Inspireholidayspirit

Appreciate the great phenomenon around us- the multitude of points of views, fresh ideas or alternative pool of talent; appreciate the abundance which is to have enough to share: resources, time, energy, ideas, creativity, insight, vitality, etc., to lift the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Although not all families celebrate Thanksgiving holiday, the weather becomes chilly, the day turns shorter, the decoration light is already lit on the street, we know holiday seasoning is coming. Regardless where you are, appreciate those who help you out; deepen understanding the people you get to know; figure out the problem you want to solve; pursue the purpose of life. 

Understanding leads to appreciation, appreciation brings positive energy which recharges us to convey the sound of freedom, the voice of inclusion, and the tone of empathy.

The sound of freedom: Holiday is the time to refresh yourself, relax, ponder and wonder around. All boundaries are created by humans. With the spirit of freedom, the world is open, knowledge becomes more abundant, our mind is not cluttered. We are free. We just seek; knowledge is rather a way to freedom. We try to find answers across disciplinarily. The more we know, the better chance we can help others, the lower probability we blindly follow conventional wisdom or group thinking.

Relax ourselves, or even distract ourselves from the daily busyness, free our mind, recharge the fresh energy - that is the holiday or vocations for. So we are able to open our mind, take free spirits, inspire changes, and harness innovation. It is the bigger world, still, sometimes we get confused; but if we do not give up, keep capturing insight and pursuing wisdom, we are free to explore who we are, where we want to go; creativity helps to break down the outdated traditions or cultures, sets us free to think of alternative solutions and discover the truth from myth.

The voice of inclusion: In most big cities or metropolitan areas in the world, the digital workforce is diversified and dynamic, people with different backgrounds work together collaboratively. Everyone is unique, there are all kinds of differences that exist between individuals. Each of us is a complex blend of contrasts with imperfect judgment. If diversity emphasizes our differences; inclusion points out how to build a strong team with complementary mindsets, skillsets or toolsets, to get the work done more effectively.

In the hyper-connected and interdependent world, the organizational inclusiveness efforts need to focus on cognitive differences, complementary skills, abilities and how to generate the wealth of ideas since the value lies in the contributions of the individuals to the teams to the organization. Creative energy from top down can rejuvenate the culture of inclusion. Inclusion is an enabler for achieving high performance through innovative culture, learning agility, allowing passionate people committed towards clearly-defined common goals.

The tone of empathy: During the holiday season, many people show their sympathy, do charity, help others, and improve the world. If we take further steps, develop empathy, understand people deep enough, be able to tune into their own purpose. When people receive empathy, they truly feel heard and they can learn to listen more proactively and respond with empathy. There are silo mentalities isolating the minds and small thinking creating silos. It takes lots of effort, we have to find our own words and our own way of conversations and activities, and become more focused on understanding each other for effective problem-solving.

Empathy is one of the critical ingredients for global professionalism. It means using the right language with the right people to gain deeper understanding. Empathy is the ability to connect the mind via multi-disciplinary touch points by listening objectively with an open mind; it is about thinking as if you were in the other party's position. We all have different lenses, perceptions in the way we look at the world, it becomes easier to open our minds, gain fresh knowledge, respect each other, and avoid misjudgment. We all should develop the ability to not simply have empathy, but to exercise and convey that in a genuine and accessible fashion.

Holidays are the time to reflect, refresh, recognize benevolent intentions and actions; and bring fresh insight, true wisdom to light; appreciate the great phenomenon around us- the multitude of points of views, fresh ideas or alternative pool of talent; appreciate the abundance which is to have enough to share: resources, time, energy, ideas, creativity, insight, vitality, etc, to lift the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Posted in: Food for Thought,Global Perspective,Global Trips,Innovation