are discovering, this orderly chaotic buzz is the way of the world, and if you just sit down and think about it, really think hard about it, or take long walks in the woods like Dee Hock did, you might find yourself surfing waves of miraculous and intricate order foaming at the narrow edge of chaos. Look deeply enough and you will discover the true nature of all of evolution's architecture. Dee Hock is the founder and former CEO of Visa International, the most successful business venture on Earth. Could this former bank manager with a conscience be evolution's unlikely hero? Visa owes its success, according to Hock, to its structure, which is nothing less than an ... posted on May 30 2013 (35,126 reads)

“which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members would flourish best, and rear the greatest number of offspring.” Darwin was no economist, but wealth-sharing and cooperation have always looked more consistent with his observations about human survival than the elitism and hierarchy that dominates contemporary corporate life. Nearly 150 years later, modern science has verified Darwin’s early insights with direct implications for how we do business in our society. New peer-reviewed research by Michael Tomasello, an American psychologist and co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, has sy... posted on Jul 15 2013 (37,876 reads)

you think you’re hearing the word “empathy” everywhere, you’re right. It’s now on the lips of scientists and business leaders, education experts and political activists. But there is a vital question that few people ask: How can I expand my own empathic potential? Empathy is not just a way to extend the boundaries of your moral universe. According to new research, it’s a habit we can cultivate to improve the quality of our own lives. But what is empathy? It’s the ability to step into the shoes of another person, aiming to understand their feelings and perspectives, and to use that understanding to guide our actions.... posted on Aug 25 2013 (230,792 reads)

you from the real work that would make 80 percent of the difference.     *  If you’re considering a new diet, but you’re worried that you might not be able to stick with it when you go out with your friends on Thursday nights, then you’re worrying about an edge case. Thursday night isn’t going to make or break you. It’s the work you put in during the other 20 meals of the week that matters.     *  If you’re starting a business and you’re debating over business cards or shipping methods or a thousand other things that could delay you from finding your first paying customer, then you’re stuck on the edge ... posted on Aug 2 2014 (26,916 reads)

Conn. (AP) — Before she was killed in the Newtown school massacre, 6-year-old Catherine Violet Hubbard raised money from returnable bottles and cans to buy bones for dogs at the pound and designed business cards for an imaginary animal shelter, listing herself as "caretaker." Her pretend animal shelter is now on track to become a reality as the state prepares to transfer 34 acres of a former psychiatric facility to a foundation raising money to build an animal sanctuary to honor the life of the little girl who was one of 20 first-graders killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Story continues below. "It was just in he... posted on Sep 9 2014 (16,930 reads)

solution revolution—the convergence of money and meaning, problem solvers and “patient” capital, governments and citizen (and commercial) changemakers—is underway. But while it flourishes in some parts of the world, other regions are still sitting on the sidelines. So the question becomes: What can we do to accelerate the solution economy? Here are six strategies—over-arching principles applicable to business, government, foundations, investors, and social enterprises—that can really grow this revolution. 1) Change the Lens: Use a Different View to Reveal Both Blind Spots and Untapped Opportunity Start by asking: What is my goal?”... posted on Oct 16 2014 (18,744 reads)

in the country – how much clothing is gathering dust in wardrobes? More than can be imagined. So, in 1998, the Guptas started an organization, Goonj (meaning “echo”), to redistribute some of it to where it was most needed. They wanted to find a way to address the problem systematically – to craft a permanent, rather than an episodic response, to what they considered a non-natural, perpetual disaster. And it’s a testament to Goonj’s work that in an age when business-friendly poverty approaches are attracting the lion’s share of attention, its nonmarket, nonmonetary approach – one grounded in empathy – has garnered majorawards, including... posted on Oct 23 2014 (13,800 reads)

has been because that model is so simple in many ways? Carolyn: I’m sure of it. Because the idea was that everybody’s got time to do one small thing. Most of us don’t have time to take on a whole nonprofit venture. But just about everybody— on their way to work, or on their way to delivering the children to school— can stop by a restaurant, grab the food, and drop it off on the way. I tried to coordinate where people lived, where they worked, and the food business and food shelter, so that it was all in the same part of town. To make it very easy. The whole thing in most cases took well under an hour. Everybody felt good about it. Amit: What cha... posted on Oct 30 2014 (16,606 reads)

how they have done this. I have read hundreds of those biographies, which is part of what persuaded me that, yes, it is out there, and this is a way to approach what it means to lead the life you want. That was one source. Another was just people I admire and wanted to learn more about myself. The other was clients or people who I knew about and from just asking around: Ultimately I wanted to try to create a representative sample. There are three men and three women. There are two from each business sector: sports, entertainment and the public sector. The purpose there is to illustrate that people leading the lives they want are everywhere. You may not identify with Michelle Obama or Bru... posted on Dec 23 2014 (25,350 reads)

years ago, Minneapolis’s Washburn Center for Children, provider of mental health services to about 2,700 youths each year, decided a new facility was needed to replace the old building. This morning, the business journal Finance & Commerce reported on the Center’s coming Grand Opening — and on Washburn’s pioneering idea. “One of the keys to treating … children is connecting them with nature…” wrote Brian Johnson. “Large windows, abundant natural light…curved hallways, high ceilings, extensive landscaping and strong ties to the outdoors jump out at visitors… On the outside, a large playground with gra... posted on Jan 7 2015 (27,691 reads)

