We must design for humans AND for the rest of life. This is a skill and way of thinking that many of us in modern society have lost. Meaning we have more questions than answers, something we might not be as comfortable with anymore. But I truly believe it's a beautiful, humble and inviting starting point to start building a better future.
Today it's all about questions.
- How can we adopt multiple perspectives?
- How can we unleash compassion for non-human beings?
- How can we unleash compassion for the individuals seemingly lost and invisible in our supply chain and system?
- How can we get a better understanding of our ecosystem?
- Who are the non-human stakeholders?
- How do we identify and prioritize areas of action? How do we balance short and long-term actions and decisions?
- What does our circle of influence look like?
- What is our circle of responsibility?
- How can we listen to the knowledge and insights of people in our community?
- How do we develop and grow from a place of awareness and the interdependence and connection of all living systems, ecological and social?
- How can we enhance the efforts and projects in our community, supply chain or industry?
- How can we open up to ancient wisdom?
- How do we learn globally and connect locally?
- How do we invite indigenous knowledge in?
- How do we create a safe space for co-creation?
Include non-human stakeholders
- How do we include non-human stakeholders in our design and development process?
- How do we give them a seat at the table?
- How do we give nature a voice that won't be overshadowed by the short-term needs and desires of our human stakeholders? Similar to when we are communicating in two different languages, we have to come up with different ways to bridge the communication gap and create a deep understanding of the non-human beings we are connected to.
- How do we regenerate ecological systems without reducing them to economic value and natural resources that fuel our needs?
Be thoroughly inclusive - Open up to non-human and non-direct stakeholders.
- Whose voice is missing?
- Are you involving people throughout the whole supply chain and off all levels of the organization?
- Who can be the voice for mother earth?
- How do we amplify the softest voices?
- How do we ensure collective ownership and co-creation?
- Reframe boldly (imagine wildly alternative futures)
- What if our business became obsolete? What would we have achieved?
- What role can our business play in creating a resilient and regenerative world?
- Which beliefs and stories are holding our imagination back?
- How can we deeply care for the people and animals that aren't born yet?
- How many years ahead do we think in our strategies?
- Which continuous improvement metrics can ensure long-term thinking?
- Which metrics will stop us from falling back in prioritizing short-term over long-term thinking?
- How are our actions today impact the next seven generations?
- How could our actions create a positive impact for the next seven generations?
- Whose worldviews are currently dominant?
- Whose world views are currently oppressed?
- How do we navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain landscape?
- How do we stay motivated to work towards a future that we will never see in full bloom?
- How do we boldly take action without knowing the outcome?
- How do we grieve about what we have lost and might lose?
- How do we see the landscape we operate in change over the next 10 years?
- Are we operating in an industry that will remain to have a right to exist?
- What are our main driving questions? E.g. How can we create ecological, social and economic value?
Creatively redesign systems
- What are our leverage points?
- What kind of systemic design are we talking about?
- Which small acts could create ripple effects?
- Which influence do we have within our industry?
- Who are the actors that we could positively influence?
- Who are the transformation drivers within our business?
- How can we amplify their work?
- With whom in our ecosystem can we collaborate?
- How can we deal with complexity overwhelm?
- How do we create space to let go of business as usual?
- How do we unleash our full potential to thrive and be energized?
- How can we build regenerative literacy?
- How do we create psychological safety during an era which for many feels existential?
- How do we engage all our stakeholders?
- How do we make nature our decision-making compass?
- How do we ensure our strategy and purpose remain aligned with our actions and goals?
- How do we enable symbiosis between non-human and human systems?
- How is the decision-making power distributed?
- How do we break the barriers that block our team from acting like a living system?
- How do we collaborate and co-create?
- How do we drive innovation and change through our business?
- How do we enable our employee's skills and capabilities to thrive?
- What barriers can stifle our full potential?
What questions are you exploring? Or would you like to explore? I would love to hear from you! I invite you to use the comment section as a place to start or deepen your exploration.
Founder | CEO | Supporting Courageous Leaders | Impact | B Corp | Speaker |
1 年This is a wonderful set of questions Minou Schillings , thank you ?? There’s something here for everyone and every organisation. I really like the question: “How do we balance short and long-term actions and decisions?” If only government ministers considered spent more time thinking about that too ??
Climate Advocate, Illustrator, Theorist, and Philosopher
1 年I spend a lot of time on this. As an artist, theorist, and conversationalist, my delivery can be too obtuse. My vocabulary can intimidate and my intellect can alienate. Honing my messaging means assessing stakeholder appetites and motivations, sincerely tailoring my message or question to that audience, and the shortening word count and getting reading level down to 6-8th grade so everyone feels included.
Storyteller. Storytelling performances for all kinds of events. Also teach, train& consult on story with teams, communities, organisations & individuals.
1 年These are great questions!! I’ll sit with them. In the meantime I’ll ask our brother Rilke to contribute his good thoughts on the nature of questions…
Big thinker. Problem solver. Outcome focussed. Available for thinking. Former Llamau Trustee. Contact - [email protected]
1 年I will endeavour to read this - thank you. My profile states that my favourite two questions are so what and what if.