What’s missing? True Convergence.
What does this mean? No single sector has the answer to a productive economy. While pendulums swing wildly from left to right side economic theory, the centre point is ignored. Why? Probably because it ain’t sexy and it don’t sell newspapers or draw eyes to web pages.
I am talking about learning from all three (or is it 4?) sectors of the economy. Private, Public, Voluntary/Community, and Social Business. Right now, I feel a wave of righteousness coming over me regarding the virtues of the Social Business sector. It’s not difficult to read the paper, extracting the message “greed (private sector) is to blame”, and think that social business is the answer. But, that’s wrong. We should be creating a wave of convergence during this moment of cataclysmic change. This wave would include the positive aspects of a free market with the positive aspects of public service, volunteering, and social economic missions.
Great. But how?
First; don’t reinvent the wheel. Second; form a small tribe to spread the ideas. Third; take risks.
I am talking about an idea I have been marinating for about a year now. I want to take the format of TED, the mission of Wavelength100, ideas specifically from the three sectors, and the setting of change to create an annual event that acts a connector for sector convergence.
What would happen if we connected people doing some of the most interesting work from each sector?Asked them to present their ideas in a clear and concise (20 mins) way? Cultivated on the spot and ongoing conversations from this mash up of ideas and then shared this mash up with the rest of the world?
I think it should be small, evangelical, dedicated to change. I imagine gathering 10 people doing interesting things from each sector, inviting a further 50 persons who would facilitate the proliferation of the ideas and their application into the adjacent sectors, and sprinkle this attendance with 20 people on the cusp of creating change in their field.
We would post the videos of all the presentations on the web, for all to see. (Liam – did you miss the web 2.0 revolution–members only viewing of presentations? Great ideas don’t get too far if they are locked away in a room, secrecy is divisive).
Could you imagine connecting with a tribe of bloggers to pick apart the ideas, further mashing up the benefits from the work, and extending the dialogue?
Could you imagine this event becoming a must see, “must be at” event that generated insane profits that were reinvested into a collective mission?
Could you imagine this happening as soon as autumn 2009?
I can. Let’s make it happen. Give me a ring, give others a ring, start connecting the dots with me.
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Count me in Todd. For the last couple of years I have been trying to build a tribe of managers who believe that they can make real progress, personally, organisationally and socially by investing in the skills, aspirations, creativity and innovation of their employees.
The dynamics of creating value and making progress don’t change from one sector to another – nor do the dynamics of human growth and development. By enabling managers to use core processes of relationship building, feedback (giving and receiving), coaching, delegating and managing attention I think if is possible to significantly increase the rate of progress. Be happy to help explore some of these ideas!