Articles

These articles can be downloaded from this site, provided the reprint is for free distribution to the public or within an organisation, acknowledgement is made to the author, and a copy of such use is sent to the publisher. See our Reprint Policy for full information.

Change Today

by Geof Cox - A report on an event in the Scotland's Future Strategic Dialogue project

The world economy is rapidly changing from an Age of Industry to an Age of Knowledge. Demands for new skills and substantially more flexibility in the workplace mean the evolution of new economic and social systems and a different approach to business. This is happening today. Technology has brought the developed world productivity gains and powerful leaps in the potential of communication. We now can transfer information world-wide, but are we getting smarter or just snowed under? Companies increasingly require multi-skilling but where do our skills lead us? Are we empowered or fragmented? Knowledge intensive industries require educated work forces but what kind of education exactly are we talking about? Facts or transferable skills?

Businesses and consumers are pressing for environmental strategies to keep pace with government requirements. But these must fit practically with financial strategy and with a business view sustainable well into the future. It is clear that change is here now, and new ideas, new approaches and new infrastructures will be vital not only in business but in education and in society. So what do we propose to do, in Scotland, to meet these changes?

Scotland's Future brings together people from all sectors to share their understanding of what the changes will mean and to suggest ways of meeting them positively, with hope, engagement and with shared trust. Economic development in Scotland will depend upon strategic action. The first step to action is meaningful dialogue, so Scottish Enterprise brought together a group of active decision makers from across the public and private sectors to hold a dialogue on the future of Scotland's businesses and communities.

Appreciative Inquiry
The challenge was to speak in the spirit of Appreciative Inquiry where participants do not talk about problems and solutions. That only focuses the mind on more problems. Instead, they talk about what works in an organisation, a group, a culture, and they begin by talking about something that has worked for them. By remembering what works we are encouraging ourselves to repeat our successes. The mind begins to generate a positive picture, a picture of the best of where we've been, So the groups paired off and told stories of times in each person's life where things went just as they should, almost as if by magic. Where everything WORKED.

Some people spoke of flashes of business insight, some of training days that provided a blaze of learning, some of inspirational holidays or personal transformation, some of community events where shared understanding brought rare insight. All had one thing in common. The experience had been a success. It had worked

Themes

Information was gathered around four themes:
* Developing innovative companies and organisations that can compete with the world's best in the 21st century.
* Stimulating a culture of creativity and learning that develops skills, builds confidence, nurtures new ideas and celebrates success.
* Creating an inclusive economy where the benefits of economic activity reach all in society.
* Building an environmentally sustainable economy that makes Scotland a world class place in which to invest, visit, live and work.

What had made their successes work? For some it was risk-taking, for others shared trust, excitement, good leadership, teamwork, open communication, or support for personal growth. By listing the principles the groups created working contexts for repeating success.

What works?
Taking the principles distilled from the individual stories, each group evolved specific statements that they felt described good organisations, cultures and economies —the statements of what makes something work. These Provocative Propositions were positive, energetic, outrageous, radical. But they were not ‘blue sky’ statements. They embodied the principles of what had already actually worked in the experience of each person in the room.

Here are the four pictures of the future of Scotland.

Developing Innovative Companies and Organisations

The innovative company sets its members on fire with enthusiasm. It is responsive to the demands of both market-place and consumers, and because it is responsive it transmits the excitement of change through its workforce and clients. It empowers its people regardless of rank and shares its vision gladly at work and outside it, looking for co-operation across sectors. There is no hidden agenda in the innovative company. Its open culture allows strong leaders to guide, inspire and praise their colleagues and to welcome free exchange of ideas. Members are pushed beyond the comfort zone and encouraged in taking risks. Confident leaders move with the group, promote collaboration and trust all individuals to do their personal best. management is patient as well as far-seeing and allows enough time for real results to emerge.The innovative company breaks with tradition, takes risks and rewards new ideas from all sectors. It values local knowledge and seeks local solutions from young and old. This is a no-blame culture and employees are actively encouraged to make time to think creatively and to remain truly engaged. This company values the whole person. When the company recognises the strength of each individual the company itself becomes strong. Sometimes solutions already exist and only need to be recognised. Recognising the best of the past ensures a future in which everybody is deeply engaged.

Propositions:
* We trust our people.
* No vision = no success = no future.
* We listen more than we talk.
* We take risks.
* We break down barriers.
* We reward innovation.
* When we use language it's clear.

