Archives for 2015

Spirituality in the corporate workplace is becoming more accepted as business owners see the benefits of mindfulness, self awareness, and empowerment show through with success. However, many traditional corporate approaches include concepts of stricture and control as keys to productivity, and this is counter to a spiritual approach. Shifting perceptions and thought forms can be a process, but undertaking the journey itself is also a way of embracing spirituality in all actions in life.

A Place And A Time?

At Technalink, we are often asked about how to nurture this type of culture in a business setting. The best answer we can really give is to have the vision and the intent, and then allow the process to unfold. This is not only because everyone’s corporate journey will be different, but also because a key aspect of the spiritual workplace is the idea that resonance of energies, and not control, is what sets the tone for the exploration.

Another common question we get at Technalink is whether spirituality is appropriate in the corporate world. In one word? Yes.

Spirituality is not a dogma or a set of rules, but is an inherent dimension of wellness that all humans have. This means that spirituality is present at all times and in all actions, since it is as integral to the self as awareness. How we embrace it is also how we extend this energy into the world, and this is what can separate spiritual corporate culture from traditional workplaces.

Spirituality is also a freedom of expression and the choice to explore potential. When this is transposed to the corporate world, the result comes out as innovation and success, since this potential is now being utilized. Owners may extend the invitation of this culture to employees, simply through their being-ness, since the energy of staying present in the now resonates with the innate desire to always engage in more of what brings life into a person’s being.

One of the most overlooked resources that many small business owners can use to grow success is gratitude. At Technalink, we find that it can be very easy to forget about all the wonderful things that we do have in life, especially when there are challenges that are faced in certain areas. However, part of overcoming challenge is also a perspective change, and when gratitude is used as a means of evaluating a situation, it can alter the manner in which a solution is found.

Fostering gratitude in the office does not need to be solely work centered. Feeling joy over any dimension of life does translate through into the way that people act and how they resonate with others. When people give thanks for anything that they value, it also informs the Universe that they are open to even more joy and prosperity. This is because the focus is on gains, not losses.

Gratitude As A Solution

One way to encourage an attitude of gratitude is to utilize the positive aspects as a means of addressing challenges. At Technalink, we will often have situations that appear negative, but instead of focusing on what needs to be overcome, we focus on what we are gaining.

As an example, if a possible professional collaboration falls through, we may initially want to figure out what went wrong. However, this can easily turn into a cycle that serves no productive purpose, and as a result, motivation and energy is also lost in the process. Instead, when we adopt gratitude as our guide, we are able to give thanks for the positives, which opens up a path to opportunity.

Lessons in gratitude can be difficult for anyone, but it is also important to remember that the more we employ this energy, the easier it is to embrace. As we give thanks, we are also teaching ourselves to gain greater self confidence and the ability to accept happiness. This is not a selfish act, but rather, one that resonates with others and supports individual dreams and hopes. Collectively, the energy of gratitude becomes a message that empowers, because it validates the individual and the company to become the highest expression of integrity and joy.

For many small business owners, taking the first steps towards this dream does start with a plan. At Technalink, we know that focus and intent guide us through both our personal and professional decisions, and also that having a clear plan can guide our success. However, all growth is also a process of change, and it is necessary to stay self aware and evaluate when one path is no longer working.

Your business plan is your foundation, and in many ways it can also be a projection of yourself. The concepts, ideas, and process that have gone into its formation are as much an expression of your personality as they are the structure and brand of your company. Just as a parent with a child, you and your business plan have a unique relationship that is based on the parts of yourself that you put into it and also on the individual journey that you both take.

Parents are also aware that their child may seek expression and individuation in a manner that is different from initial expectations. Using the same analogy with your business plan can help in gaining clarity about a situation. Although this plan and this company have come from your vision, they do take on a life of their own. This means that letting go can be hard, but it can also be necessary.

Just as parents will still love their child, even when paths diverge, you can also embrace your business while deciding to alter the plan. This does not mean that you have abandoned your dreams or given up. Instead, it shows that your dedication to the company allows you to accept change as part of the process, even if it is difficult. However, self awareness and mindfulness act as guides in this determination.

