Newport Lakes Stories and Contributive Practice

I want to share a story where measurement and process we abandoned … instead they put in place something that allowed for the harnessing of the potential of everyone in the project … developing, thriving, learning and growing together and as a result creating an immense ripple to all those who experienced the outcome. The outcome still resonates today yet nothings was measured, no reports created… here’s the story:

By Jiver – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21208555

This is not my story, but my colleague’s (from the Netherlands) Cees Anton de Vries. He was asked in 2012 to help the then CEO of the Floriade in Venlo, NL.

Some fifteen years ago the CEO of a large -once in ten year- exhibit the Floriade in Venlo asked him to help his team. At the time the exhibit had the very ambitious goal of being zero carbon.

The reality was an unhappy group of organizers and exhibitors, many of them thinking of pulling out. Cees Anton thought about this and did some investigation and realized this was because 25% of their budget was being spent on the research, the tools, measuring energy use and producing the reports to prove they were zero carbon!

This was a design exhibition, about creativity and innovation, so he said to them: “You can have your 25% back…you don’t need to report to me or prove anything… BUT… you need to invest that 25% is something inspirational, something that will make people sit up, take notice and smile or be inspired or be challenged.” The energy went from disgruntled and disappointed to excited, energized and buzzing.

The outcome was not only an amazing exhibition, but the exhibitors engaged much more than expected because they wanted to. They were given the permission to be creative, inspiring and impactful and support those visiting to connect. In short, they were helped to love the ocean.

We are innovators and so processes and measurement are tools to help us to improve but what I learnt is always think of why – what benefit will we get and what other opportunities are there.

Have a great weekend and keep humming,

Dominique