I won't name the industry, but think of an industry with public relations
issues and a history of conflict with consumer groups.
Forward thinking executives and companies in this industry are thinking
about how to improve the quality of dialog with the public, with
environmental groups (who have been heated antagonists in the past).
Politics and government regulation are important to this industry. The
trend of regulation seems to be swinging towards ease, but a little
systems thinking makes me think that if this congress eases things too
much, then the backlash will move more strongly the otherway in the next
cycle. How to increase the quality of the dialogue in the political
process as well? Real improvement in the quality of discourse would help
the industry and benefit all of us.
Karl Henrik Robert's Natural Step comes to mind. His process, if I
understand it, is to create a concensus among experts on a shared set of
principles that everyone can agree on. Then create a network of
individuals, professional associations, etc. working with these principles
in their own areas of focus.
If we thought of this as a challenge to create a Learning Organization on
a very large scale, including an industry, customers and suppliers,
consumers, public opinion and the political process -- The opportunity to
do something good for the world is compelling.
Where would you start?
And, as I'm writing, I'm thinking, is this a suicide mission? Suicide
because the only way to get attention, recognition, and funding is by
taking an extreme position. That it's so much harder to get support for
concensus building.
Any thoughts?
--
Richard Karash ("Rick") | <http://world.std.com/~rkarash>
Innovation Associates, Inc. | email: rkarash@world.std.com
3 Speen St, Framingham MA 01701 | Host for Learning-Org Mailing List
(508) 879-8301 and fax 626-2205 | <http://world.std.com/~lo>