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Archive for 'ecological thinking'
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The Power of the Spiritual
Posted on March 11, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 What is the purpose of business? How does that purpose connect with the human heart and with the terrible crisis we are now facing?
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A Story of Two Leaders
Posted on March 8, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 As leaders we make our own world AND we make the world for others. What kind of world are we making?
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Getting Emotional About Business
Posted on March 1, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 What kind of business gets me really jazzed?
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Emergence: the “Feminine” in Business
Posted on February 25, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 Are we looking for creativity in all of the wrong places? We are seeking resilience, but perhaps it is lying dormant, just waiting for us to allow for its emergence. How do leaders evoke emergence?
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The Call of the Wild
Posted on February 20, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 Historically, nature has informed our way of thinking in many ways. As we move into cities where will our inspiration and learning come from?
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Our Achilles Heel
Posted on January 18, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 I’ve been an organizational change consultant for most of my working life. The organizational development (OD) community was on fire when I first got exposed to it. The field was young and people were going from helping people work together better to learning how to make the whole organization work better. Those in the field were writing papers and books with new insights coming out weekly, it seemed.
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Discovering Regenerative Businesses
Posted on January 3, 2013 by Kathryn Alexander
 The current crop of sustainability oriented companies are reducing resource use, and that will give us time, but we need to rethink how we interact with nature to prevent a reoccurrence of the situation we now face. These companies are leading the way!
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We Are On Tour - Almost
Posted on August 29, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 We know American business is resilient - we want to bring you those stories! What are the tips and tricks to create a robust & sustainable culture? Help us find out!
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B Corp - This is a Shift of Another Kind
Posted on August 13, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 I was video interviewed this morning for a group doing a documentary on B Corps. They are traveling the country talking to companies that have chosen to become certified B Corps.
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Culture: Finding Meaning in Work
Posted on July 26, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 Do you think that making work meaningful is too grand a vision for your company? What would happen if you started to rethink the work your organization does from the perspective of how to make it meaningful to the people to do it?
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What can Your Culture Learn from Slime Molds?
Posted on July 23, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 I did a podcast today on self-organization. There are a few companies whose leadership is not afraid of the employees they hire and they actually encourage their employees to think for themselves and for the company.
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Mortgages & Foreclosures – Oh My!
Posted on July 18, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 This whole mortgage topic has seemed to be forgotten by the press but the legacy from 2008 roars on. Because the intent/purpose of the systems we’ve created are all about money we have missed the real issues and been blind to obvious solutions.
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The Magic of Limits
Posted on June 3, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 Most people resist limits. I believe that it is our resistance to limits that makes us feel justified in trashing the planet. We don’t like no stinkin’ limits!
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Structure: Hidden Agent of Change
Posted on May 11, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 David Brooks, in his recent article in the New York Times addressed an issue that has been totally ignored – structure. We talk of change, but mostly we just rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. A delicious case in point are the recent Banking scandals.
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Can We be Sustainable without Reverence?
Posted on May 9, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 I've been watching a DVD made to share the wonder that was Thomas Berry. The first Geologian, he spent his life working to bring back or reignite the wonder of nature that lies latent in our hearts.
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Natural Selection and Your Company
Posted on May 6, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 In nature natural selection is a process that is seen as something that increases what works by eliminating that which doesn’t work. In nature what ‘works’ is what can survive to reproduce. How does that apply to business and specifically to your organization?
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Triple Bottom Line – CSR & Greenwashing
Posted on February 17, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 The Triple Bottom Line and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are pieces and parts - when will we begin to see the whole so we can keep our integrity intact?
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Whitney Houston and Viktor Frankel
Posted on February 12, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 People say they want to live, but their actions are all about ‘being saved,’ they are not taking action from their own convictions, and in some cases they even avoid acting in ways that would heal them. Why? Why does life seem devoid of meaning?
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Water - Bastion of Life
Posted on February 9, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 What 'counts' more - financial value or our religious and emotional feelings? What works best to help us resolve this horrible tension between "I want" and "I need?"
