Is your team a bramble or a…?
Teams are like a woods. A healthy woods (team) has a variety of species who grow in their strength; the environment encourages their growth and contribution. Even in the winter, as I clear the entanglement of honeysuckle from my woods, I see such parallels to the...
What do MLK, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Aikido have in common?
It is the path that intrigues me. Three men known by "M" names - Martin Luther King, Jr., Mandela and Morihei - shared a parallel path. The lesser-known Morihei Ueshiba, is the founder of the martial art Aikido in which Spiral Impact is grounded. All three of these...
Ahh – Yes! Holiday Magic
'Imagination is the True Magic Carpet.' Norman Vincent Peale Wishing you a holiday filled with magic and dreams come true.... Whether you gather with friends and family, or spend time alone this holiday season, create some magic by sparking your imagination. Here...
Raising Value
What is the simplest way to raise value? Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash Her posture instantly straightened and she smiled when she heard the words, "I admire how you took charge and handled all those details." She was doing her job; I didn't have to say anything....
Ahh Yes! Now What?
Destructive conflict zaps our energy and humanity. If you’ve paid attention to our election process you know what I mean. The ballots are counted. United States has a new president AND the divisions continue. Now what? Everyone has a choice. Continue feeding the...
How to win — yourself?
Recently, I spent time with a group of people composed of radically different perspectives than my own. I was able to be more curious than appalled at the intense viewpoints that directly oppose my values and beliefs. How was I able to do this? Agatsu. One of my...
Ahh…Yes! Solid in Gold
Have you tuned into the Olympics? Elite athletic performance is always a refreshing shift of focus from the rest of the news for me. Watching the Olympics is always inspiring to me. Every four years the feats accomplished expand! It causes me to pause and think...
Ahhh…Yes! The toughest of walls
Walls are made of many things: bricks, cement, wood, stones. Yet the toughest of all walls is an invisible wall. Composed of many things: Assumptions Righteousness about position or opinion No acknowledgement Balls dropped - promises broke Looks Misread glances...
Does your team crank or zoom?
What is the difference between a ‘crank’, a ‘start’ and a ‘zoom’? Answer: One is a singular task the other two are collaborative intents. Why is this important? As an automotive engineer, my first career, I designed cranking motors, known to most people as...
Ahh Yes! 10 subtle ways we fight at work
"I bet you could kick my ass." I've heard so many times when people learn of my martial arts training. Maybe, maybe not. Most true martial arts have a philosophy referred to as budo. Translated in simple terms is: If I engage in fighting I am defeated regardless of...
Ahh…Yes! Hazards of misalignment
It seemed I was in live-action situation comedy. Though rather than entertained, I was just confused. The owner of a high-end technical product company gives me very specific instruction about the product application. He leaves the room. Enter his assistant, telling...
The Nuance of Beginning with the End in Mind
A red light in the distance marked my destination as I drove to a meeting one morning. I was so focused on the light I didn't notice blowing through a few stop signs – not good! This reminded me of Covey’s Habit ‘Begin with the end in mind’. Looking closer at two of...
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Karen Valencic
Martial artist. Engineer. Best-selling author. Sought-after consultant.