It’s Spring, and there is, most assuredly,  something NEW in the air!

Life as we know it,  has changed. Many concur that we are in possibly the greatest paradigm shift in the history of human kind.

With EarthDay, 2011 upon us, what commitment can you make (in your personal practices, with your business, and in your communities)  to redirect the trajectory we are on?  I’d like to invite you to start by sharing your vision and making a comittment along with thousands of others at FourYears. GO.

The Evolution is On. . . Are You?

It’s happening with consciousness shifts, on-line communities, new paradigms for learning and education,  and mobile technologies that are allowing more innovation, mobility, connection and knowledge sharing than ever before.

We have the tools to Ignite the Spark- where are you directing your flame?

In loving honor of Gaia

Read more about the “Evolution”  here

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It’s inner balance, clarity,  & motivation. It’s personal integrity. It’s an alignment of your desires and life purpose.

How’s Your Inner Ecology? Is it time for a tune-up?

Do you need a grounding chord, a compass, or a new lens?

Are you in transition? Are you ready to reinvent yourself?

Through March 31, 2011, I am offering you an opportunity to contribute to a healthier, greener economy while giving your” inner ecology” a spring cleaning by investing in any one (or all!) of my 3 coaching programs:

You, Inc. Career Coaching

Demystifying Social Media Marketing

Awakening Entrepreneurs Business Consulting

I believe that the future of America depends upon an assertive commitment to creating a environmentally sustainable, social just, and personally fulfilling presence on our planet.  Aggressive investing in Clean Energy,  Sustainable Technologies, and Green Building is essential.

As part of my personal commitment to this, I am donating 20% of my business consulting & coaching revenues from Feb. 15- March 31  to a Micro-Grant Fund supporting

Van Jones’s Green Jobs For All Initiative.

Are you ready to invest in your own inner ecology AND a greener economy?

Click here for more information on my 3, 6 , or 10 week coaching programs.

In our coaching sessions, I can promise you a potent, focused,  transformational journey with on-going support to reach extraordinary goals in your business and your personal life.

If you are a new client, I offer complimentary sessions.

You can also give the gift of coaching to a friend, colleague, or loved one, by purchasing a gift certificate .

Transform your life, change the world!

February 15- March 31: 20% of your investment is tax-deductable

and will be donated to the Green for All Micro-Grant Fund which supports 100 grant recipients across the USA

Thank you for contributing to a healthier, greener economy.

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The Slow Money movement had their first national conference in Santa Fe a couple of weeks ago.  Over 400 people from around the country showed up to discuss the concepts around slow money, slow food and small, local farms.

The slow money movement has its roots in local, organic and sustainable farming.  But it is part of a broader trend towards creating and supporting local economies and businesses. Read  more in Business Week and Wall Street Journal .

Slow Money is said to be a  new economic vision. Or is it  the reinvention of a system that once functioned?  I see it as a re-emergence of investors, donors, farmers, and activists committed to building local economies starting with the soil of the economy. FOOD! Some “experts”  refer to this as the “nurture capital” industry.” I call it Natural Capital.

I’ll be attending the Economics of Peace Conference, Oct. 18-23 in Sonoma, CA. This conference will be showcase some of the most successful and inspiring examples of economic models that value people and planet before profit. Looking forward to meeting leading thought leaders and hearing their views on collaborative businsess practices and innovative exchange systems for Transforming Money, Rebuilding Community, Redefining Wealth. Featured speakers include: Judy Wickes, (founder of BALLE),  Jacob Needleman, James K. Galbraith, San Keen, Fred Freuddlich & Mikel Lezamiz (Mondragon Cooperative), US Rep. Lynne Woolsey, et al. Still investigating whether conference planners will be livestreaming.

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Last night I went to hear the Tuvan Throat Singers and Stephen Kent perform in the cave tunnel at Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands. The event was produced by the Green Music Network.

The tunnel is perched far above the Golden Gate Bridge with a surreal view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco City lights and the entire Bay. Several hundred creative catalysts, paradigm shifters, leaders, writers and artists were comfortably huddled inside, enjoying the perfect acoustics provided by the cave tunnel. What an absolute blessing to be here in the Mecca!

September 22, Fall Equinox, is when day and night are once again equal; time is in balance. In many cultural traditions, this time is often referred to as the Festival of Thanksgiving. It is the season to reap what we have sown from our spring planting- indeed a time of giving thanks!

It’s challenging to feel balance amidst so much uncertainty. Yin and Yang are continually in a state of flux and always looking for the balance point. Take some extra time for mediation this week, giving attention to inner equilibrium by balancing your inhale and exhale. We are all finding our way back home.

Many blessings on this day!

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We cannot have peace on the Earth, unless we also have peace with the Earth.
-Julia Butterfly Hill

Earth Day is near and dear to my heart, as I have been involved with sustainability since the early ’70′s working at one of the first recycling centers in the USA in a small community in the Midwest.

Our recycling center was part of a fund raising project, that enabled nearly 70 youth to travel and perform throughout western Europe as part of an international symphonic music festival. Having passing a very stringent audition, I fortunately, was able to participate as one of the youngest performers in the group. (And thus began my travel lust- another story. . .)

