Sharing Reflections and Lessons Learned
‘At its simplest, reflection is about careful thought. It provides an opportunity to […] sort through observations and experiences to create meaning. This ‘meaning’ becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions. For leaders, this “meaning making” is crucial to their ongoing growth and development.’ Link
In a year full of opportunities, interesting conversations and meaningful action, pausing to reflect has helped identify useful patterns and recommendations to take forward in the new year within the context of our current crisis. These trends sit across core areas of impact: Knowledge Building, Research, Design and Advisory that together can lead to necessary transformation at scale.
💥Knowledge Building - Career Development – Leadership Qualities
In discussions with professionals across sectors, certain themes consistently emerged. Key issues revolved around navigating organisational culture and methods for showcasing leadership qualities with evidence.
Trends highlighted a deep need to feel empowered, be trusted to think/deliver and be supported in upskilling for real and fast approaching climate and sustainability thinking/risks. This was combined with a desire to work for organisations with clear purpose and cross-organisational working styles. In a time of quiet quitting, high labour costs/wage bills, attrition rate impacts, having a skilled, talented and engaged workforce was considered incredibly important.
Ideas for improvement/redesign could look at:
Inclusive and transparent hiring methods (conscious of personal bias and intended company culture)
Creating open and transparent cultures – existing audit, upskilling in systems impact and building networks
Using eco-system working methods with interlinked opportunity areas (collaborative departmental working)
Learning from technology/data (conscious of data bias) and lived experience at earlier stages
Re-imagining governance and line-management systems to be reflective of cyclical challenges and non-linear approaches
💥Research Approaches – Finding the Problem
In undertaking research with cross-industry professionals on wider systemic issues (examples: social connectedness, nature’s impact on well-being, safety and inclusion in spaces/places, redesigning education/healthcare services), areas worth highlighting discussed ways for effective and conscious communication/storytelling, meaningful engagement, scaling and futureproofing.
Trends depicted the importance of setting early-stage behaviour indicators (openness, humility, deep listening) and learning from lived experiences/user needs while recalling/challenging assumptions. It also presented the need to extend the timeline of ‘information gathering/discovery’ phase for deeper understanding and cost efficiency prior to ideation, solution finding/proposal building. As the backbone of innovation, research was considered integral to maintain leverage, leadership and conscious growth responding to contextual needs.
Ideas for improvement/redesign could focus on:
Reevaluating the timeline of problem scoping to be more inclusive of cross-industry needs
Using scientific data as evidence in conjunction with lived experience, cultural feedback
Finding community partners for long-term maintenance and knowledge sharing – more inclusive and local
Building on existing problems voiced by those most impacted
💥Designing In A System – insights from various cultures
In learning from various cultures and backgrounds across Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Turkey), Asia (Japan, Subcontinent/Global South, Turkey) professional diversity in environments, global organisational ethos and philosophical underpinnings have presented opportunities for change across mindsets, behaviours and actions to realise benefits from each.
Trends depicted an advanced understanding of impact in a system and potential for designing co-benefits as part of building long term resilience. This was considered important in a globalised world where inter-depencies span a variety of backgrounds, contexts and ecological landscapes.
Multi-cultural leadership qualities to design in a system could focus on:
Emphasis on experiential (user experience) and ephemeral aspects
Awareness of balance and timescales – design of birth/end of life equally important (connecting to wider purpose to orient/shift perspective and create deep meaning)
Joy in process (pride in the act of doing and collaborating in methods)
Many truths – (awareness of cultural knowledges and humility with inclusion in communication and approaches)
💥Advising Sustainability & Regenerative Thinking in an Ecosystem Scale
In advising organisations and teams, key areas of discussions centred around ways to understand and embed sustainability across social, economic, cultural and environmental factors with a view to create long-lasting benefit and re-shape industries for future resilience and risk planning.
Trends pointed to an awareness of the changing legislative landscapes, shifting consumer focus and increased climate risks affecting value chains in political cycles. Questions were asked around setting purpose driven objectives, setting sustainability focussed strategies, developing resilient supply chains and improving workplace well-being while minimising impact and maximising benefits.
Ideas for improvement/redesign could be:
Think ‘big’/in a system – could this organisation be the leader in creating an industry shift. If so, start with community (validate early idea), work with partners (competitors) to conduct research which understands industry bottlenecks, build to scale together
Embed sustainability in governance, operations and strategic decision-making as part of the ethics, values and principles, code of conduct and business model. Conduct an early stage materiality analysis thinking about impacts on the world and the influence of external factors on the organisation
Go beyond – build a strong, purpose driven brand and tell the regenerative story relative to specific organisational goals. Attempt to educate consumers/users as well as capture future emerging markets
Invest in Research and Development in regenerative innovation to stay market leading – share knowledge as goodwill and collective upskilling
