NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will mark the completion of their #1yearinspace mission aboard the International Space Station when the pair will land back on earth on the 1st of March 2016 after spending a total of 340 days in space.

Why is this relevant for business?

Business executives, in addition to managing hard business targets are required, in order to be truly successful, inspirational leaders and coaches in their own right. Those truly successful will confirm that their most productive staff are those who can find meaning, motivation and happiness in their work. But not everyone is able to obtain this perspective. This is where the Overview Effect may be a useful tool to consider.

For more than four decades, astronauts from across cultures and backgrounds have reported that the perspective of Earths orbit and the Moon, have provided them with great insight and a profound sense of mental clarity. “The Overview Effect”, a phrase coined by space philosopher and writer Frank White, refers to the experience of seeing firsthand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, hanging in the void, shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere.

As reported, from space, astronauts state that ‘national boundaries vanish, the conflicts that divide us become less important and the need to create a planetary society with the united will to protect this “pale blue dot” becomes both obvious and imperative.’ They report that this could be imminently achievable, if only more people could have the experience. Since it is ofcourse impossible for all your staff and employees to gain the real experience of the Overview Effect, you may still be able to create a semblance of this effect by linking your business to a Unity of Purpose (UP).

A vision exercise where strategic goals and business purpose can be rolled up into a Higher objective may serve your teams well in mentally connecting their daily performance to a more sustainable and human economic system that will generate hard and soft profits for individuals and communities.

Leyya Kalla
Director: Quintessence Development Solutions

For more information on Zen Business practices please contact Quintessence Development Solutions info@qdsbusiness.com