balance at work

How would you like to be free to work creatively, school creatively, free of the doctrines of government, religion, society? Would you be lost because we were raised within these fences? Do our laws and our mores bind us or give us freedom? Fortunately for most of us who could not write a new body of laws or create a new society, we do not have to abandon what we have built. We can add to it.

Does the reflection mirror the reality?

Much as this photo shows a mirror inside a mirror inside a mirror, where light is free to reflect multiple times, corporate tai chi can allow our stress, boredom, lethargy, burn-out to become freedom, power and focus through five-minutes of training at our desk that will make us alert as a tiger while removing excess thought so we totally enjoy what we’re doing and have crystal-clear concentration.

Similar to the light, which has no restrictions but those of the eyes that see it, corporate tai chi training causes limitless positive effects. For many reasons, including accelerated and comprehensive blood flow, it takes less effort for us to produce more, create more, and be more committed. This “letting go” that we accomplish through corporate tai chi has a colossal chain reaction on academic and professional work, the revenue that is produced there and on our community, family and personal lives.

ripple effect

The FREEDOM tai chi creates brings to mind the concept of flow from letting go depicted in these ripples from a droplet of water. I am also reminded of the new novel, written by my spiritual brother, Bill Douglas, 2012 where the words of the book seemed to turn into the freedom from tai chi, even though the plot of the book had nothing to do with doing tai chi.

2012, this multi-cultural action novel, talks of the importance of letting go of archaic ways to thrive in the modern world and how necessary it is to break the bonds where fear drives action and motivation. The heroine speaks of how letting go rids us of fear, inspires creative action and  can balance the world in 2012. A good read.

free

So, are we free if we act from the social rules, and are we controlled by the mores, convictions and laws around us? Do we cherish the social, business, military and moral controls that have been implanted for our betterment? An idea to ponder repeatedly. But, it is time for me to segway back to why I wrote this on the corporate tai chi blog. Here it comes.

Tai chi is based upon the principle of continual flow of movement and energy. To become this concept is to become the art. Same with music or preaching or doctoring. If you are absorbed in your task, you have become your task. It seems to make sense that to let go brings you closer to your intention.

Let’s look at what happens if students, both children and adults; if officer workers; if executives; if laborers intentionally are given five minutes of training at the start of each day and this training causes them to let go of tension, of internal conversation, of resentment, of distraction – so that they will be in a better position to work, learn, develop, which translates to succeeding at their task, generating revenue, recognition and enjoyment.

Corporate tai chi, five-minutes of tai chi at the start of work, school, group meetings, consists of standing and doing simple, at your desk exercise, in work or school attire. It is professional development for the purpose of sharpening your day for the further purpose of raising productivity and accelerating the mind to increase revenue.

This five-minute method is so easy that it might just be the missing link between balance and instability. Using it can produce free and clear individuals, better work and school culture, super productivity and high academic achievement, and, ultimately, higher profit, better jobs and happier people.

Do we shy away from this type of method because it is not mainstream, even if we look at studies that show how every dollar spent on corporate wellness returns between $1.50 and $4.00 and schools that institute these types of programs return notable scholastic differences? Or do we go forward with the information we have obtained and run with it? Do we take a step outside the corporate box and install new programs that belong in a new time in history?

It is time to free ourselves through corporate tai chi. If we let go before starting our first task at work and school, will we not be in a better position to complete it and be in a better frame of mind? It stands to reason that if grades are higher, schools receive more money, students get better jobs. If employees produce more, corporations make more money. So what are we waiting for?

Corporate tai chi is just one example of a newer concept that deals with relaxation and flow. There are many. Music is a perfect example of how changing the rules that traditional harmony teaches created certain variations of jazz, rock, then electronic music. (I say variations because much of music follows traditional harmony to this day, although it sounds different from the old.) And now there are specializations of 50 plus genres, each with 50 divisions.

