Self-Assessment Tool
Purpose
The following exercise is easy to carry out and will give you a rough idea of how well it scores as a conscious business
How to do it
Read through the simple model below which shows the basic elements of a conscious business then work through the instructions.
Eleven Elements of a Conscious Business
A conscious business behaves in the following ways:
- Uses plain speaking
- Is more profitable
- Is always applying common sense
- Is a place where everyone wins
- Is always grounded in evidence based stuff that works and is proven
- Tolerates no bullshit
- Lives a philosophy that is easy to grasp and apply
- Believes that Anyone can do it
- Is designed around simple idiot-proof concepts
- Is a popular place to work: People love it
- Continues to learn and develop
Let’s dive further into these…
1. Uses plain speaking
The language of a conscious business supports that consciousness. This is a jargon and bullshit free organisation. The language of the business is aimed at clarity, understanding and reflects as true a picture of what is going on internally and externally as possible. People speak plainly, say what they think and how they feel in a culture that encourages and values openness and honesty
2. Is more profitable
A conscious business has a real time clear picture of its processes. It knows what things costs and is mindful of resources. It uses only the resources that are needed to get work done and to deliver products and services to customers. It is lean, though never mean. It is more profitable because it minimises costs and all of its processes are energy efficient. Things are not minimised for their own sake, but rather optimised leading to processes that deliver excellence.Being conscious of costs, processes and the dynamics of value creation all feed into the profitability of a conscious business.
3. Is always applying common sense
Common sense is a core ethic in the business. Common sense is the shared language and practice that makes sense to all employees and those with a stake in the organisation. Common sense is the common ground on which everyone meets in practice. People understand the logic of the business – why we do things the way we do. There is a regularly updating dialogue within the business and with its community about what we are doing, how we are doing it, and how it could be done better.
4. Is a place where everyone wins
Organisations exist for the benefit of all their stakeholders. A conscious business does not play the game of win and lose. It seeks to create authentic value in ways that allow it to sustain itself, thrive, and ensure that those who depend on it thrive in ways that allow them to further feed their energy, feedback and commitment into it
5. Is always grounded in evidence based stuff that works and is proven
A conscious business doesn’t guess. It measures what needs to be measured, collects and shares information as necessary that is relevant and useful. It collects and shares stories in order to learn from experience. It builds information into evidence to inform further decisions and actions.
6. Tolerates no bullshit
A conscious business is grounded in truthfulness. It makes a virtue of accurate data, and rewards directly accessible truth. People tell the truth, never fudge nor engage in spin. Language doesn’t only have to be technical The conversation can be humorous, motivating but is always motivated by a sense of honesty and truth. People trust what they hear in a conscious business, wherever and whoever it comes from.
7. Lives a philosophy that is easy to grasp and apply
The mission of the business is clear to all. We know why we do what we do. Motives aren’t hidden but out in the open. Products and services have a clear and well-articulated underlying philosophy. The people in the business are aware of, and committed to the values of the business and this is reflected in their consistent, freely applied daily behaviour. Each person lives the philosophy, because they want to, not because they have to.
8. Believes that anyone can do it
A conscious business does not shroud its approach in jargon and mystique. Grounded in common sense it believes that everyone from the product designer to the managing director, to the security guard can practice conscious business. Consciousness is accessible to all of us, regardless of income or qualifications. We can all reflect on what we do, speak openly, honestly, observe and learn, share information, and apply what we know mindfully and carefully, as well as consistently and truthfully. We can all be open to feedback, responsive and keen to question and input.
9. Is designed around simple idiot proof concepts
The core ideas and processes in a conscious business are articulated clearly, never too dependent on one personality, can be learned from simple documentation regularly updated and innovated as needed. There is a culture of prevention – preventing things going wrong and learning from mistakes in a fear-free culture. Ideas need not be over-complex and the business puts value on simplicity and clarity. Processes tend to be mapped in pictures rather than over-wordy text. Media are used skilfully and processes are designed in smart ways that help task completion in problem-free ways.
10. Is a popular place to work: People love it
A conscious business is a motivated, energising place of respect. There are no hidden agendas. Irritations are brought out in the open. The working environment is light, vibrant and reflects people being open and up for change when it is needed. Work space is flexible, creative and there are times and spaces for refreshment and reflection. The business feels honest and a trusting place to work. People love what they do because it reflects their own authentic sense of self. And yes, the “L” word! People love the business and love working in it.
11. Continues to learn and develop
There’s a culture that values curiosity. We learn from mistakes and are open to the new. Ideas can come from anyone or anywhere and at any time but tend to be timed and focused on emerging business challenges and questions. Feedback and dialogue inform steady state and consistency over time. New skills, new knowledge evolve as needed. We know what we don’t know quickly and this becomes our learning agenda. The business feels as if it is always updating, changing when needed, and staying “in touch”.
Discussion
There are probably more. We welcome your input to these. A conscious business is also conscious that there is no such thing as a checklist cast in stone in a dynamic world!
The checklist can form the beginning of a real and potentially ground-breaking conversation for an organisation that would like to call itself a conscious business. It can create some challenging debate on a leadership team and can also mark start of a turnaround for an organisation in crisis.
An Activity – How Do You Measure Up?
Score yourself above out of 10 on where you feel you are on each of the elements of the Conscious Business Wheel. Shade each segment from the centre, outwards, where the centre is zero and the circle perimeter is 10. A thick coloured pen or pencil will do the trick. Be honest!
Look at the biggest unshaded areas. These are areas where your business could take steps to become more conscious.
(The above tool was developed with Jamie Pyper)
Paul Levy 