Challenges are a part of being in business, but you also need to be honest with yourself as to whether some of these challenges are necessary or whether they are due to growing dynamics of your company. Are you holding on too tightly to an expectation that is no longer valid? Are you embracing the growth and changes that have occurred within you as well as your business? Just as you would evaluate the factors in a relationship, you can also examine these points for your business plan. Sometimes, letting go is the way to actually grow.

Nearly everyone is familiar with the fable about the tortoise and the hare. As with any teaching tale, how people use the information that is gained can be up for interpretation. The motto of slow and steady wins the race is an inspiration to many, since it speaks to perseverance and belief in self for achieving goals. At Technalink, we remind ourselves of this fact whenever there is a challenge to be faced.

The truth is that even the experiences of others can act as this same type of inspirational teaching, but it is important to stay open to the messages as they arrive. While it is certainly nice to go into an experience with the perspective that it is a learning situation, it is more often the result that we realize this in retrospect. What happens, however, is that we have also spent a lot of time and energy on what is manifest, without fully embracing the lesson as it is occurring.

Paying Attention To Process

In staying mindful, we are allowing ourselves to become open to an ongoing process. This is a combination of awareness, self reflection, and the ability to focus on the here and now. When we resonate to this energy, we also move into every situation as a learning experience, and this frees us up to tap into the confidence and self belief that does help us reach success. Instead of using our time to fight the process, we can now flow with the journey.

One of the reasons the tale of the tortoise and the hare can be such a good lesson in mindfulness is that it does address this ability to accept the path and remain present for every step of the way. As the hare is busy rushing around, he is not only exhausting himself before the race is over, but he is also missing the process. However, while the tortoise takes every step with intent and focus, he is also able to stay in the moment.

In the workplace, it is common to meet both tortoises and hares, and as an individual, you have the choice flow or to fight the flow. When we struggle or fret about outcomes, we are expending this energy without actually accomplishing anything. When we stay mindful and present in the moment, we let the process guide us, so that our energy can be channeled into creation and empowerment.

A compassionate leader is a leader that can grow their team personally and professionally through inspiration, and one that looks at individuals as people with value rather than vessels capable of bringing value into a business. At Techanlink, we feel that compassionate leaders are those who can drive their team on the road to success while providing a worthwhile journey for all involved, and those working with them feel that they’re better people and better professionals simply by going along for the ride. While the business leaders of old may have been told to think with their heads and not their hearts, we at Techanlink find that there is plenty of room for the heart to be involved as well, and that the entire business will be all the better for it.

Some traits found in today’s compassionate leaders are:

• Caring for the person and the professional – It’s all too common for people in an office to be thought of as professionals only, as their human selves are skipped over in favor of what they can provide. A compassionate leader cares both for the personal and professional side of an employee, and wants both sides to grow equally throughout their professional journey.
• Fosters positivity – Compassionate leaders are passionate about fostering an atmosphere of positivity in their business, and creating a place where people can come to work, grow, and learn.
• Values communication – Today’s compassionate leader is a communicator, and wants to foster communication between employees whether sharing ideas or sharing about their weekend. Through communication, a trust and comfort level can be reached that really allows people to grow, and growth can be a wonderful thing for a business.
• Wants to collaborate – Compassionate leaders don’t think of themselves as the head person in charge as much as the think of themselves as an equal asset. For this reason, the compassionate leader will be the leader who wants to collaborate and share ideas with his or her co-workers.
• Exudes passion – A compassionate leader not only has their own passions, but they also have the talent to help others to see their vision as well. By exuding this level of passion, they can make others passionate about their ideas as well, and this allows goals to be met in an easier and more valuable fashion.

Becoming a compassionate leader is becoming a person who can bring value to the lives of the professionals and people they’re working with. Through compassion, these leaders can lead their business on a journey to growth, success, and positivity.