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Green - Really?
Posted on February 8, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 I’ve long felt that there is a sort of collusion as the Fortune 500 get ‘recognized’ for being 'green' but no one else seems to be doing anything. I also have some huge concerns about these big folks really doing much.
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Culture: The Secret to Success
Posted on February 6, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 Culture, leadership, success how do they fit together?
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Greenwashing from Green Mountain?
Posted on February 2, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 Profit or the Precautionary Principle? When will we take ourselves and the Planet seriously?
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Growth – the Holy Grail of the 21st Century
Posted on January 30, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 If we stopped growing and chose to evolve instead - what would that look like? Growth is something we must get a handle on. We are chasing a disaster.
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Restoration, Resilience, Rethinking
Posted on January 28, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 When will we learn that our wealth is tied up in the land and that we only thrive when the land is healthy?
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Can Beauty Save Us?
Posted on January 18, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 What are we sacrificing for the love of oil?
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Remembering
Posted on January 15, 2012 by Kathryn Alexander
 Dr. Martian Luther King, in his talk on the Network of Mutuality, speaks most eloquently on the need for peace. His sentiments apply equally well to our treatment of the Earth.
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Sustainability, Change and Resilience
Posted on September 28, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
 Life has managed to effectively evolve in quantity and complexity for about 3.8 billion years ? that's sustainable. The issue for the human species (and many others) is can we continue to extend our sojourn on this planet beyond the about 5 million year run we've had so far?
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Stepping Out Against, and Stepping On - GMOs
Posted on September 16, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Boulder is a county that has made a reputation for valuing and loving nature and health. This particular issue (GMO planting) has some poignant aspects: farmers have given their land to open space expecting to be able to farm it;
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Ecologically Sustainable - Is It Really Urgent?
Posted on July 12, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
I'm passionate about sustainability for many reasons. First and foremost I LOVE the planet = nature is a source of life to me. Secondly I've more than excited about what rethinking business can do for business while doing good things for nature. Third, I like change. I really do! I see change as a creative edge that brings forth new possibilities and since I'm a variety junkie, change rocks!
For all of the reasons listed above I've had my antennae up around the issue of climate change for some time. Talk about depressing! Really looking at this and knowing what's coming is enough to drive anyone to drink.
I don't talk much about climate change, and that's why. I'm not about putting my head in the sand, but you can only take so much, you know? That being said, today I DO want to sound the alarm! View this video and get ready to recommit to the fight!
She's Alive...Beautiful...Finite..Hurting...and Worth Dying for!
The planet IS worth saving! My home IS worth saving! People I love and care for have died in this fight and many more will die before it's over, but this fight IS worth it! We have to remember, though that it is not just about fighting! This change IS about possibilities! It IS about a new way to live in harmony and have the time and sensitivity to enjoy nature and her bounty!
Harmony...Walter J. Stahel wrote a paper called the "Five Pillars of Sustainability" in the early 90s. He saw sustainability in this way:
- Pillar of nature conservation
- Pillar of limited toxicity
These form the domain of environmental protection
3. Pillar of Resource Productivity
These three form the basis of a sustainable economy
4. Pillar of Social Ecology
5. Pillar of Cultural Ecology
The last two, however is really what is meant by the People piece of the triple bottom line. Without peace we will continue to devastate the natural world and our own history and legacy as well. War is destructive - it destroys everything in its path. It is not sustainable. It never was, but now we destroy on such a scale and with such thoroughness that damage is immense and it must be stopped.
We will only stop our squabbling when we learn to respect others and allow others to make decisions about their own future, with or without our input. We must evoke the inherent dignity and worth of every person, valuing their contributions and being willing to learn from them when we differ. This includes repairing the rift between genders. Ethical Impact L3C supports the Satyana Institute for just that reason. Until we respect and honor the feminine we will not be able to respect and honor nature.
