Difference between revisions of "Sustainable Business Learning Community Conversations, cont'd."

Revision as of 17:03, 5 September 2012

August 30, 2012 Topic: Growing Community While Growing a Sustainable Business

Growing Community

Hannah's work after discussion on guilds:

Started break down the elements of what goes into a massage and has created a spreadsheet for that purpose. There are ratings for every element and her goal to get all the people who work for her to the exceptional level. She is still working on how to describe each element.

She hopes that this will help her employees to figure out what they need to do in order to achieve a higher level of skill and also to identify where they have a real talent.

Topic for today: Growing Community While Growing a Business (building businesses based on need in a community):

In Tom's view, the largest area a learning in a triple bottom line business (economics - environment - community) is the community. You ask yourself: * What does your community need, those working for you, your clients and those living in the immediate community)? * How do we meet real community needs and grow a business at the same time?

It's important to take into account not only community need but community assets as well. You need to have an awareness of people's ability to participate in your business.

What are your motives? To make money ? Support the needs of your community? If you're all about money, you're not dealing with the trust issues that will inevitably arise with the local community. In a depressed community, people might hear the words "corporate" or "profit" which can carry negative connotations.

How many businesses fall into the gray zone between being profit-driven and community-driven? It might be hard to identify how some businesses really benefit a community but doesn't a business have to be fulfilling some kind of need in the community anyway in order to thrive?

Tunde feels that businesses should have a specific social mission - something clear and up front - here's what Im gonna do for the community and you can hold me accountable for it.

Understanding the community:

• You need to really take the time to learn about your business's community. If you're trying to do some good and really make a difference, don't be on such a tight timeline.

• What community needs/problems can you take on?

Detroit is a large city with many complex problems. We aren't in a position to solve all of these problems, so what if we just try to understand our immediate community and neighbors? You don't have to go far to encounter complexity and diversity. The Green Alley and the Social Club are good examples of neighborhood projects that we at the Green Garage can take on. We are not equipped or qualified, for example, to deal with the issue of illiteracy in the city. Think about what you (and your business) are truly in a position to tackle.

• There is a sensitivity to outsiders coming into the city of Detroit (the old D vs. suburbs conflict). Hannah feels that native Detroiters should be accorded a basic respect for having lived and survived and taken care of their lives and property for so long. The hard work that they have done in their neighborhoods has allowed people like her to move there, and that work ought to be respected.

• Who are the people in the community who are talking, making their needs and wants known? What about those whose voices aren't being heard?

• Be present: Juan identifies opportunities by simply being present in a community; it's natural learning process. Be part of the community, living, learning, listening.

• Help to build bridges between the suburbs and the city. We don't want to be about boundaries but about people. By being present in a community you will inevitably have some of your preconceptions dashed.

The importance of following through:

• It is important for outsiders who come into a community to follow through with their plans and projects. There has to be real commitment - you are responsible for the project, even if it doesn't work out well. If it does, great, if it doesn't, then be there to clean it up and problem solve.

• There are many well-intentioned people who are part of institutions that condone their coming into town to work on a project without really understanding the importance of sticking it out to the end, or understanding the real needs of a community or their ability to maintain a project once the do-gooders leave.

• Community members become impatient with the outsiders who come in all full of energy, but leave with unrealized goals.

Jeff thinks that the best way to present yourself and your business is to say, "I've got something I can bring to the table - where does this fit into this community (if at all)?"

Juan feels that it is great to have specifics to offer folks who want to start a business (for instance, what about the historical reasons for resentment between city and suburbs?). Are there, perhaps, just 3 or 4 practical steps that you could take to begin a project or business in this city?

Topic for next week: Habits: How does something become a habit? Are we aware of all our habits - are they supporting our needs and wants? Can we develop our group's own list of habits of a successful sustainable business - unsuccessful habits?

August 23, 2012 Topic: Conflict Resolution

Comments from last week's conversation on Guilds:

• Jeff remarks that we should stop talking about education, and talk about learning instead - because education is a process and experience that eventually ends, but learning never does.

• Noam wonders how destructive/creative forces get into the guild process when things are always changing?

• Adrienne realized that with her degrees in chemistry and molecular biology, she learned far fewer practical skills than her friend who went to art school.