All this came out of letting go. The internet is another example of letting go of boundaries. And it is why all the genres of music are present in our minds, rather than living in their respective countries and cultures. Because, thanks to the internet, we have the opportunity to hear it all and hear freedom.

What do you think? Whether you are a sponsoring organization of corporate tai chi and watch your employees or students raise their productivity levels, or whether you have a new concept you are using to meet the needs of today’s people, embrace what you believe maintaining consideration for humanity. Look in the mirror and see what is right for you.

Community Tai Chi

If you have any comments on installing corporate tai chi in your school system, government office, community, place of business, or if you would like to be considered for such a program, please let us know at doitnow [at] dianegold [dot] com or at 866.445.2121.

If you are interested in checking out Bill Douglas’ book, 2012, The Awakening, you can get it here: dianegold.com/bd2012. It was worth my time, which is why I’m recommending it.

If you have tried Corporate Tai Chi, we’d love to hear your comments.

Carlos Salgado, the Dedicated

Carlos Salgado, my loyal student and friend, understood the meaning of Corporate Tai Chi. He knew that when the individual is balanced, the work flows. And that when the work flows, both the employer and the employee profit.

Carlos, a much-loved Sales Executive and Mentor at Microsoft, loving husband, father, son and friend, spent a good deal of his time studying the human condition. Whether he was studying his tiger claw (Fu-Jow Pai) kung fu, examining how the adversary advances, always finding the latest internet video arrivals in kung fu, tai chi, ultimate fighting OR whether he was teaching the relationship-building piece of the sales process at Microsoft; Carlos had a true understanding of how balance was at the heart of the matter.

Carlos believed in the method of Corporate Tai Chi, that of inaugurating five-minutes of actual tai chi exercise into an organization at the beginning of each day. He was convinced, as am I, that the simple practice of focusing the attention at the start of the day can greatly increase employee productivity which, in turn, increases well-time, employee retention and positive attitude while one works, and, ultimately, adds to the corporate bottom line. He believed it because he practiced it, personally. He started his day with a short meditation/chi kung/tai chi practice that jump-started his energy. He continued his day always making sure to increase his potential through investigation in areas that would enhance the mark he made on us all.

As an engineer, Carlos understood body dynamics. As a kung fu and tai chi student, he understood the impact that martial practice has on your life. Carlos believed so strongly in the Corporate Tai Chi concept, that he invited me to a Microsoft Sales Meeting to open it with a five-minute presentation. The result created a relaxed, attentive corporate body, energized, ready to work, motivated to go on with the agenda at hand.

Carlos was a faithful practitioner, from many angles, putting his martial arts into his work, his home life, and most importantly, into his very essence. It has been an honor to have spent many days training with him since October, 2007. To become close to his family, to be around a man who always had a smile for me and never had an evil work to say about anyone. As always, the student became the teacher on many occasions, as always happens when there is dedication, exploration and consideration.

Carlos Salgado, corporate tai chi advocate and example, my friend and so very excellent a student; we can look to your courageous attitude as we continue with you in our hearts.

Jaren Levitt

Jaren’s spirit was that of a tiger, tenacious, willing, determined and ready to succeed, whether it involved his responsible role as a caring and mentoring father, as the creative force behind a stable sales organization, as an upstanding citizen in his current community of Sarasota, or as a friend to many of us across the globe.

Along with this true ability to be proactive, to keep going and produce results in the shortest length of time was Jaren’s nurturing side.  Not only was he the King of Providers for his family, he was able to nurture his team by mentoring them in skills that would take them to their own level of independent success. On so many occasions, this writer watched him groom his people to flourish, never doing the job in place of teaching the job, always seeing the big picture, rather than falling pray to the trite.

Let me explain how Jaren was a pure example of Corporate Tai Chi, even though he had never done it. When someone has a smooth and easy understanding as Jaren did (as was characterized by a nickname of his,  Easy Exec) about how to get the job done, effortlessly and directly, you see tai chi in action. Corporate tai chi. When you see instant recognition without flaw or stumble, such as Jaren embodied, this is tai chi. The purpose of the physical martial art is to transcend the physical. Few people do it.  Jaren was one.

