Five Superpowers for Co-Creators Provides Insights Into How Such Partnerships Can Work
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PAGE 1 TABLE OF CONTENT Acknowledgements 5 Foreword by Paul Polman: Co-creation in the era of the SDGs 6 Introduction 8 Book Overview 9 Glossary of Terms 11 Speed-reading in less than 50 Sentences 16 PART I: THE DYNAMICS OF CHANGE 18 Chapter 1 The interconnection of society, organizations and individuals 20 Chapter 2 The secrets of stakeholder transformation 33 PART II: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS FOR STAKEHOLDER CO-CREATION 46 Chapter 3 Superpower #1 – Genuine Engagement of individuals 48 Chapter 4 Superpower #2 – Collective Solutions of groups 60 Chapter 5 Superpower #3 – Transformative Spaces of facilitators 72 PART III: CO-CREATION FOR CHANGE MAKERS 84 Chapter 6 The different types and roles of change makers 86 Chapter 7 Superpower #4 – The building blocks of co-creation 96 Chapter 8 Measuring progress in co-creation 109 PART IV: CO-CREATION FOR ORGANIZATIONS 124 Chapter 9 Superpower #5 – The positive-impact tool of organizations 126 CONCLUSION 141 Bibliography 146 PAGE 2 Back cover – first draft only – to be finalized with publisher This groundbreaking and timely book provides change makers, organizations and facilitators with practical tools to initiate and conduct multi-stakeholder co-creation processes. Such processes are of critical importance in times of rapid change, where mega trends and grand challenges influence the market dynamics of business in entirely new ways. The book provides a concrete pathway for business to become future-ready by building capacity of working outside its traditional boundaries. The book unfolds the shift of multi-stakeholder teams from a state of competition to a state of collaboration, addressing the inner and outer dimensions of such a change. The five superpowers identified in the book are: (1) the genuine engagement of individuals, (2) collective solutions of groups, (3) transformative spaces created by facilitators, (4) the building blocks of co-creation, and (5) an effective strategy process for organizations. The book explores the challenges to achieve each of these superpowers. It also shares the stories of "heroes of transformation" and explores what have been the reasons for their success. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the grand challenges, the future of work…call it what you want, the future is here and organizations, change makers and facilitators need nothing less than these superpowers to collaborate with other players to solve these wicked problems “out there”. Katrin Muff is a thought leader, consultant and facilitator in the transformative space of sustainability and responsibility. She has helped shape Business School Lausanne, first as Dean and later as Professor in Business Sustainability & Responsibility from 2008 to 2018. Prior, she worked as a strategist for Alcoa in Europe, the U.S. and Russia and for P&G in the Netherlands. She holds a PhD from Exeter University, an MBA from BSL and is a certified coach. This book is ideal for: Experienced and aspiring change makers who seek to maximize their positive impact organizational leaders of any kind who want to re-orient, align or transform the core competencies of their organization towards a positive force for society and the world and hence ensuring its survival in a VUCA world; Teachers in leadership, business development, organizational change & development, strategy, and business sustainability, who need concrete material for class sessions on the many dimensions of bringing about positive change with stakeholders; Facilitators of change who wish to scale their transformational effectiveness with new process and development insights, particularly in the context of hosting multi-stakeholder processes. You can use this guide as a change maker or organizational leaders, and as a learning tool for aspiring change makers. Each chapter includes reflection questions and exercises as well as further readings and can be used separately either for self-study or in a formal learning context. It is ideal for flipped classroom learning whereby students read a chapter and prepare the reflection exercises for discussion in class. PAGE 3 Endorsements Long: In a world of ever increasing uncertainty, fear, and separation, we drown in conflicts. The conflicts take root not in our weaknesses but in our strengths. In this amazing book we learn how to integrate our competing strengths to co-create the world for which we all yearn. It is a must read. Short: This is a must read! Robert Quinn, University of Michigan Long: We live in a world of disruption that makes us either turn backwards by closing our mind, heart, and will (i.e. amplifying ignorance, hate, fear) or leaning forward through opening our mind, heart, and will (i.e. cultivating curiosity, compassion, courage). Which of these two pathways we embody is a question of our intention and our capacity. This book tells you how to develop the capacity for the second path. How to co-create as an individual, as a team, and as an organization. Essential