Poetry at the He{art} of Business
A Collection of Spoken Word Poetry Exploring Company Culture & Belonging
We often have our hearts set on a destination in life. We can’t wait until we own a house, have children, finally graduate, for our kids to move out, or simply for the weekend to begin. Professionally, we think about how great life would be once we get that promotion, once we change teams, or when we can finally retire.… And along the way, there are so many moments we miss out on.
Poetry at the Heart of Business explores the concept of company culture by inspecting it through the lens of the arts. Specifically, spoken word poetry. Company culture can have many different faces, whether it is office politics, how team members interact, or how leaders lead by example and create a space where most adults spend the majority of their lives. When we realize we are at the center of our experiences, and that meaningfulness can be experienced in more moments than life's highlights, the view on company culture changes significantly.
The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. My dozen years of experience as a leadership coach and company culture architect are captured in the life lessons I share throughout the book. But more importantly, my 20 years of writing spoken word poetry make this book my unique way of bringing my full self to work.
My wish is that this book is a tool for reflection and that it may inspire leaders, HR Professionals, and team members to feel an increased sense of agency to find their place and voice in the workplace. I hope it inspires you so that you also may feel uninhibited in expressing yourself artfully.
“If art shapes culture, and culture shapes business, you are at the he{art} of it all.”
How to Use the Book & Notebook
This book is for both the reader and the leader. You can use it to:
Start a conversation
Set the stage of your next public talking engagement with a poetic snippet
Use the quotes of the many brilliant minds referenced throughout the book in your PowerPoint presentation to evoke a sense of contemplation among your audience
Get grounded with challenging our mental models before embarking on a large project
Use a poem as a wild card when your team gets stuck to provoke divergent thinking
Flip through the reference guides to find inspiration from authors that inspired me to put pen to paper
Or share inspiration by discussing this book in your next executive leadership book club
The reflection exercises in the notebook are based on the poems of the book. The main intention of this notebook is to take a step back, observe your swirling thoughts and emotions, and through the comforting process of reflection, like coffee percolating, find perspective and meaning.
What People are Saying
-
"This refreshing read got me to slow down and look at things from a different perspective. And it's in that space where innovation can come to life."
-
“This book is brilliant! It is a freshly creative perspective to company culture”
-
“I feel less frustrated and more satisfied using some of these approaches”
-
“This book makes you look deep inside when thinking through organizational decisions. It brings Humaness to the forefront.”
-
“Arend Boersema brings truth to the idea that times have shifted both politically and socially including the workplace.”
-
“This book is a reminder of what is really important - our legacy”
Arend Boersema is leading organizational development and culture change efforts by working with emerging leaders, senior executives, and teams. As a seasoned HR and OD expert with footing in both education and social work, his formula for success relies on combining business logic with art, the mind with the heart.
About Arend Boersema