Some, and I include myself until several weeks ago, believed that Corporate Tai Chi was a methodology of taking tai chi-like exercise into the corporate world to change employee productivity level through motivation and chi. This is not the big picture. In looking from a broader perspective, in the manner Jaren used to teach by example, Corporate Tai Chi is a concept. Aside from its being a method, the Corporate Tai Chi concept consists of the ability to translate the five-minute physical session (born from the corporate need for work/life balance) into becoming supple in decision making, commanding in execution of task, charismatic in speech delivery, in the way you move and breathe. Corporate Tai Chi, like regular tai chi, is a way of being. Jaren Levitt was this way of being.

Although he never ended up studying the tai chi movement, though he said he would be willing to try when time permitted, he was the corporate tai chi concept. One of the rare individuals who, I can say, understood tai chi flow without knowing tai chi, Jaren took an overview of life and executed his insight and foresight in the most direct, trouble-free, waste-free, good-natured manner, as he would want his children, Jaden and Janna, the loves of his life, to do.

Much love and much respect for a true Corporate Tai Chi practitioner of spirit and hero in my eyes, Jaren Mark Levitt, who came onto this earth on March 19, 1946, and has left it on June 27, 2009. You have made a positive difference in all who have spent time with you. Anyone we encounter will benefit from the growth we have experienced because of you. You are and will be missed.

Please contact us at truehero{at}dianegold.com for further information about Jaren Levitt.

He went on to continue  educating the next generation with similar human attributes portrayed when he played in “Kung Fu, The Legend Continues,” in 1996.

Of course, David gave us over 200 movies, produced a myriad of  works, performed music, wrote for film and TV throughout his long career.  Whenever he appeared onscreen, it was tremendous lift for this writer.

My heart goes out to the family of this great man. His departure is very much noticed, and we are grateful for his gifts.

You can read more about him at http://www.david-carradine.com.

1. According to a study done for a NJ firm in 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning, for every $1 they  invested in corporate wellness, they got  back $3-$4. This means that, if you invest a million, you get back $4,000,000.

2. Another research giant has done a study indicating that $1 turns into $3.50 within three years, invested in corporate wellness.

These figures document proof of 300%+ Return On Investment in three years, measuring the results of thousands of people in diverse companies. That’s a lot stronger than the investments most companies make in real estate. And it is a much faster return than money invested in research and development or technology.

When a corporation spends marketing dollars, their ROI is expected to increase, but there is no guarantee. Some campaigns win; some crash. But there is never a question as to whether this department will exist.

With corporate wellness, some companies install it; some don’t. They all know that it would be a “good addition.” But they don’t focus on the numbers that are available, which they do in every other aspect of the company. So it is important to measure and publicize results on a regular basis.

If a human resources VP spends $5,000,000 on corporate wellness in one year, the Board of Directors looks at the expenditure. Up until now, most companies do not track the ROI on the $5,000,000. Everyone “thinks” the program is good, but was it worth $5,000,000? It is mandatory to track and report the results.

I am reminded of something my good friend, Perry Marshall, internet marketing guru, said to me last week, ” Fantasy is more fun than reality, but reality is the only thing that pays the bills.” So, rather than “everyone’s” knowing that corporate wellness programs “feel good in a touchy-feely sort of way,” why doesn’t every company use a standard of measurement of ROI in corporate wellness? There are templates for this tracking that prove that, not only is the original outlay of $5,000,000 recovered in increased employee productivity, presenteeism, employee longevity; sick time reduction which impacts insurance premiums to the company, overall positive attitude, better public image, health care cost reduction; but, according to reality, not fantasy, real statistics; the $5,000,000 becomes $15,000,000 or more within three years.