At Technalink, we know just how many additional benefits that spirituality can bring to the workplace, but bringing spirituality into a workplace where it may not have been before can be confusing in itself. Spirituality in a workplace context refers to a method of work that focuses on aligning vibrations rather than assuming control, looking within yourself to achieve better, and encouraging personal growth through your talents and skills, and there are many ways in which these ideas can be implemented into any business. Most spiritual workplaces have certain similar characteristics, however, and practicing any of these ideas can help you to make your workplace friendlier in a spiritual sense. A few characteristics present in a spiritual business include:

• Sustainability as a value – When bringing spirituality into your business, sustainability must be seen as a value. Resources are finite and should be appreciated, and realizing just how valuable these resources are helps to invoke passion and care over them. Treating these resources in a sustainable manner is an excellent characteristic for any spiritual workplace to have.
• Cherishing creativity – Creativity makes a business truly innovative and great, and when bringing spirituality into your business, you’ll want to cherish and nurture this creativity. Activities, practices, and brainstorming sessions that give creativity the value it deserves can help to foster new ideas and better innovation through spirituality.
• Promotion of personal growth – Treating employees as the people they are, rather than the vessels that contribute to the business, is an excellent way to bring spirituality into the workplace as well as help to grow others as individuals. Personal growth can help a person in both personal and professional aspects, and as a person grows, they will become both happier and more productive simultaneously.
• Celebrates contributions – In a spiritual business, contributions to the business and to the world are celebrated. These contributions show just how the business and its people can grow with each personal effort placed into it, and when these contributions are celebrated, they become something that individuals strive to provide.

Bringing spirituality into your business isn’t a difficult thing to do, and creating a spiritual environment can actually help your employees and co-workers to become happier and more productive people in all aspects of their lives. At Technalink, we find that bringing spirituality into the workplace provides an environment made for growth and prosperity, and we feel that this is a concept that can be implemented in any type of organization!

Empathy is important in all working and personal relationships, and an empathetic workplace is a workplace that people will feel comfortable growing and succeeding in. At Technalink, we know that there are various ways to show empathy in the workplace, and we want you to know just how simple it can be to improve your workplace atmosphere in this respect. 5 tips for showing a bit more empathy in your workplace are:

• Listening – Something as simple as listening can be surprisingly important to the level of empathy in your workplace. Your employees and co-workers will want to feel appreciated and valued as people and professionals, and the simple act of listening to what they have to say can work wonders.
• Communicating – An empathetic workplace is a workplace that values open communication, and opening up can build a bridge for much better communication in any setting. By communicating with your co-workers and employees, you can then create a comfortable environment where ideas and feelings can be shared freely.
• Being mindful – Being mindful is an excellent step in becoming more empathetic, as focusing your attention to the world around you can help you to see the bigger picture. In a workplace setting, this will mean directing your attention to your surroundings, and the people in it, and really seeing what everything is all about.
• Learning before judging – Withholding judgment until all the facts are in is tough, but this is a big part of staying empathetic, and here is a great post to read on how you could do that. Allowing a person to fully explain themselves, then trying to focus on the bigger picture in your own thoughts, should be done before a judgment on any idea or decision is made.
• Extending a helping hand – Offering help is a great way to show empathy to others, and a great way to improve upon empathy yourself. When you see a co-worker struggling with a problem, or added stress, letting them know that you’re there to share in their experience should they wish for it can mean a great deal.

It’s not difficult to see just how a bit of stress makes everything more difficult, and how it clouds your mind from being able to think clearly and positively in any situation. For leaders in business, too much stress can lead to negative thinking, a negative workplace atmosphere, and a blocking of good ideas, which is why it’s always of the utmost importance to combat stress and not allow it the power to take over your mind. With so many situations that can cause stress, and its lurking at every turn, not allowing it to take over will seem like an impossibility at first, but there are tools you can use to shrink your stress and make way for a relaxing light.

A great leader is a compassionate leader who remains cool, calm, and collected, as this type of mindset will provide you with the inner tools to make the best decisions and come up with the best ideas. By kicking stress out of your life, you’ll be able to embody this type of leadership a whole lot better, thereby improving your leadership and the ways in which your business may be able to grow. A few ways to combat stress in an effort to achieve better leadership are:

• Take time for yourself – Taking a little time for yourself while in the office, or at home, is a great way to combat stress for any leader. What this will allow you to do is provide yourself with little time for introspection in your schedule, and you can use this to look inside yourself to find the root of your stress and how to beat it.
• Peace and quiet – A little peace and quiet can do wonders in slowing everything down, and this may be just what you need to get the stress before it starts to get you.
• Writing out your problems – If you have particular problems that get you stressed, taking a little time to write them down and come up with solutions can be helpful. By writing them down, you’re realizing them fully, and this allows you to build the tools you’ll need to eliminate them and relax.