The stopping of war speaks to the fifth pillar - culture; ethics and values. We are an amazing species - so willing to destroy that which we love. We rationalize it in all kinds of ways, but I have marvel at how often and how thoroughly we do that. Our rape of nature and women is testimony to that. Our destruction of the buildings and monuments that form our human legacy on this planet rationalized by war is testament to that. That 20% of Colorado children do not know where their next meal is coming from is testament to that. I could go on. We pay CEO's enormous sums and fuss about raising teachers salaries. We do NOT honor what we say we love.
Sign up for the Meet the Reality Project on September 14 at 8 pm MST (check for other times in other areas) as Al Gore makes the case, one more time, for urgency.
Sign up for the Webinar, Our Values Our Choices if you want to explore Pillar number five. 
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A Benefit of Sustainability - Resiliency
Posted on April 24, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Sun, Apr 24, 2011 @ 02:02 PM
I was reading the Smithsonian's article Faithful Monuments by Jamie Katz and got to pondering the benefits of sustainability to business. What triggered the thought was this quote:
"Ductility is the ability of the system to move back and forth, swell and shrink, and return to where it was in the beginning." by Anthony Crosby a preservation architect for the Mission San Miguel.
He was talking about preserving a building from earthquakes. The metaphor, however, is a strong one for business. The changing landscape and the looming shifts in the ecological and economic stability of our society are certainly impacting business, with more to come. That raised the question for me about whether sustainability would be an answer to the coming 'earthquakes.' Would a sustainable approach make a business more ductile?
The answer, I believe is no. Here I want to make a crucial distinction between ductility and resilience. Being ductile is a good thing for a business, but it has a major shortcoming. The ability to move, to withstand the shaking and pummeling nature and our economic system are currently offering definitely enhances longevity. The ability to withstand growing and shrinking also makes a business more sustainable. So why did I say no?
The crucial difference is one that is fundamental to the difference between living an
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Sustainability, Alternative Energy and Economics
Posted on April 11, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Mon, Apr 11, 2011 @ 11:24 PM
The photo was taken this Sunday, April 10 image taken by T-Hawk drone aircraft
and released by Tokyo Electric Power Co.
My mind boggles when people include nuclear in the alternative energy options. The argument is that sustainability is best served when our energy sources do not contribute to the carbon load on the Earth. They are absolutely right that non-carbon forms of energy are needed. Stewart Brand of Whole Earth catalog fame has come out in favor of nuclear power to help avert climate impact by carbon. I think fear makes us silly. I also think that we fear because we have no faith in our own powers of invention and creativity. We forget that it is boundaries that stimulate creativity, limits are our friends!
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Sustainable Intelligence: Lessons Learned from Earthquakes
Posted on April 5, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Tue, Apr 05, 2011 @ 11:45 PM
 Email Article |  Twitter |  Facebook |  LinkedIn |  delicious |  Technorati |The Ecological Thinking inherent in Sustainable Intelligence includes a set of Sustainable Values?, one of which is Dynamic Balance. In ecology it describes the fluid aspect of nature that ebbs and flows by making small incremental changes on a continuous basis. By making small, often unnoticed, changes big shifts are made easily and painlessly. Rivers move mountains and forests over take meadows with no one able to tell when it happened or even where the exact boundaries are. 
Deming saw this wisdom in his insistence on continuous improvement. The story is told that the Japanese who had visited American factories after the WWII came again 20 years later. They were astonished, as nothing had changed.
Earth Quakes are like that. Much of the movement is incremental, too small to notice. Those small movements, over time, place great pressure on those points of contact, until something snaps and the awesome experience of an earthquake takes place.
Think for a moment about the tensions in your own organization. Can you recognize those small movements that are tremors, asking for release. Can you open yourself up to helping to create the small changes those tremors are asking for?
Think for a moment about our political and economic tremors. Are we working to ma
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Sustainability and the Survival of the Fittest
Posted on March 28, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 @ 02:58 PM
I gave a presentation last week on Sustainable Intelligence and Business. I spoke about how we need to learn to work with nature instead of against her. This message seemed to resonate with 98% of the people there - however there were a few who disagreed.