• What is irrelevant to students today in the school system? What needs to be dismantled?

Conflict Resolution

Today's topic: Conflict Resolution

Many people immediately feel stress when they encounter conflict. But conflict is everywhere - exists on a continuum.

People perceive conflict differently:

• Some people love to be at high levels of conflict; it can be inspirational to them.
• Some people can only really learn through conflict.

How does conflict get resolved? Here are the possibilities:

1. dominant model - one person decides what the answer is
2. compromise - every party gives up something
3. create something totally new that transcends the conflict.
4. do nothing.

Communities without conflict are dangerous; it's a sign that something isn't right. Conflict is necessary so that people can gain the capacity to work through problems and then deal with even larger problems the will inevitably come. Conflict is part of being human and part of being alive.

In Tunde's opinion, conflict comes from lack of or poor communication. You are trying to figure out what you want to say and what the other person is really saying back. It's important to have compassion for someone you are in conflict with so that you can better understand what they are saying.

Conflict resolution that is blame oriented is not helpful. An analytical model is perhaps better - what circumstances led to the milk being knocked over and how can this be avoided next time?

Make the conflict impersonal - don't pin the problem on yourself or on the other party. Put the problem in the middle and try to resolve the problem as a collaborative effort.

Non-violent conflict resolution: see Sitting in the Fire by Arnold Mindell. Non violent conflict resolution requires a certain amount of coolness and calm thinking and not everybody has these qualities. You have to be willing to work with others in the style of resolution that they understand.

Some people for whom a loud, in-your-face approach is necessary - they won't listen until you really get a bit confrontational. You have to yell for a bit before they will listen.

Even with Gandhi and MLK, who represent non-violent resistance, the movements themselves had a great deal of conflict within, not just on the outside. Conflict is always present.

Conflicts exist on different scales - so, do approaches to resolution change depending on the scale of the conflict?

Timing is important in addressing conflict - don't wait too long until it is almost forgotten.

Dealing with people who have different conflict resolution styles: are you equipped to deal with people who yell at you? What's the right balance between sitting in the fire and removing yourself from the conflict? Some conflicts are unavoidable, others can be stepped out of.

Listening is an important skill to develop. One of best tools for resolving conflict is to just listen to the other person's concerns. Often all the other person wants is to be heard and acknowledged.

Conflict is often not about you - what triggers someone's emotional reaction might be something completely different, but you're just the person in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Gentlemen, you can't fight here. This is the War Room!"

The resolution:

• Do all conflicts have to be resolved to come to some common ground or are there conflicts that have to be resolved so that one of the parties wins?

• What about not resolving conflicts? Does there always have to be an answer, a resolution? Ask yourself this: from a leadership standpoint, is the conflict going to get worse/better/stay the same if you don't do anything? If you don't address it and it's going to get worse, then you're better off addressing the conflict now before it becomes a bigger problem. The longer you wait, the more people will be impacted by the conflict.

• This is where accountability and community comes into it. Conflict is always brought to the fore. If you're in a really good accountability and community situation, your coworkers will notice if you're conflicted or having a problem. They will encourage you to talk about it and want to help you to resolve the conflict.

• Having integrity means having integrity when no one else is around. Talking to others about your decisions, choices, etc helps you to maintain integrity.

• Develop a process: Having a process in place for dealing with future conflict is helpful, so everyone understands how to proceed in the event a conflict arises.

• Keep records of how individuals like to deal with conflict to refer to when a conflict arises. Write it down beforehand.

• In your leadership role, try to identify areas where there will likely be conflict. If you know that a conflict is likely to arise, you can meet it head on or even put processes.

It's implicit in community that we are placing our values on those around us. We try to give each other space, but sometimes our values will collide and conflict.

Perhaps most worrisome are those people who are so sure that their point of view is the only correct one.

It's even possible to hold conflict viewpoints in our own heads (yikes)!

Bob believes that listening effectively means communicating back to the person what you think they are trying to say. That gets you back to the core issue which you can then deal with. Also, you can agree to disagree.

Conflict can be fruitful - creativity process, finding new ways to work together - a great opportunity.

Topic for next week: Growing community while growing a business (Suggested by Juan)

Future Topics:

• Habits
• The First Follower
• How to Grow Your Leadership Competency