By Natalia Blagoeva, Brent Lowe, and Julia Marczi for Enlivening Edge
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Imagine a world where people bring their whole selves to work. A world in which work is not the opposite of living, but rather a major positive contributor to it. A world in which everyone has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential and to flourish as a human being. A world where business is solving important and urgent problems instead of compounding those that already exist.
A much-needed shift is quietly underway. A small group of courageous entrepreneurs is leading the charge. They are building organizations with a goal of serving the common good. Their companies are collaborating and contributing in meaningful ways, creating products and services that the world truly needs.
Startups play a crucial role in the global economy. Every year 2.3 million new companies emerge in the European Union alone.
Imagine if only a fraction of these businesses grow into real incubators of innovation—both in their products and services and in their way of working.
We at T4S (Teal for Startups) hold the firm belief that startups are one of the most important channels of the positive and impactful change.
The seed of change
It’s important to note that no one starts a business wanting to create mediocrity or do harm in the world. Most entrepreneurs set up their company in an organic way as a living system, in pursuit of greatness with a desire to make a difference. As they grow, many of these organizations are gradually infiltrated by old ways of business thinking. Lacking an alternative, their ways of working develop according to outdated mainstream management practices. Gradually they lose their zest, growing into hierarchical corporations based on “predict and control” philosophies.
We live in a world where there is a growing desire and need to do things in new and better ways. Startups have the potential to catalyze this lasting change in society at large.
So how can we help startups realize this transformation? How will entrepreneurs build a new kind of business that releases human potential? How can new organizations best serve society? How do we make it easy and fun to create a Teal company?
These questions form the evolutionary purpose of the global T4S community.
The T4S Working Group
T4S is a large, open, online collaboration of people from around the world and all walks of life. We share a desire to provide a development alternative for startups. Frederic Laloux’s “Reinventing Organizations” work has been our starting point.
Within some months, our group has grown to more than 900 people. Over 200 have signed up as contributors, and tens of people are actively co-creating. Our efforts are split across seven work streams including:
- Personal Development
- Values and Culture
- Evolutionary Purpose
- Collaboration Environment
- Community and Eco-System
- Product and Service
- Wealth
T4S is creating a practical, holistic guide for starting and nurturing a Teal Organization. Using powerful questions as a starting point, our work covers many aspects of setting up a new Teal business.
The result should be an easy-to-use handbook filled with insights, tools, and case studies that empowers entrepreneurs to find their own Teal way.
The team itself works in a Teal paradigm. People have a shared purpose and nurture a trust-based, safe environment. Ideas flow openly, without fear of judgment. Group members are not restricted by rules or controls.
“I continue to be amazed at how much trust there is between people from different cultures, generations and backgrounds who have never been in the same room together.”
-Natalia, Values & Culture Team
The work of the T4S group will be introduced for the first time during the IEC conference. Our presentation will walk you through our working process and introduce the T4S framework. We will share:
- how and why the group was initially formed;
- what we’ve learned about fostering effective online collaboration, and
- how the group might evolve in the future.
We’ll also ask for your input and feedback.
We are looking forward to meeting you at the IEC conference. Til then, find us on Facebook and on our website and join our group of changemakers.
Natalia Blagoeva
Natalia Blagoeva is an experienced Consultant, Motivational Speaker and a Trainer in the field of Organizational and Leadership Development bringing out the best in people and organizations and transforming how we work and learn. In addition to 25 years of international executive experience, Natalia’s credentials include Certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant (CTT) from the Barrett Values Centre, Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP), Executive MBA, M.Eng. and Certificates in Leadership. For more information visit http://eudaimonia.solutions/
Brent Lowe
is the trusted business and psychology expert that entrepreneurs, CEO’s, and business leaders call when they need to add fuel to their personal performance and that of their teams. He helps his clients be the leaders they want to be and build teams they are proud to lead. Brent’s credentials include a Bachelor in Engineering & Management; an MBA; an MA in Counseling Psychology; and a certificate in Small & Medium-Sized Enterprise Board Effectiveness. For more information visit www.brentlowe.com
Julia Marczi
is a corporate renegade and an aspiring Social Entrepreneur with a background in sociology and several years’ international experience in sales. Her vision is a more humane and conscious enterprise that unfolds human potential, serves society, and solves problems instead of creating them. She believes that the key to tackle our challenges is to change our minds and the way of doing business. Driven by this purpose, she works currently on different projects, fostering the emergence of next-generation business. Find Julia on LinkedIn.
