{"id":1599,"date":"2015-08-06T12:25:28","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T11:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2015-08-06T13:22:36","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T12:22:36","slug":"zen-and-the-art-of-business-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1599","title":{"rendered":"Zen and the Art of Business Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"
It is August and the holidays are here! \u00a0For many, July and August are the months for rest and recuperation and spending time with family on holiday. \u00a0For those that live in the northern parts of the Northern hemisphere, it is a time for getting some sun on our skins before the longer winter months kick in again.<\/div>\n
\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
For many, it is also a time of reflection. \u00a0For although the calendar year starts in January, September is the start of the academic year and August is the gap before the start of the new year. \u00a0I have found that many businesses are tuned to the academic calendar – either directly (like a University or School) or indirectly (because many of their employees have children who set a cycle\u00a0in the family geared around their academic needs).<\/div>\n
.<\/span><\/div>\n
So it got me thinking. \u00a0Most of my great ideas have come from a time when I am not thinking about day-to-day stuff. \u00a0Those magic, “Eureka!” moments when a problem you have been working on suddenly becomes solvable.<\/div>\n
.<\/span><\/div>\n
By not being hampered by the grind of meetings, actions and to-do lists, we can solve old problems and creating new ideas. \u00a0Finding a gap in the year’s day-to-day grind to think big, think outside the box or just not think at all and let nature take its course often relaxes you in ways you can’t achieve at other times of the year.<\/div>\n
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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There is an old saying that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as long as we speak. \u00a0And so it is with the summer break. \u00a0There is a gap in proceedings where we can listen. \u00a0Not just listen to those who we work with. \u00a0But listen to ourselves. \u00a0Our inner mind. \u00a0Our inner bodies. \u00a0Our inner spirit. \u00a0We can refresh each other with the rest and easy living that we often over-ride in the rest of the year.<\/div>\n
.<\/span><\/div>\n
So, back the Art of Business Conversation. \u00a0For my own part, I have been working on a new way to look at businesses through the conversations we have. \u00a0The Art of Business Conversation, if you like. \u00a0As simple as ABC. \u00a0Except it isn\u2019t, is it? \u00a0It is quite complicated.<\/div>\n
\u00a0.<\/span><\/div>\n
There are several different types of business conversation (which I aim to explore more in future posts). \u00a0The most intense are often wrapped up in emotional outbursts\u00a0or things unsaid.<\/div>\n
\u00a0.<\/span><\/div>\n
The key is to find space within the conversation to reflect. \u00a0On an annual cycle, this time of the year gives us time to reflect on the longer-term relationships we all have with the businesses and people we work with. \u00a0Either as employees; business owners; customers; suppliers; that funny, over-used word \u201cpartners\u201d; or simply the friends and relations that weave in and out of those conversations.<\/div>\n
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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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.<\/span><\/div>\n
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And that is where the idea of Zen comes in. \u00a0Zen is the space between. \u00a0Zen is the effortless flow. \u00a0Zen is the silent, observant onlooker onto our busy world of nothingness. \u00a0Zen is the state to get into before returning to the ABC of business, academia and all those things where we sequence stuff and continue our practice of the art of business conversation.<\/div>\n
\u00a0.<\/span><\/div>\n
So, enjoy the break. \u00a0Listen to the silence. \u00a0Observe the subtle messages coming from the conversation with yourself. \u00a0Say nothing and say everything. \u00a0Come back refreshed and energised to take on the new challenges that you discover in the hidden moments of this August recess.<\/div>\n
.<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is August and the holidays are here! \u00a0For many, July and August are the months for rest and recuperation and spending time with family on holiday. \u00a0For those that live in the northern parts of the Northern hemisphere, it is a time for getting some sun on our skins before the longer winter months … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Zen and the Art of Business Conversation”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[69,78,106,42,41,37,62,105,68,60,1,57,46],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DQGK-pN","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":617,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=617","url_meta":{"origin":1599,"position":0},"title":"Starting Afresh, Business Cycles and No Objectives","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"07\/09\/2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I always enjoy this time of the year. For me, in many ways, the 1st of September is the start of a New Year. If you can remember when you were young, or even more recently, if you have children, this time of the year marks the start of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cycles"","block_context":{"text":"Cycles","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=80"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lornemitchell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/back-to-school1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1627,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1627","url_meta":{"origin":1599,"position":1},"title":"You Can’t Push String!","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"03\/09\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"After the July\/August holiday period, I always enjoy the first week of September. \u00a0I see it as the beginning of a new year. \u00a0Not the calendar year, nor (in my case) the academic year, but the start of the year for new projects. \u00a0People return from asynchronous communication through the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Attention"","block_context":{"text":"Attention","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=78"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tin Cans","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lornemitchell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Tin-Cans-300x170.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1789,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1789","url_meta":{"origin":1599,"position":2},"title":"The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"13\/12\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It's fascinating how aspects of Westernised Zen philosophy came out of Hitler's Germany. Below is the link to a paper called \"The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery\" with some extracts below that to prove the point. http:\/\/citeseerx.ist.psu.edu\/\u2026\/download;jsessionid=CB13F300\u2026 'Eugen Herrigel\u2019s \u201cZen in the Art of Archery\u201d has been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Envisioning"","block_context":{"text":"Envisioning","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=40"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2104,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=2104","url_meta":{"origin":1599,"position":3},"title":"Love & Light","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"25\/12\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"It's interesting how the messages and symbolism at this time of the year rapidly move away from those celebrating the birth of Christ back towards more spiritual and pagan ones celebrating the start of the New Year. Maybe there's a new religion of wokeism which is being forced upon us\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1289,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1289","url_meta":{"origin":1599,"position":4},"title":"Balance in Mind","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"11\/07\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I have\u00a0to thank my brother, Angus, for alerting me to this extraordinary video. 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