimes in seemingly insignificant ways; sometimes in more major or profound ways. Getting out of bed this...
