What Works: How the 10 Principles of Burning Man can help with business and career

This weekend, I volunteered my time at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Donned in fur and boots, I gave hugs and greeted Burners flying into Reno for Burning Man. I also imparted valuable information. I shared how to get supplies, travel to Black Rock Desert, and enjoy the festival.

It’s hard to ignore the increase of activity in our area as people come in from all over the world to attend Burning Man (August 28 – September 5). To many, including me, Burning Man isn’t just a festival. Burning Man is a sub-culture which has a lot to teach.

The 10 Principles of Burning Man are a set of guidelines written in 2004 by Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey. They were written to hold a mirror up to the Burning Man community’s culture and ethos. Today, many people (including Elon Musk who brought the gigafactory to Northern Nevada) adopt the 10 Principle of Burning Man as a way of life, business, and career.

So, if you aren’t a Burner. I ask you to set aside what you think you know for one second. Once you begin to educate yourself on this culture, you may find yourself applying a few of The 10 Principles of Burning Man to your own life.

Radical Inclusion: This is the part of Burning Man ethos that really grabbed me at first. It means no matter who you are, you are included. This principle is priceless to teach children how to socialize. It drops judgement and opens the doors to socialize and really get to know someone you wouldn’t typically get to know. In business, practicing radical inclusion helps you network and create an energy of approachability.

Radical Self-Reliance: This means you take care of yourself. You come prepared to hold your own in life and you aren’t seeking to be taken care of. You are responsible. You are able and willing to hold your own. This is a fantastic thing to remember in life in general. You are not a victim of your circumstances. You have the ability to prepare and to surprise yourself with your strength.

Radical Self-Expression: Imagine the freedom to be who you are, to express yourself fully through what you do for a living and the business you run. This is radical self-expression. Everyone has their own gifts to offer the world. This freedom allows those gifts to come forward and everyone in the community benefits from it. Radical self-expression is a gift. Imagine, being able to give the world the gift of YOU!

Immediacy: This means if you want to do it, you do it now. You stop overthinking. You end the disaster tapes that play in your mind when you feel something could go wrong. You just do it. This is the reason What Works Coaching exists today. I work based on immediacy and as a result my work day goes by quickly and its rich with experiences. Try it sometime, just for one day, and see what you learn about yourself.

Communal Effort: Collaboration and cooperation is the essence of the Burning Man community. Everyone jumps in to create great things. I have found my biggest lesson here to be in company culture. I teach companies how to do this with their teams. Once everyone has the freedom to express themselves and they are radically included (no backstabbing, gossip, ladder climbing) the team environment which is created is almost magical.

Participation: Change can only happen when people are participating. When people take part, everyone works, everyone plays, everyone keeps their heart and mind open to join in. What is amazing about this is you can discover talents in your team you didn’t even know existed! I am participating this week, Thursday through Monday morning, at the Morris Burner Hostel’s Home Burn. This Super Squad of volunteers are creating free events for people to experience the culture in Reno. We will have a Temple for the purpose of releasing the past, old habits, and grieving. We will burn a small version of the Man, called the Dude. There is even a family day to teach kids about the 10 Principles of Burning Man. Come join in! (Event dates are below.)

Civic Responsibility: Now this is what a lot of people do not understand about Burning Man ethos. At its core, it is law abiding and values civil society. It’s not an anarchist culture. It is not some hippie drug fest in the desert. Is it there? Yes. Is it in any culture? Yes. There is a police presence on the playa and local, state, and federal laws are followed. In practice, this can be boiled down into one word – ETHICS. Your business must be ethical and responsible to society. Civic responsibility brings out your best self.

Leaving No Trace: Simply put, don’t leave trash around. Pick up after yourself. Leave a place better than you found it. This practice helps relieve pressure on cleanup crews for events, beautifies any area, and develops pride in taking care of a space. What a great thing to teach kids!

Gifting: This principle is why I give 20 minutes of free coaching to anyone I meet. I do this on the phone so I can fulfill this gift anywhere in the world. Gifting doesn’t expect anything in return. It’s unconditional. There are no strings. There is just love, appreciation, and willingness to recognize someone and help them. Being this open with gifts in business brings about support. By the way, you can schedule a 20-minute session with me as a gift, right here.

Decommodification: Now this one gets sticky with business. However, I saw a good example of this at the airport this weekend. Information about businesses that could help Burners was available. However, their logos were not plastered on the table. The cards were under the table and not being handed out to people as advertising. The logos weren’t in your face. Basically, those businesses were there to help and are Burner owned. If people asked, the information was there. Basically the idea is that not everything has to be for sale. There’s not a “catch” to everything. The transaction is not required or forced. If it flows, it flows. If it doesn’t, sales aren’t pushed. They aren’t even a reason for connecting.

This week: Pick just one of the Ten Principles of Burning Man. How can you apply it to your life, career, or business? What changes when you do? Comment below with your experience.

BURN WEEK EVENTS AT THE MORRIS BURNER HOSTEL (400 E. 4th STREET, RENO)
Wednesday, August 31 from 7 PM to Midnight: Open Deck Night, Open Format for DJs to Spin. Just Bring Your Gear, Live Playa Stream.

Thursday, September 1 from 7 PM to Midnight: Pool + Karaoke = Poolaoke, Play Pool and Sing, Live Playa Stream

Friday, September 2 from 7 PM to Midnight: Family Burn Friday, Alcohol-Free, Kid-Friendly, Teaches Families The 10 Principles of Burning Man, Live Playa Stream, Live Entertainment, Free Event

Saturday, September 3 from 7 PM to 4 AM: Home Burn Night, Live Music, Burning the Dude at 9 PM, Live Playa Stream, No Cover

Sunday, September 4 from 7 PM to 1 AM: Temple Burn, Ambient Music and Ritual to Release Old Habits or Grieve, Live Playa Stream, No Cover

SEE ME SPEAK LIVE IN CARSON CITY
September 9, 2016 @ 6:30 PM: “Beyond the List: Advanced Gratitude Journaling” @Gaia Wellness – Limit 25 students – Tickets: $10. Purchase your ticket here. https://live.vcita.com/site/whatworkscoaching

September 10, 2016 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM: “Weird Carson City” Book Signing, Guest of Sandie La Nae and Arline La Ferry. Speaking at 12:30.
October 8, 2016 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Women’s Conference 2016 at The Carson Nugget. Closing speaker at 3:00 PM. Purchase your ticket here.

What Works Coaching
Diane Dye Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a business coaching and marketing services firm based in Carson City. She has 20 years of experience working with top corporations, growing businesses, motivated entrepreneurs, and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Diane holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Marketing from Cal State San Bernardino. She is also a candidate for a Master’s degree in Communications Management from the University of Southern California. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, in Carson Now.