Their bosses seem to expect that they work long hours and stay glued to cell phones at night, but then show little appreciation or, worse, micromanage them. No one likes it; but what alternatives are there when employers have deadlines to meet or products to develop? Perigree, 2014, 352 pages Plenty, according to psychologist Ron Friedman. In his new book, The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace. Friedman, a psychologist and business consultant, distills decades of research on motivation, creativity, and performance to provide both business leaders and their employees with useful tips for restructuring work environments t... posted on Apr 21 2015 (193,159 reads)

up some stranger. Bob: Yeah, exactly. RW: So what happened? That’s thirty years. Bob: Well, I’ve been thinking—why wasn’t I there earlier? I just turned 70. That’s a long time to not get what you’re cut out to do, artistically. RW: Yes, it’s a long time. But you know what? A lot of people never get to something like that. Bob: It’s fabulous. Many people have said that. It’s extremely rewarding. Anyway, a year later I was on a business trip to Washington D.C. and saw a Karsh exhibit there at the Portrait Gallery. I was blown away by his prints and spent a good bit of time studying what he’d done, technically. I couldn... posted on Jun 13 2015 (16,085 reads)

saw the play structure outside. With a grant and 400 volunteers, we were able to build that in six hours. Many of the volunteers are parents and community members—like our merchants from across the street, our pastors from down the block. We are very much a community school. So the parents also say what they need. RW What kind of enrollment do you get with parents? Ida: Well, we’re building it up; enrollment varies. We will be offering a class on how to start your own small business, because many of our moms actually make things and sell them. If they get help with actually making these efforts into a business, they can bring in more for their families, and that need is ... posted on Aug 24 2015 (7,672 reads)

home. Everything went pretty well for the Love Kitchen through the 1990s. By then, the number of volunteers helping the sisters had grown substantially. The organization had begun not only serving meals at its facility but also preparing take-home meals for those who could pick them up, as well as making meal deliveries for those who were homebound. Love Kitchen depended upon the good graces of concerned people in the community who were willing to devote time and energy for free as well as businesses and organizations willing and able to provide funds and food. The economy was good and Love Kitchen had all it needed for the time being. Unfortunately, times have a way of changing. The... posted on Sep 5 2015 (12,424 reads)

with this loss was even more difficult for Mr. Pradeep Tanna and Mrs. Damyanti Tanna, as Nimesh was their only child. Nimesh Tanna was a passionate photographer with a compassionate soul. The couple’s life came to a complete halt as they would sit the entire day in front of Nimesh’s photo, remembering him. Barely able to recover from this huge loss, Pradeep faced another setback when he lost the sweet shop he owned in Mulund because his partners cheated him in the business. Kintan, who had always been there for the family during their tough times, yet again provided a helping hand. He advised Pradeep to start a new venture and he quit his own family business... posted on Nov 4 2015 (15,836 reads)

actually do see that the people who wait until the last minute are so busy goofing off that they don't have any new ideas. And on the flip side, the people who race in are in such a frenzy of anxiety that they don't have original thoughts either. There's a sweet spot where originals seem to live. Why is this? Maybe original people just have bad work habits. Maybe procrastinating does not cause creativity. To find out, we designed some experiments. We asked people to generate new business ideas, and then we get independent readers to evaluate how creative and useful they are. And some of them are asked to do the task right away. Others we randomly assign to procrastinate by da... posted on Apr 28 2016 (29,424 reads)

family, and they need me much more than patients in an office.” Little did Lupin know that a decade later, his encore venture would grow from a one-doc shop into a thriving multigenerational practice. With seven doctors and a nurse practitioner on board, along with a cadre of medical assistants, Housecalls for the Homebound has brought essential medical care to more than 4,000 patients in the greater New York City area. Lupin's grandson Daniel Stokar, 29, manages the business with a system created by Avi Stokar, Lupin’s son-in-law and Daniel's father, 53. Lupin, now 77, oversees the unconventional family business. With Housecalls for the Homeboun... posted on Jun 18 2016 (36,185 reads)

perspectives, and then dictate the way the new people are allowed to engage, they often douse the creativity and passion they’ve said they want to support. The erosion of organizational integrity and effectiveness is a typical outcome in organizations with a steep hierarchy, where a small number of people hold large amounts of power. That’s the bad news—but there’s good news, too. According to Ann Tenbrunsel, professor of business administration at Notre Dame and research director of the Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide, “Our research shows that if you frame your decision to include values, you&... posted on Oct 1 2016 (17,749 reads)

the body. I lost my mind and landed in a psych ward in D.C. I was mandated to stay for twenty-one days and be in the care of a psychiatrist. He said, “I want you to read this book, Man’s Search for Meaning.” I said, “Get out of here with that book, I know all about that book, it’s not going to save me now!” But he told me, “Your life parallels his and someday you’ll realize it.” That was true. He let me out when I wrote up my “business plan” for a new life. At that point, I was safe from suicide. At fifty-eight, I wasn’t fond of change. But, six weeks later, I had sold my house, moved to a sunny place across the... posted on Apr 14 2017 (58,519 reads)

that the people who seem wisest about the necessity of placing limits on the newest technologies are, often, precisely the ones who helped develop those technologies, which have bulldozed over so many of the limits of old. The very people, in short, who have worked to speed up the world are the same ones most sensitive to the virtue of slowing down. But what impressed me even more were the two people who greeted me as I waited for my digital ID: the Chief Evangelist for Google+, as his business card would have it, a bright-eyed, visibly spirited young soul from India who was setting up a “Yogler” program whereby the many Googlers who practice yoga could actually be train... posted on Apr 30 2017 (17,668 reads)