People (communities) can work together to create what they need and desire, “a future distinct from the past.” Focus should be on the structures of belonging, giving detailed attention to the many elements of design, location, and process that contribute to having productive conversations, gatherings, and relationships. Conversations should be structured around questions that evoke not answers, but commitment, accountability, and the possibility for transformation. These include questions of invitation (not mandate, coercion, or persuasion); questions about possibilities, how we wish to live in the future (not problems to be solved); questions about ownership that lead people to accept responsibility; questions about dissent that leave space for authentic doubt and reservations; questions about commitment that evoke promises and accountability for observable results; and questions about gifts that surface what we and others can bring to the quest for a different future.
Authors: Carole Schwinn, Margaret J. Wheatley, Peter Block
Source: strategy+business
Subjects: Customer Related, Marketing / Sales
Click to Add the First »