Overview:
This training is for consultants (either aspiring consultants or those who have an existing practice) who would like to help their clients upgrade their internal management practices to become more “Teal” or “next stage.”
The concept of “going Teal” was popularized by Frederic Laloux in his book Reinventing Organizations. For those unfamiliar, Laloux spent several years researching the structures, practices, processes, and cultures of 12 companies (including Patagonia, Morning Star, Sounds True, Buurtzorg, and Sun Hydraulics) that he identified as operating at the next stage of human consciousness. Each has made three major breakthroughs:
Self Management: These companies are like living organisms that operate effectively, even at a large scale, with a system based on peer relationships, without the need for either hierarchy or consensus. For example, Morning Star—a 2,400-person company that produces more than 40 percent of the tomato paste and diced tomatoes consumed in the United States—operates entirely on self-management principles.
Wholeness: These organizations invite their employees to bring their whole selves to work every day (instead of a narrow “professional” self). Many Teal organizations, for example, devote regular time to addressing conflicts; avoid the use of job titles and descriptions (to allow the individual to shape their own role); and enumerate core values with explicit behaviors, habits, and norms.
Evolutionary Purpose: Teal organizations have their own life and sense of direction. Instead of trying to predict and control the future, they invite members to sense and respond to the shape and larger purpose of the organization. A New Year’s ritual for the company Sounds True includes employees sitting in silence and opening their mind to what the organization wants from them for the coming year. Anyone can share with the group what they have heard.
These interlocking sets of practices, Laloux suggests, constitute an emerging, coherent organizational model—the blueprint of the future of organizations.
Benefits:
Some of the benefits of participating in this course include:
Proven Expertise: Learn from two experts who have helped implement Teal business practices at a wide variety of organizations. For example, please see Ryan Honeyman’s article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review for more information about the application of Teal ideas to the real world.
Individual Assistance: In addition to four 90 minute group sessions, each participant will receive a 60 minute coaching call.
Exclusivity: A maximum of 8 participants will be allowed to attend this course in order to keep the group small, nimble, and targeted.
Shared Accountability: Learn as a cohort, with shared accountability and goals
Evergreen Content: Participants will get a recording of all four 90 minute webinars in case you need to miss a session (or want to watch a session again).
Logistics:
This course consists of four 90 minute webinars plus a private 60 minute coaching call with either Shawn or Ryan. The webinars are scheduled for the following dates:
Week 1: Tuesday, June 21 from 10am-11:30am (Pacific)
Week 2: Tuesday, June 28 from 10am-11:30am (Pacific)
Week 3: Tuesday, July 5 from 10am-11:30am (Pacific)
Week 4: Tuesday, July 12 from 10am-11:30am (Pacific)
Skills You Will Learn:
After the course is over, you will be able to:
Use Teal as a lens to identify other client needs (e.g., helping motivate and engage employees, helping clients create their mission, vision, and core values)
Inspire prospects by communicating the value of joining a global movement to redefine success in business
Increase confidence in responding to both high-level and detailed questions about implementing Teal business practices
How to design and propose a Teal consulting contract
Build your thought leadership by publishing and speaking about next stage organizations
Network and engage with the existing Teal business community
Instructors:
Ryan Honeyman is a Partner / Worker Owner at LIFT Economy and author of The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). Ryan helps companies adopt next stage management practices, such as creating self-organizing teams, increasing financial transparency, creating a thriving employee culture, and helping construct a long-term vision tied to specific social and environmental outcomes. Ryan has written articles for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, and Utne Reader. His clients include Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, Method, Plum Organics, Klean Kanteen, and Nutiva.
Shawn Berry is an organizational strategist inspired to harness the power of business to create resilient local economies as patterns to be documented, open sourced, scaled globally and adapted regionally. Shawn left an early career path in nuclear physics research to found the Woodshanti Cooperative (1997-2011), a custom cabinet and furniture shop in San Francisco that set the standard for ethical craftsmanship in the green building movement. This hands on experience as an entrepreneur combined with community organizing and systems theory to craft the vision for LIFT Economy to model an economy that works for all life.
Testimonials:
“LIFT has given us many helpful and objective insights into the intangible aspects of our company that we hold dear—culture, values, people, and transparency. LIFT’s work will help us continue to make Plum a great place to work.” — Neil Grimmer, CEO at Plum Organics
“LIFT has been a tremendous ally in helping us to maximize our future impact. Their thought leadership and guidance has been invaluable.” — Aseem Das, Founder & CEO at World Centric
“At CoLab we believe great results are born from collaborations between value-aligned partners. Our coaching work with LIFT has helped CoLab to both dramatically elevate our bottom line numbers as well as to ignite our passion to serve the world through our technology work. Thank you LIFT!” — Rylan Peery, Co-Founder at CoLab Cooperative
“Hiring LIFT was a fantastic business decision. We have increased our social and environmental performance, identified exciting new projects to pursue, and I have more time to spend with my family.” — Zach Berke, Founder & CEO, Exygy
“Running a small business is hard enough, and for us with our ethics of earth care and people care the bar is even higher. Not sure how we would do it without the trusted, values aligned guidance from LIFT to give us the high level perspective we need to plan for our future growth.” — Erik Ohlsen, Founder & Owner at Permaculture Artisans
Questions about the course? Please email ryan@lifteconomy.com.