We are in times of great change.
We hear it all the time but what does it actually look like or mean?
Our world is changing so fast. Technology is diversifying at an extraordinary rate, our social structures are in constant flux, economies are in turmoil, politics are far from settled and our environment is experiencing mind-blowing levels of exploitation and degradation.
The state of the world is a reflection of the prevailing consciousness.
But when consciousness begins to change, the outer realities also have to change and this is where we are now.
Many individuals have been feeling increasingly at odds with the way the world is and are actively seeking alternative ways to live and work.
Some of the key themes that are high on their agendas, and it is far from exhaustive, include social injustice and exclusion, control of global decisions by an elite few, environmental degradation, the destruction of communities and environments in every part of the world, control of resources and the twisting of policy to fit the interests of power holders to name a small handful. The list is long.
How we live and work is a reflection of this state. What we value, how we treat each other, and how we relate to the natural world are reflections of the prevailing consciousness. Our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being has been severely damaged at an individual and collective level.
And many want change.
That change begins within. Many are trying to redress the balance for themselves and some are choosing to do this through the work they do as well because they see the possibility of a different future. They see that they have the power to bring about change not just for themselves but for all.
Business is becoming a vehicle of change.
We are at a crossroads.
Both the old and the new exist on opposite ends of a seesaw. Right now, the old has the balance of perceived power.
Change is about critical mass. It may feel like an unwinnable battle but for every person who chooses to move to the other end of the seesaw, the balance shifts a little further. Culture changes bit by bit until we reach a tipping point.
For millennia we have functioned on polarities swinging from one extreme to another. It is not an approach that serves us well. What we need is to find a little harmony.
Business models and systems fit squarely in the old dynamic. They are designed to contain and control decision-making and perceptions, direct resources and exploit them.
Conscious entrepreneurs have been using these systems to create new pathways. But you cannot create the new with the old. The systems distort the intention and the principles upon which those systems are based distort the energy.
When you butt heads with a problem for long enough, the need for change becomes overwhelming. It starts with shifting language, which we have been seeing for the last few years, but this goes nowhere near far enough because the old systems are still operating. New business thinking, systems and models are needed to make it possible for business to contribute to societal change.
One area that stands out is psychology.
It is widely used to control how we think, live and perceive the world. Primarily it exploits known patterns and weaknesses to create a desired outcome, which typically benefits the user of psychology.
It is systemic within marketing, which is used in politics, the media and business to control how we think and act.
Bottom-line performance also stands out for its role in shaping culture, whether it is in the individual wallet or GDP. It is focused on leveraging human and natural resources to get the biggest possible profit and how you get there is not an issue.
Hence we are seeing massive environmental destruction, slave labour as standard in some industries, child labour, animal labour, low wages, zero-hours contracts, reduced worker protections, and disregard for unceded indigenous lands or the rights of their communities. The focus of business on the bottom line does not support the long-term health of people or the planet.
And so we arrive at our crossroads.
All of this is now as visible as the piles of fast fashion in the Atacama desert or piles of waste plastic in Asia.
As it becomes more visible, perception inevitably shifts and once it reaches a critical mass, action follows.
But that doesn’t mean action isn’t possible now. Action now will drive perception shifts faster.
Most entrepreneurs who are intuitive and cause-driven have been uncomfortable for some time. It isn’t always a case of being able to put words to the sense of discomfort but it is there. The systems of business have disconnected them from their purpose and they have been trying to fight their way back to their own path. This is why my focus is on creating solutions and tools that work for intuitives, because without them no progress is possible. We need experimentation and curiosity which is what my business is naturally designed to do.
The core issues we face are:
Shifting the core values of business so that they represent what we want to see in the world. Instead of creating a business that is financially successful so it has the resources to do good work, we need to be designing and operating businesses upon a holistic, rounded values base.
Meeting and leading expectations. It’s businesses that go beyond current expectations that lead the shifts in consciousness and culture. Setting goals to operate sufficiently far outside of the norms will adjust expectations of businesses and require others to follow suit.
Going ahead of the curve requires a strong mindset and self-belief. Honing your inner authority will give you the courage and resilience to follow your path out of the status quo.
You can respond to these challenges by:
- Challenging the beliefs, approaches and systems that underpin your business. Critically assess if they are there because they are right or because they have been imposed through conditioned thinking.
- Creating alternatives by experimenting. Not everything will work but you will learn from everything you do – this is the nature of innovation on the shifting sands of change.
- Getting clear on how you want to treat customers, clients, staff, partners, stakeholders, supply chain providers etc. Have clear and robust standards that are designed into every aspect of your business.
- Defining your values and how you will uphold them in every part of your business including how you will actively engage others in living them.
- Defining how you want to protect and actively support the natural world through your business. Your business is an expression of nature, it has an essential role to play in nourishing life which goes far beyond simple concepts of sustainability.
- Getting clear on what success means to you on a personal level, a performance level and an impact level.
- Creating stories that emerge from the soul of your business to engage everyone in your vision of change.
- Creating things that shift the baseline of experience and expectation. Move the goalposts for everyone through your vision. Go above and beyond what others might expect in ways that shift perspective and reset the standards.
- Knowing what you need to support yourself to challenge, create and lead change.
- Critically assess your business to see where it is tied to the old and how. Do a root and branch review, which will include your own mindset and beliefs, some of which you will be blind to and will need someone to reflect back to you.
Your business needs to be engaged with the consciousness shift on a proactive level. Businesses that resist this will ultimately fail and the work to rebuild will still have to be done. Developing the skills and tools to respond to and lead the changes will position your business to thrive. Now is an amazing opportunity to lead the change and become a beacon of that change. Embracing this will draw people to you in ways that you won’t expect and the nature of the relationship that follows will be completely different.
I believe that businesses which are a true reflection of soul purpose actively contribute to global well-being. Conscious choices to uphold values and challenge others to shift into new behaviours can restore how we function as communities and the respect we have for each other.
I believe that businesses have a natural patterning which means they can be an active participant in ecosystems which will directly challenge the models of exploitation both through beliefs and action.
I know that my role and the work of my business is to create alternatives so entrepreneurs have the information and tools to challenge and lead. This means my business has to be curious, experimental and prepared to fail.
What is the role of your business in change? Every business connected to its natural patterning has a role in this change. When you know yours, your path into the new consciousness and business dynamic will become clear.
And right now, we can all embrace being in between realities while we explore the threads that can guide us forward.