Fast forward to 1995, as an educator and content producer, I became involved with a regional committee here in the Bay Area that was drafting content for the Earth Charter. Since then, the Earth Charter has been translated into over 30 languages, is used in school and university curricula, and has been adopted by hundreds of cities internationally, as their “constitution”.

I joined the Pachamama Alliance several years ago, and enrolled in the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Facilitator Training. The ATD symposium is an absolute must for anyone who is truly committed to creating an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually uplifting presence on this planet. That same year (2006) I was the Managing Editor for the Sustainable World Sourcebook, now used as one of the many rich resources for personal ecology education and building sustainable communities. You can download a pdf here.

Paul Hawken has also been a source of inspiration and fuel for my commitment to sustainability education in the community and in the workplace. Visit WiserEarth and join this social network.

 There are so many actions we can take to honor and heal our Earth. Doing more with less is compassionate, prosperous and intelligent (even competitive).

One can make a difference.

Respect, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

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Fostering teamwork is creating a work culture that values collaboration. In a teamwork environment, people understand and believe that thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively.

As One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard discovered, people recognize, and even assimilate, the belief that “none of us is as good as all of us.” High Five, The Magic of Working Together.

In America, many of our institutions such as schools, our family structures, and our pastimes still emphasize winning, being the best, and coming out on top. Workplaces that exemplify and reward teamwork are not yet the norm.

Organizations, however, are working on valuing diverse people, ideas, backgrounds, and experiences. As part of the social transformation that we see taking place globally, collaboration, co-creation and cooperation seem to be values that are being more readily embraced and promoted in organizational development.

Having consulted many senior managers, educational, and organizational leaders over the past 13 years, I’ve included here my Ten Tips for Building Terrific Teams as your quick guide to cultivating successful teams, encouraging creativity and innovation, and attaining optimal results within your business or organization.

TEN TIPS for BUILDING TERRIFIC TEAMS

1. Communicate Clear Expectations. It is crucial that team members know why they are working together, and how their role, functions, and outcomes contribute to the bigger picture and overall success of the organization, its clients and coworkers. As a leader, how clearly you communicate the overall vision, mission, and values of the organization will be the power driving the team forward.

2. Have an agenda with objectives at team meetings. Allow time for progress updates, discussion, brainstorming, and action plans. It can be particularly beneficial if the meeting facilitator is trained in Cross-Cultural Awareness, or Marshall Rosenberg’s NVC practices. Using these techniques will help keep a diverse team cohesive and focused, encourage everyone’s participation, and can easily diffuse and transform stagnation. Change, creativity and solutions are not birthed in a static environment. Are necessary concerns and misunderstandings raised and properly addressed on your team?

3. Include your consultants and independent contractors in your brainstorming meetings. One of the biggest mistakes some organizations make is to not include consultants and independent contractors in staff meetings, project updates, long-term goals and vision. You will get a lot more mileage from your consultants when they are included in discussions and sessions affecting your organization’s direction and growth. Consultants are typically natural networkers and wealth of resources. They can easily be a powerful contributing factor to your organization’s long-term success and expansion.

4. Cultivate an atmosphere where team members can appreciate the diversity of talent on the team, not just in skill set and areas of expertise, but from a whole person perspective. If the team is working on a long-term project consider investing in the Myers Briggs assessment, DISC or an Enneagram training for the workplace.

5. Have a rewards or recognition program in place. Giving public recognition on the company intranet, newsletter, or in a staff meeting, or rewarding high-performers with gift certificates to a spa or event, are just a few low-cost, no-cost ways to acknowledge team members for a job well done.

6. Build fun and shared occasions into the organization’s agenda. Hold potluck lunches; take the team to a performance or cultural event. Host dinners at a local restaurant, (include your associates’ families) or plan an outdoor event such as hiking, bicycling, or even river rafting.

7. Encourage collaborative leadership models within your workplace. Move away from traditional, hierarchical leadership models that are deadening to the human spirit and that can create separation, distrust, and a competitive environment. Focus on cooperative models for team performance. Rotating facilitators at your weekly or monthly meetings is one way to begin this shift. Appointing co-managers to lead a project is another effective strategy.

8. Create opportunities for giving and receiving feedback. In his recent visit to San Francisco, the Dalai Lama continually emphasized the importance of dialog, along with education and training. How well trained are you and your people in examining assumptions, active listening, asking for clarification, and other non-defensive communication models that make it safe for you and your associates to express needs, be heard, and enthusiastically create innovative solutions with and for each other?

9. Provide resources. One of the surest ways to create chaos and diminish motivation, performance, and morale is to expect people to perform without the tools and resources they need to deliver outcomes they are proud of. Be sure everyone has the basic information and tools they need to perform, including healthy, ergonomic workstations.

10. Form a Green Team at work. Help your people raise their awareness of opportunities to save energy and contribute to a healthy and sustainable environment. By allowing others to take leadership and responsibility, passion takes hold. A green team can be very motivational for employees who want to make a difference in their work environment.

Got a great organizational team story? I’d love to hear it, along with any other feedback you’d like to share.

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