Old ways of organising are tried and tired. Many organisations remain beset by overload at the top, tearing in the middle and high levels of disengagement and cynicism amongst employees. Trust has diminished and they struggle to respond to complex challenges and address changed societal expectations.
A significant number of leaders we meet are interested in a new way of organising: one that is centred on a larger and more compelling sense of purpose than just meeting the numbers, that liberates human potential and treats people as whole human beings not just human resources. A new way of organising that builds trust and confidence with the organisation’s wider stakeholders, not just its shareholders.
Courage is required amongst these leaders to reconsider taken-for-granted assumptions about leading and organising and a willingness to experiment. We partner with leaders who want to steward responsibly and practically this transition in their own organisation, in the midst of complexity and uncertainty.
We believe a better future is not only possible; it is absolutely necessary for organisations to survive and thrive. Since 2001, we at Future Considerations have been continuously learning and reinventing our way of organising to better realise our sense of purpose.
What are the principles surrounding all of our organisational work?
- Start with purpose – we have little interest in organisational change for the sake of efficiency, but a great deal of interest in change that is part of fulfilling more fully on the unique purpose of that organisation. And we know that developing here does produce tangible results.
- Build on success – Appreciative Inquiry teaches us that there can be more energy from amplifying pockets of what already works.
- High quality inquiry – bringing mindful approaches to encourage deep sensing as part of our own, and our client’s intervention.
- Systemic thinking – drawing on the work of Barry Oshry, Ken Wilber, Otto Scharmer (Theory U) and adaptive challenges in our approach to shifting systems.
- Collaborative / co-inquiry – bringing in all the stakeholders into the change and co-creating with our client.
- Generative nudges – in every intervention, we try to hone the intervention points and encourage each person we work with in the client system to do the same.
- Wholeness – we believe that lasting organisational evolution cannot be achieved without individuals bringing their whole self to the change and to the organisation.
- Making it practical – using approaches such as experiential learning and coaching, and methods such as the Action Cycle, we help to drive practical action to accelerate change.
Enquire today about our Organisation Development Programmes…
Our work with teams and organisations spans a number of areas:
Barry Oshry’s Systemic Frameworks
The unique power of our way of working and interventions, is our ability to connect three key lenses – the individual/team lens, the systemic lens and the cultural lens – which together positively impacts organisational dynamics and performance and enables the realisation of the organisation’s purpose.
John Watters pioneered the introduction of Barry Oshry’s work into Europe and has worked in close partnership with Oshry for 15 years.
We have a global team of Oshry accredited consultants who integrate Oshry’s powerful systemic lens and experiential workshops into their consulting work.
Purpose-led organisations
We partner with leaders to help teams, divisions and whole organisations practically apply the insights from the work of Frederic Laloux and his best-selling management book “Reinventing Organizations”. Frederic’s work on “teal organisations” resonates with our understanding of organisations as living systems. We work with clients to apply Laloux’s three related breakthroughs of greater self-management, bringing more wholeness to their workplace, and sensing and responding to the organisation’s evolutionary purpose. Drawing on our experience with WorldBlu and Holacracy – and our own organisational journey – we are exploring this new territory with clients who are either firmly in the “teal” world, or just dipping a toe in the water. Learn more…
Communities of Practice
We deliver strategic consulting services and training on fostering innovation and improving productive capacity through what is often referred to as ‘the future of organisational design’: communities of practice. They are groups of professionals who share a passion for what they do, and learn to do it better as they interact regularly. Our role is to help maximise community-enabled organisational and business results. George Pór, is a renowned authority in this field, and has advised the NHS, EU Commission, Ford Motor, Greenpeace, Shell, Siemens, UN, World Wildlife Foundation, and many other organisations in the private, public and social sectors.
Embedding Corporate Sustainability
Phrases come and go – CSR, the triple bottom line, sustainability – but what remains vital is that companies step up to play their full role in society and ensure a thriving future, for themselves, their network of stakeholders, society and the environment at large. We believe in the move to a circular economy and towards corporate “thriveability”. We partner with organisations to define their sustainability strategy, align their organisation and culture to deliver on their priorities and communicate effectively around their sustainability agenda. Ideally, our approach to this involves breaking down some of the internal silos that often cause sustainability to be a marginalised department rather than the central pillar of the strategy.
Integral organisational change
With a strategic issue, or a desire to transform the working culture as starting-point, we can help our clients link up purpose, strategy, leadership, culture and organisational development to achieve a lasting breakthrough in results and realisation of the organisation’s purpose and potential. We help to break down the organisational silos that stifle innovation and team collaboration.
Team facilitation and retreats
We work with leadership teams – across sectors, organisations and levels of complexity – to achieve cohesion, trust, alignment, realise the value of diversity, and to lead their businesses to greater success. We bring our very best lessons from the world of leadership development to ensure that a journey which can be transformative for a team and their business, can be equally transformative for the individuals.
Bringing strategy to life
We work with the senior team and leaders throughout a division or organisation to align on strategy, build deep commitment to purpose and direction, and develop new capabilities for delivery. We can provide ongoing partnering with the teams delivering on the key strategic elements, maximising learning and impact.
Large-group leadership events
We have a long track record of designing and facilitating high-impact 50-to-250-person events. Our experience is in co-creating with our clients to run transformational and memorable leadership gatherings which combine a focus on strategic issues, developing collective capability, strengthening relationships and evolving the working culture. We bring in the best human technologies and well as IT technologies.