We are facing a new and urgent challenge when collaborating across organizations, and with broader stakeholder groups: how to overcome polarization. It has never been harder to find a common vision, when opinions are often considered as facts.
This book empowers changemakers and business leaders to understand how successful organizations in the 21st century require leaders to become fluent in collaborating outside of traditional business boundaries. Such collaboration often involves working with parties that hold very different values, opinions and priorities, and working with them requires new skills. Building on the book Five Superpowers for Co-Creators, Katrin Muff presents a number of real-world examples that demonstrate how organizations have successfully managed to address these challenges. Examples of such unlikely but successful cross-sector collaboration include a project addressing plastic waste in Switzerland, and two European city government projects that reached out beyond organizational boundaries. The book features many stories of trial and error in overcoming the societal polarization gap. From all these insights emerges clear guidance as to how leaders and organizations can transform to new ‘outside-in’ mindsets to overcome polarization and develop a Positive Impact Mindset.
The book is ideal for use by facilitators, educators, business and political leaders, and consultants, who are seeking solutions within an often polarized world to achieve sustainable change and a positive impact.
Table of Contents:
Part I: A New Level of Complexity 1. Polarization greatly expands conflict 2. A Practice Case – Polarization in Society 3. The challenge of finding agreement 4. Embracing a new level of complexity Part II: From Transaction to Transformation 5. Finding a shared purpose 6. A Practice Case – Trans-sectoral stakeholder collaboration 7. Dedicated to a higher cause 8. Co-creation resolving societal issues Part III: The Individual and the Organizational Challenge 9. The transformation from "me" to "we" 10. Unpacking the individual mindset transformation 11. The transformation from competition to co-creation 12. Unpacking the organizational mindset transformation Part IV: The Positive Impact Mindset 13. The foundation of shared purpose co-creation 14. The individual positive impact mindset 15. The organizational positive impact mindset 16. Working together for a better world
About the Author :
Katrin Muff is a recognized thought leader in enabling leaders and organizations to see value in solving societal problems. Her facilitation solutions bridge sustainability and psychology. She combines two decades of global business experience with 15 years of academic leadership.
Review :
"At last, a book for change-makers, innovators, and leaders from business, civil society, and governmental organizations that takes on the greatest change challenge of our day: the polarization explosion. The brilliant Katrin Muff presents eye-opening stories and shows us exactly how to apply leading-edge research to co-creation."
David L. Cooperrider, Distinguished Professor and Author of The Business of Building a Better World
"In a world of permanent white water, the primary key to success is collaboration and co-creation; Katrin Muff provides us with a deep understanding of how to do what we most need to do."
Robert E. Quinn, Author of Deep Change; Cofounder of the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan
"This book outlines the mindset shift of leaders and organizations to innovate solutions for a sustainable and just world. The same mindset shift is much needed to overcome polarization. Katrin calls it the Positive Impact Mindset and her stories demonstrate how to use it. Highly recommended!"
Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer, MIT; Author of Theory U