How can you work with nature when nature can and does work to destroy you? Isn't nature "red in tooth and claw"? Isn't nature nasty and threatening? And isn't nature just a little bit scary? Take Japan, for example.
The answer to all of these concerns, of course, is yes - nature can be and is fierce, threatening and scary. There is much more to this, however, than just an acknowledgement. The first caveat is that nature is never malicious. By that I mean that nature never singles some one out for punishment or pain. Nature works with the whole system in mind and everything she does supports an aspect of life (it just may not be us).
And that's why working with nature is so important. Many times we go against what she naturally does and then blame her for the results.
For instance we want to build in a flood plain and we want the government to insure us against the inevitable flooding when we shouldn't build there in the first place. This kind of hubris will be more and more of an issue as our population increases in size. The pressure and greed of more people makes it seem like we need to invade and fight against nature so we can have our way and immedia
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Sustainable Intelliegence - Applying Nature's Wisdom
Posted on February 17, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 02:45 PM
The point of Sustainable Intelligence is to begin to think as nature does, thus benefiting from the insight she's gained over 3.8 billion years. The aspect I'd like to explore today is permeability. In chemistry this is most often seen in cell membranes which allow oxygen and proteins to flow through, thus nourishing our bodies. The physics is such that there is more of something on one side and less on the other and this imbalance is what causes flow.
 In ecologies permeability is a bit different as the boundaries are not as distinct as they are with a cell. Here the concept of dynamic balance comes into play. Dynamic Balance is most clearly seen in nature in streams and rivers. Over time the water wears away the banks and the course changes. Very old rivers have very winding riverbeds. Yet, while major changes have taken place they have occurred through small changes that happened over time.
In business this was expressed in the Total Quality Movement (TQM) by the idea of continuous change. If small incremental changes are made continuously, then, over time, major change will happen, but without the effort, pain and expense that results from large and sudden changes.
The idea of boundaries in ecologies, however is a
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Thinking Sustainably ? Ecological Thinking
Posted on February 15, 2011 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Tue, Feb 15, 2011 @ 04:47 PM
How can we think sustainably when we do not understand ecological thinking? Most people have no idea about how ecologies work, and they take them for granted. I believe that one of the issues for climate change deniers is that they do not understand how the world works so it is hard to, 1) see the interconnections, and 2) most people spend almost no time in nature so they don't see the changes already happening.
The other HUGE issue is the normal understanding of cause and effect. Ninety nine percent of people view cause and effect as linear. So people see cause as where you ?push' and effect and the movement created by the push. For living systems that is absolutely NOT TRUE. With living systems cause and effect are NON-linear, and that difference is huge!
For a quick and entertaining journey into non-linear cause and effect, read Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubmer. That book is filled with examples of non-linear cause and effect. I have a strong background in what used to be called, Total Quality Management (TQM). Many of the tools we use and teach have to do with finding the root cause of issues in a business setting. A business is a complex, living system, so many of the problems have non-linear causes and are therefore
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Ecological Thinking
Posted on October 6, 2010 by Kathryn Alexander
Posted by Kathryn Alexander on Wed, Oct 06, 2010 @ 08:54 PM
Ecological Thinking
Here's a short video on one of the shifts in thinking that are necessary to become sustainable. Remember the old saw that doing the same things over and over and expecting different results is one definition of insanity. Hummm, how often do I do that?
One trick is slowing down a tad and actually thinking about things that I have a knee jerk reaction for. That quick response is habit and that habit isn't going to get me a new result. It's painful to slow down, and sometimes it makes me cranky?but when I do and I get to a new place it's VERY worth it!
Ecological Thinking is a part of Sustainable Intelligence. Ecological thinking brings nature into the business reducing and eliminating waste, increasing innovation as nature is mimicked, and bringing ecologies into business practices. This is a strategic approach to greening your business.
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