A COMPANY ON PURPOSE.
The majority (64% Gallup 2020; 70% Instant Print study 2021.) of companies have toxic cultures. The pandemic has amplified this growing trend. Inside those companies there is no enthusiasm, an intense fear of failure, gossip, focus on egocentric wins, constant dysfunction & drama, and a high turnover (the good people leave first). Toxic Cultures are the #1 driver for the 'Great Resignation', as well as for founders to leave their own company.
It's time to reimagine how we work. A paradigm based on trust, autonomy and regeneration. Control is not matching the current consciousness of people anymore. The system is breaking. A record number of people are resigning, burning out, or just doing the bare minimum (quiet quitting). People feel trapped, stressed, and limited by the way they are being controlled inside organisations.
Culture is always a reflection of its leadership, past or present. In toxic cultures people act from a place of fear, and disconnection (ego). In thriving people act from love, and interdependence (purpose).
Work should be a place where we connect, develop, thrive, and create positive ripple effects. Not a place where we feed stress, burnouts, bore-outs, and other harmful ripples.
We believe most people are good. They can just be stuck sometimes in an ego mode (old habits, stories & beliefs). Simply put, the road to toxic cultures (hell) is paved with good intentions. And it can be turned around.
If people are generally good, then why aren't our companies run & designed that way?
A place with ego-free, self-aware, energized, purpose-driven founders who set the tone. Who balance ambition and taking care of themselves first. Who is connected to their inner wisdom & leads from an emerging future. Who inspire towards a purposeful mission, and who share the wins with the teams. Where progress is measured in smart & meaningful ways.
A place where transparency and honesty abide. Tough conversations are not avoided. Where assumptions are shredded by asking simple questions. Where people are wise, compassionate, bold and their authentic selves. Where feedback is the driving wheel for business and personal growth.
A place where people are being trusted, and thus given the autonomy & freedom to make shit happen.
A place where people can be themselves,
on purpose.
Below we have depicted what's to gain, and how to get started to reimagine organisation and leadership.
WHAT'S TO GAIN.
#1 BETTER RESULTS
When people have the customer at heart, and the freedom to act in a way that will benefit both the customer, as well as the company, everybody wins. So simple. Unfortunately in most companies, people are more occupied with avoiding doing something wrong in the eyes of their boss. Making them more & more apathetic, risk-averse, and stressed. Science shows that people make short-term stupid decisions in those states of being. Companies like Buurtzorg, Favi, Semco and many more have proven for 10+ years that these company principles & design are not only better for people, but also for business.
#2 MORE FREEDOM.
Founders often start their companies with a vision. To do things differently. Not only towards their clients, but also as a place to work. To be the boss of their own agendas. Once the company starts to grow this vision becomes harder to keep reality. Founders get sucked into the daily operation again & again. Trying to control it all. Culture gets shitty. Founders feel drained & stuck. Their team feels unable to access their full potential, unfree & even unsafe. When you let go of fear, and control, space arises to feel free. Feeling free is a basic human need everyone strives for in their lives. Feeling free to take action, to act in alignment with their values. Free from fears, and limiting beliefs. Especially for founders freedom is often a core value. Feeling free will benefit productivity, as well as retention of people, as well as founders. Plus it enables founders to work ON their companies versus IN their companies.
#3 STRONG INNER GUIDANCE
The environment founders operate in nowadays is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA). Knowing it all, overseeing it all, controlling it all, it's an illusion. Through our approach, we invite founders to lead more from the heart, rather than an already overburdened mind. To consciously make time for stillness, reflection, and meditation. To ask for advice. To set up decision-making frameworks in alignment with these principles. To be connected to your inner wisdom & lead from an emerging future.
#4 SCALABILITY.
Founders are often the limiting factor in the company's growth, with the best intentions. Their limiting beliefs are holding themselves and the company back. By growing in awareness, as well as designing the company in a way that gives space for people to take action and make smarter decisions, opportunities for growth arise. When you have winning teams chasing a mission autonomously the sky is the limit. Room to scale with limited overhead.
#5 GREAT PLACE TO WORK.
Research shows that over 73% of startup employees get burnout. This number can drop drastically. People love to be part of a company where they feel free, safe, meaningful & impactful. Trust-based companies expect people are good, and give them ownership & freedom to match. To not be like a dull, toxic corporate. To be free. Have fun. Keep it simple. Human. Facilitating the team to develop themselves on-the-job, get out of their comfort zone again & again, make an impact and share wins with a solid reward system.
#6 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
Professionals who do the job every day, know their field of expertise, and talk to customers, often know best what can or should be improved in order to serve the customer better, or make their work easier. As a result, trust-based companies have a high-performing teams who are continuously innovating their approaches, products, services, and systems.
TOPICS OF EXPERTISE.
After Founders have completed the 28.DAYS Program to grow in awareness and unlearn habits, stories & beliefs holding them back, the next step is to take action that will ripple over into their team.
Because every startup or scale-up is different and at a different level, facing different challenges (based on their leadership), we have a customised approach here. We always start with a diagnosis and sesses on the following building blocks of a trust-based company:
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Shared & meaningful Purpose
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Primary Work Process to deliver value
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Living Core Values - compass for how we work
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Resolve cultural bottlenecks
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Problem-solving techniques
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Dialogue techniques
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Psychological safety
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Organizational Architecture (limit hierarchy & decentralized decision-making)
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Team formation, roles & responsibilities
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Ownership reward relation
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Measure value, not time (OKR's)
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Continuous Feedback loops
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We provide the above through workshops with senior & certified experts from our team.
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Ok. So a lot to be gained. Which areas can evolve and in what order?
We use the four quadrant model of Integral Theory of Philosopher and Psychologist Ken Wilber because it provides a comprehensive overview of the four main areas of influence when to comes to organizational change.
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