reading for change makers and forward thinking organizations. Short: Multi-stakeholder co-creation is the new normal. This book show how change makers, organizations and facilitators develop such capacity through opening our mind, heart and will. Essential reading. Otto Scharmer, author of Theory U Long: We are at a period in our collective history where the anticipated changes now emerge as realities that consist of complex and systemic challenges. We need to work together to achieve the seismic shift that can catapult us into a new economic order, which is more social, lean, integrated and circular. The book offers a concrete pathway to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through much required co-creation. Read the book and be inspired. Short: In times of complex and systemic challenges, we need to work together to achieve the seismic shift towards a new economic order. This book is an inspiring read for all change makers and organizations dedicated to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Lisa Kingo, Head of the U.N. Global Compact For all leaders – current and future – this book provides an invaluable roadmap. It explains the process of collaboration in a structured way, and shows through a series of practical exercise how leaders can become change makers. Paul Polman, CEO Unilever Long version: In times of transformation, the world certainly needs change makers charged with superpowers and Katrin Muff's innovative approach to co-creation has given her invaluable insights into how to cultivate them. An essential and highly readable book. Short version: Katrin Muff shares invaluable insights for cultivating co-creation superpowers. Essential for change makers! Kate Raworth, Doughnuts Economics PAGE 4 This book stands on the shoulders of giants. In particular on those of my fellow authors of the Collaboratory book to which this book is a sequel. Anders Aspling, Jackie Bagnall, Janette Blainey, Eddie Blass, Anthony Buono, Bill Burck, Mark Drewell, Thomas Dyllick, Patrick Frick, Ronald Fry, Louie Gardiner, Jonas Haertle, Zaid Hassan, Peter Hayward, Stephen Hickman, Adame Kahane, Claire Maxwell, Philip Mirvis, John North, Caroline Rennie, Svenja Rüger, Otto Scharmer, Gregoire Serikoff, Paul Shrivastava, and Aaron Williamson. It builds on the unwavering support, personal examples and critical reflection of my partners in facilitation and in life: Christiane Seuhs-Schoeller, Claudia Kraenefuss, Chris Laszlo, Otto Scharmer, J.B. Kassarjian, Carlo Giardinetti, Thomas Dyllick, Caroline Rennie, Sue Muff-Sprenger, Berit Ann Roos, Josef Muff, Swami Brahmdev, Elizabeth Wirsching, Rosemarie Dyllick-Brenzinger, John North, Mark Drewell, Marielle Heijtjes, Derick de Jongh, John Cimino, Jonathan Gosling, Aileen Ionescu-Somers, Jonathan Reams, Elke Fein, Chris Taylor, Robert Quinn, Denitsa Marinova and Barbara Dubach. Thank you for sharing good and bad moments, for your patience, the space to be silent, and in particular for your capacity to listen and to hear. I am indebted also to the precious Collaboratory experiences and the uncountable change makers whose paths I was lucky to cross and whose stories have enriched this book. Deep gratitude to Agnieszka Kapalka, my research sparring partner at Business School Lausanne and in a variety of projects of the Mission Possible Foundation for her unwavering support, encouragement, inspiration and practical advice in the final revision of the book. Big thanks also to John Peters for his publishing advice and to Rebecca Mash and Judith Lorton for their invaluable editorial support at Routledge Publishing. Thank you, David Kibbe, for lending your amazing voice for the audio book. Thank you also to my partners at the European research initiative Leadership for transition, short LiFT, and at Business School Lausanne for having granted me the space and time to put pen to paper, or better fingers to keyboard, and to face the challenge of finding words for what has not been said before. Katrin Muff, Lausanne in August 2018 PAGE 5 Over the last fifty years the world has witnessed the greatest economic expansion of all time. Average per capita incomes have trebled and the global economic has increased six-fold in GDP terms. Many have benefitted. More than a billion, for example, have been lifted out of poverty - and huge social improvements and technological progress have enhanced the lives and well-being of millions more. Yet, for all this, our current model of development is deeply flawed. Rapid economic expansion has come at a price. Rising inequality, weakening job security and runaway climate change are among factors contributing to growing sense of unease and disaffection. According to one study, less than one in five Americans aged between 18 and 29 now identify themselves as ‘capitalists’. The truth is the current model is not sustainable, on any level. We need to transform the way we consume so we can live within our planetary boundaries, improve governance to ensure transparency, and accelerate the transition to a just and decarbonized economy. The good news is that we have an agreed vision of the world we want.