The Positive Impact Mindset: Working Together in a Polarized World

Description

We are facing a new and urgent challenge when collaborating across organizations, and with broader stakeholder groups: how to overcome polarization. It has never been harder to find a common vision, when opinions are often considered as facts. This book empowers changemakers and business leaders to understand how successful organizations in the 21st century require leaders to become fluent in collaborating outside of traditional business boundaries. Such collaboration often involves working with parties that hold very different values, opinions and priorities, and working with them requires new skills. Building on the book Five Superpowers for Co-Creators, Katrin Muff presents a number of real-world examples that demonstrate how organizations have successfully managed to address these challenges. Examples of such unlikely but successful cross-sector collaboration include a project addressing plastic waste in Switzerland, and two European city government projects that reached out beyond organizational boundaries. The book features many stories of trial and error in overcoming the societal polarization gap. From all these insights emerges clear guidance as to how leaders and organizations can transform to new ‘outside-in’ mindsets to overcome polarization and develop a Positive Impact Mindset. The book is ideal for use by facilitators, educators, business and political leaders, and consultants, who are seeking solutions within an often polarized world to achieve sustainable change and a positive impact. Cover Endorsements Half Title Title Copyright Table of Contents List of figures Preface Acknowledgements Part I A new level of complexity 1 Polarization greatly expands conflict Short story: a polarized Russian- Ukrainian household The rise of polarization Divergent realities 2 A practice case – polarization in society Case study: the Swedish hospital – a new type of conflict Case analysis Case learnings 3 The challenge of finding agreement Short story: James and the meta-level challenge Personal rights versus common interest Needing to overcome polarized conflicts 4 Embracing a new level of complexity Short story: Anja’s journey back from conspiracy theories Working together in a polarized world Comparing classic with polarized conflict Part II From transaction to transformation 5 Finding a shared purpose Short story: the pre-competitive space Multistakeholder co-creation as a lever for change From transactional to transformational 6 A practice case – trans-sectoral stakeholder collaboration Case study: PRISMA – a business-led multistakeholder project Case analysis Case learnings 7 Dedicated to a higher cause The “we” mindset of leaders The co-creation mindset of organizations The mindset transformation 8 Co-creation resolving societal issues Short story: a Swiss city brings co-creation to government Keeping the dialogue going The shared higher vision Part III The individual and the organizational challenge 9 The transformation from “me” to “we Short story: the Swedish activist finds the courage to trust the enemy Opening up to be connected with all that is Embracing a larger purpose 10 Unpacking the individual mindset transformation Short story: U.S. NGOs find pathways to bridge polarization Insights on the individual mindset transformation Moving beyond the ego focus 11 The transformation from competition to co-creation Short story: the Swiss WWF becomes a partner for business Recognizing value in the difference of opinions Embracing co-creation 12 Unpacking the organizational mindset transformation Short story: a Swedish city brings co-creation to life Insights on the organizational mindset transformation Moving beyond a competitive spirit Part IV The positive impact mindset 13 The foundation of shared purpose co-creation Short story: the Dutch Academy Director finds the higher ground Insights from research Recommendations 14 The individual positive impact mindset Short story: a German actor experiences a shock therapy Insights from research Recommendations 15 The organizational positive impact mindset Short story: a Swiss CEO reports on the mounting pressure Insights from research Recommendations 16 Working together for a better world The mindset for collaborating in a complex world The facilitation challenges Concluding thoughts for leaders and change agents Bibliography Index