So, why isn’t it mainstream thinking that corporate wellness is a necessary, rather than an elective, training piece to install in every entity? The numbers say that corporate wellness pays. It is crucial that the evidence be brought to the forefront, that the installation of corporate wellness programs be known to be an equitable option for investing for the company.  That corporate wellness is basic, not luxury. Money stream is basic, not an elective. So, this corporate wellness piece as dramatic Return On Investment must become mainstream.

Although tai chi has not yet become popular in the mainstream, it is coming. For those of us who have discovered it, it is practiced without want for this popularity. It is a haven for self-renewal much like your best vacation, your last chiropractic adjustment, a day off from school or a deadline change on an assignment that you had not completed.

If tai chi is all this, why not take this method of Chinese kung fu, that is based upon the movements of the snake and the crane, to the corporate level. Use it to fill the corporate culture with what it lacks: a method of producing peaceful, renewable human energy on a regular basis, that will not disrupt scheduling, will not require building a training hall, does not need location or clothing change, that will accomplish its purpose during work or school hours without giving up on-the-job time, other than five minutes.

There are many corporate wellness programs in the form of on-site gyms, coupons for fitness memberships, corporate retreats for the successful. The people who use these services are the motivated, meritorous group who would achieve and pursue health anyway. The existing strategies do not focus on the others, whose self-esteem is less, who are not creating miracles on the job and who don’t have the motivation to push through. Here’s where the responsibility of the mentor/leadership comes in. Now, companies are beginning to offer incentives for using corporate wellness. This is needed. This is good. Even better is Corporate Tai Chi which affects every participant positively and makes money for the company.

The solution of Corporate Tai Chi, which pays for its installation within one to six months, can monetize for the company ten times its expense in a very short time. Not only does it beat the standard wellness program installed in an institution that brings $3 for every $1 in five to ten years, it offers instant gratification to every single individual. The implementation of incentives for participation are effective;, but, in the meantime, all takers will become stronger, healthier, more valuable to themselves and their organization through Corporate Tai Chi.

How can you not be curious?

To discuss the installation of Corporate Tai Chi, please contact Diane Gold, the Founder. Contact information is listed in the category with the same name to the right.

It is very much a fact that some of us move through our day without consideration for the peace of mind we leave behind. It is also true that working without tempering the spirit can lead to stress, imbalance, inefficient productivity, decline in motivation and dissatisfaction.

It is also true that tai chi floods our nervous system with stimulation, enlivens the body, mind and spirit and is known to bring creativity, inspiration, strength and clarity.

CORPORATE

In the corporate sphere, I have introduced the sales meeting for Microsoft using tai chi. The results were stupendous. Everyone was bristling, enlivened, attentive, team-spirited and ready to absorb the material to follow – at a sales meeting. Both leaders and participants were impressed.

WHAT I’VE SEEN

I have watched many a student, corporate, private, group, in my thirteen years having a martial arts training facility, go from lack of positive determination to super-fantastic, drive-oriented, clear thinking action-producing concentration, never achieved prior to tai chi training.

I see the economy in stress. I see the unemployed getting creative or desperate. I see employees and leadership whose capacity to surpass expectations is hovering or melting.

THE FIX

In order for the still-employed to excel with their increased workload; the installation of a reparative mechanism is a natural progression. What corporate tai chi can do is this: increase revenue in three-months time rather than add expense (study in development); improve employee attitude and multiply productivity; develop positive public image; preserve support and integrity of the corporate business model (so that people can build, create, recreate [as many un-employeds have to do] modify, produce, invent, lead, buy, sell and rejuvenate); facilitate focus, intention, posture, values, loyalty and foundation.

Tai chi offers all the characteristics I have mentioned above. It also removes the unneeded mind clutter and fortifies the individual, the team and the culture in which it is practiced. The addition of five-minutes of tai chi in any organization will revitalize it consistently.

WITH MY OWN EYES

I have been asked how I came to believe in this concept of Corporate Tai Chi. I have seen tai chi in action as an instructor and trainer for over a decade. And I believe that five minutes daily will facilitate change. It will allow no one to have to reschedule, redress, rethink an agenda. It will allow everyone to relax, dedicate the mind to task and life. It is a solution that is flawless, were it not that it is “unknown” as the training tool, the developer, the facilitator, the true motivator that it is.

