Contributor: Ellen E. Swanson
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The business world is slowly moving toward incorporating the circular paradigm. Terms such as collaborative leadership, transparency, transformational leadership, servant leadership, and shared governance circles are prominent. We now emphasize developing and contributing our strengths instead of fixing our weaknesses. This shift in emphasis helps all involved to transform themselves and the business. A change from power over to power sharing is facilitated.
How could the mandala be used to support this needed change? First, let’s consider the fact that health care businesses increasingly are organizing under corporations so huge that participants such as hospitals, clinics, agencies, and rehabilitation centers (to name a few) may not feel much sense of connection with other entities within said corporation. In the generic corporate mandala which follows, each participant is noted, in the outer ring, as a division of Corporation XYZ. The second ring would have the organizational chart for each division.
The third ring covers the core values, mission, and vision statements of Corporation XYZ in the respective body, mind, and spirit segments.
The fourth ring and center, featuring the Feng Shui Ba-Gua system, would list the departments and programs that speak to the given life aspect as well as answer 4 questions for each life aspect regarding Corporation XYZ. The four questions would be:
- What is working in this life aspect?
- What isn’t working yet in this life aspect?
- What goals do we have for developing departments or programs in this life aspect?
- What are the priorities of these goals?
A digital version of this completed template for a corporation could be part of a website or on an information kiosk in the lobby, where those wanting information about the company could click on the areas they want to explore to access additional information.
Another business application could be to use the template to profile a potential customer or company prior to marketing to, or merging with, them. This could help in deciding about involvement with them. What are their seven sources or resources? What do you want to learn about those sources or resources? What are their values, mission, and vision statements? What departments and programs do they have for manifesting the life aspects? Does this sound familiar, like an assessment?
Holistic nursing theory concepts that would be lived out with this application would be unity with self and others, intentionality, and ways we are all teachers, students, and co-creators. Nurses are in a unique position because we participate along all points on the health care continuum.
Holistic nursing concepts source:
Frisch, N. (2013). Nursing theory in holistic nursing practice. In B. Dossey & L. Keegan (Eds.) Holistic nursing a handbook for practice, 6th Ed. (pp. 117-128). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.