At the Pegasus Conference 2010: Systems Thinking in Action, held last week in Boston, several pioneers—including Daniel Kim, Robert Fritz, and Peter Senge—presented nuggets of wisdom for EHS, Sustainability, and CSR professionals. I’ve shared a few of them below.
Senge presented some of his current research on the characteristics and qualities of people who have initiated and maintained systematic change over a 10- to 15-year period. He outlined a newly formed body of knowledge that encompasses two broad domains: learning what life is, and cognition or consciousness. Through several case studies, Senge demonstrated that systems thinking and actions, based on what he termed the “heart-space,” could have a powerful impact on teams and communities.
According to Senge, when organizations or communities require fundamental change, leadership comes from the periphery. I’ve been advocating this point for some time. That is, EHS, Sustainability, and CSR professionals can be, and are, that voice in their organizations, oftentimes on the periphery.
He illustrated his points through a case study of Roca, a performance-based and outcomes-driven organization that helps young people shift the trajectories of their lives through a High-Risk Youth Intervention Model. Roca can attribute much of its success to its strong sense of purpose and confidence in the tools and methods it uses. In other words, the organization does not base its actions simply on good intentions.
Senge also emphasized the need for leaders/change agents to create a platform on which people, teams, organizations, and communities can actually see what’s happening—to make evident and distinguish current conditions and generate a compelling collective vision.
From my vantage point, EHS, Sustainability, and CSR professionals have already built this platform. Some fine-tuning may be necessary, but the platform is built, and you are already standing on it.
Consider Roca. Do you have the same strong sense of purpose and confidence in your approach, methods, and tools? If not, what are some actions you might take to gain ground in these areas?
© Redinger EHS, Inc. (2010)