Let’s take a moment to imagine an organization with a clear and compelling vision. Where there is an inclusive alignment to this inspiring purpose. There exists a differentiating strategy and a set of organizational values that permeates every business activity and drives organizational performance. Leadership is philosophically unified in how to best lead the organization to success. People are carefully selected to contribute to the organization and leaders have a deep believe in their people. Leaders’ overarching purpose is to bring out the best in their people so that they are most able to contribute to achieving business results. Teamwork prevails over competition. Employees approach their work with a unity of purpose, innovation abounds and organizational agility results. There is an emphasis on organizational and individual growth. The resulting success creates abundance where all stakeholders benefit. The organization’s success creates value that benefits everyone from customers, employees, leaders, the community, shareholders (if appropriate), the world at large as well as the health of our planet. This is a description of an organization that has abandoned the old notions of change management and has developed the agility of change mastery with inclusive positive change. If we are moving forward, change exits in all that we do. With what we have learned over the last 2 decades of experience with positive change combined with the more recent information from research in positive psychology and neuroscience, we know how to make this happen. We only need to have the courage to be wiling to leave behind the traditional approaches of the past, much of which were forged in the industrial revolution of the 1800’s and instead take a path built on more current and informed knowledge.
Tenny Poole is Co-Principal of Corporation for Positive Change and Principal of West Coast Center for Positive Change in Orange County, CA.