Stimulating a Culture of Creativity and Learning

The culture of creativity and learning supports all individuals in taking risks. It sets challenging goals and high targets, motivating genuine effort and thereby calling out the best in all its members. Its members feel secure in taking responsibility and they push their own edge. Success breeds success. This culture establishes a common purpose to which everybody can contribute and it honours every contribution. People here listen to each other because they recognise that through listening they empower themselves and others. Listening assists understanding and builds confidence, and most important, it breaks down barriers. People listen both inside and outside their own teams, endorsing expertise wherever they find it. Communication is lively and open at all levels. The culture of learning values change and encourages lifelong learning, giving its members plenty of space and quiet to think. It encourages learning by doing and promotes projects where people of all levels can participate. This culture loves personal growth. It allows its member to be silly as well a serious, to draw on tradition and also to accept the unorthodox. People here seek solutions from outsiders as well as from their own teams and they welcome the international view.In an environment of trust and openness individuals blossom and as individuals grow, the culture grows. What seems unachievable is always achieved. This is a culture led by example, through respect, benevolence, equality and sincerity.

Propositions:
* We grow by finding new ways of doing things.
* Everyone enjoys the challenge
* In our organisation risk-taking is rewarded.
* We value everyone's contributions and always have time to say thank you.
* People in the organisation are more important than the leader.
* Every individual achieves 100 per cent personal fulfillment.
* Success is a process rather than a target.
* We create space for all to learn, reflect and grow.
* We acknowledge failure as a component of achieving success.

Creating an Inclusive Economy

People in the inclusive economy work well together, opening up the decision-making process so no one is excluded. They actively promote shared ownership in success. Human resources are valued as highly as material resources, and all generations join in to contribute their skills. They share a vision and they learn together and grow together to achieve their goals.Here money and power are transferred to community groups so that they can decide how to deliver their agreed strategies. This economy makes professional expertise available to the community as a matter of course. Its community groups meet expressed local needs as well as embracing the bigger picture, always working outward from the secure heart of the community. This is a can do/will do environment and its financial security rests on community control of resources and collective responsibility for success.Because people in this economy share a common purpose they resource the development of their community leaders. Their leaders are inspiring and innovative, recalling spiritual as well as material values and setting clear goals and objectives. Leaders know how to recognise and praise success.Multi-sectoral partnerships generate joint strategies for the future, valuing education and community skills. They are able to build on existing structures without foundering in the past.The inclusive economy plans for its children as well as for the needs of the present, and attends responsibly to the future as a matter of course. It is patient and meticulous with long-term planning and does not hurry a goal. Success is not always measured in concrete results but can also include the elusive qualities of joy and inspiration.

Propositions:
* We empower communities.
* We share our vision.
* We give control over resources and invite the community to take the responsibility.
* We trust people to measure their own success and can wait for it.

Building an Environmentally Sustainable Economy

The sustainable economy listens to the needs of its members for clean air, child-friendly cities and the relaxing of environmental stress. It responds with new solutions knowing it will discover many win/win strategies. This is an economy that cares passionately about the future as well as the present and commits itself to truthful exchange of information and a far-reaching vision. It acts from a positive attitude, challenge and enthusiasm.A mix of decision-makers provides strength to the structure of this economy and sustains its open-mindedness. No one is afraid to acknowledge and address shortcomings since they are the opportunity for improvement. There is a lot of space here for learning, relearning and seeking creative solutions. The effective solution may be unexpected, or even a matter of serendipity. Sustainability is commercially viable and there is commercial advantage in environmental compliance measures. Short-term cost is offset by long-term benefits and the investment is welcomed as a true response to changing market research. Legislative drivers are used effectively to get things done. Above all this economy vibrates with positive ideas and celebrates ingenuity. It is a culture of optimism and hope.

Propositions:
* There is a commercial advantage in sustainable development - look for it!
* Listen to the unusual susects.
* Celebrate the unorthodox.
* Interesting solutions are effective.

GETTING THERE

So what does the future look like for Scotland? At the end of the session it appeared to be a future of lifelong learning where individuals expected to be empowered by their work, people trusted each other and felt free to take risks, and communities included new and old, orthodox and unusual in open and honest strategic processes. The organisations and communities in this future Scotland value vision, trust, communication, respect, achievement and celebration. And they draw for their strengths on Scotland's strong historic tradition and its courage to generate daring new ideas. This is not a long step from the Scotland we inhabit today. Scotland's Future after all emerges from the real experiences of each participant. Having lived our successes we know they work. It is now a matter of bringing them into the present, recognising them and repeating them.

Think of this: if we embodied even one of the Provocative Propositions above and engaged in the workplace with trust, what would happen? We could instantly remove all those petty internal corporate rules and authorisations and do business without the need for contracts. We could allow the workforce to decide salary levels, working hours and organisational goals. Far-fetched? In some places it's already being done. That is the principle of Scotland's Future. If you discover that something works, turn it into action. It worked once. It will work again.

Scotland's Future is here today.

Return to Bibliography