MY COMMITMENT

I will do my best to make it known, to make it a prevalent reality and encourage ideas and support.

___________________
Diane Gold is a corporate tai chi advocate and a tai chi, kung fu, chi kung mentor and coach to the corporate and private sector. She can be reached by clicking HERE
for further information, discussion, to become involved in a tai chi study.

So, it is my responsibility to touch upon CORPORATE TAI CHI, which raises company chi, personal chi, economy. If every CEO knew s/he would increase revenue by doing corporate tai chi at 8:00 am, how many would do it? The ones who are listening and proactive. If every non-CEO knew that work would be more fun, more meaningful, more substantial with corporate tai chi at 8:00 am, who would partake of it? A big majority would do it and wait (without waiting) for the results.

The idea I am professing is that Corporate Tai Chi is a valid modality worthy of being public knowledge. It can heavily impact the corporate, organizational or government environment in a positive fashion and should be noted in the currently favorite encyclopedic entity. It can increase return on investment (ROI), whether you have invested time or money, and, therefore, is of interest to everyone who has invested either.

The more vitality you have, the better your work, leadership, ability, success, health and life.  Corporate Tai Chi creates vitality and is a methodology that uses tai chi (the very slow mind/body martial exercise that removes stress, heals the spirit and supercharges the practitioner) at work that builds, maintains and invigorates work life. Install it in any business, and you’re walking into the success dome with your team.

Here’s the Wiki connection. Because there are no physically publishes books on Corporate Tai Chi and few documented studies, I am having trouble meeting the criteria of Wikipedia (which I respect). I will be able to use one of the other wikis to post information but aim, one day soon, to list on Wikipedia.

If you would like to share your corporate tai chi experiences, they are most welcome. In the meantime, keep the chi going at work. Corporate tai chi is one of the ways.

On January 5, 2009, you can get access to a FREE REPORT on Corporate Tai Chi, There will be a limited supply at CORPORATE TAI CHI REPORT on that Monday.

If you are a leader, your chi will impress your team. If you are in a non-leaderhip position, your chi will influence your colleagues and your leadership. You are part of the answer. Comment below or learn more at Corporate Tai Chi Email.

Every day is chiday until it’s not! … Diane Gold

Given: The corporation is made up of a HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE that ultimately connects everyone.

Given: The CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, the CEO or other VITO (very important top officer) acts as the leader and mentor of the successful corporation.

Given: The CORPORATION is a sum of what its EMPLOYEES contribute, and EMPLOYEES develop in direct relation to their contributions to the CORPORATION.

Given: CORPORATE CULTURE develops based upon mentorship, vision, charisma, policy, belief and spirit.

Given: The HARMONY within a corporation is directly related to the relationship the leaders have with the EMPLOYEES.

Given: The life force of the corporation is made up of the life energy, called CHI, of each individual employee. Therefore, the CORPORATION has CHI.

Conclusion: Every corporation, institution, organization is alive with a culture, a consciousness, an attitude, an energy. Every corporation has a flavor, timbre, temperature and a myriad of characteristics, all of which represent the relationship the leaders have with their team and the skills and synergy of the entire unit.

When we DEVELOP THE INDIVIDUAL , we develop the corporation. When we build INDIVIDUAL CHI, we build CORPORATE CHI.

This forum shall offer thoughts on the concept of CORPORATE CHI. It is this writer’s goal to gather statistics that measure a change in EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY with the implementation of specific corporate wellness regimes. As more evidence is gathered, it will be posted here.

Please feel free to comment on your experience, your ideas, your vision.

And, if you would like to volunteer your company to be part of one of our BETA TESTS that aims to gather RETURN ON INVESTMENT statistics, please let us know. The test will take five – ten minutes per day for a duration of one – three months.