How a Japanese art form can enhance your business
The Art of Kintsukuroi
The picture alongside [Source: www.kintsugi.jp through Pinterest] is of a broken vase that has been repaired with gold. Developed in Japan, making such a repair is known as Kintsukuroi or kintsugi, which is the art of healing broken pottery with lacquer and silver or gold. The philosophy behind this type of repair is that something should not be discarded just because it is broken. In fact, it is more beautiful for having been broken and repaired.
I saw this on Pinterest and pinned it to my Think Innovatively board with this thought: How might you apply the principle of Kintsukuroi as a metaphor for repairing something that is broken in your business?
You might consider this metaphor anytime something breaks; a process, a business (or personal) relationship, a bad media story.
I feel it is a very solution focused metaphor to have your client focus on the damaged pieces as a resource (what they can build on), not on the damage (the problem), have them visualise how they might make it better and progress towards that better future.
Is Kintsukuroi not a better metaphor than “fighting fires”? It is certainly more elegant.
Have an elegant week.
John Brooker I Yes! And. Think Innovatively.
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