Soulful Enterprises generate six types of whole value.

CUSTOMER VALUE
Beautiful: Creating excellence with a spirit of generosity
Useful: Solving problems, meeting needs and making life better

CO-WORKER VALUE
Individual: Developing wisdom, integrity and human flourishing
Relational: Building healthy relationships of trust and cooperation

WIDER COMMUNITY VALUE
Communal: Making an impact in the world that changes the game
Generational: Cultivating resources for the next generation

Soulful Enterprises have a generative view of value.

The generative view breaks free from the limits of zero-sum thinking which ends up making trade-off choices. It has a ‘mutual-gain’ logic where profitability is rooted in a deep ecosystem of value generation.

The GRAB view of value sees business as beating the competition and grabbing what you can for yourself.

The GIVE view of value sees the role of business as serving other and giving what you can. There is often considered to be a trade-off between giving and grabbing.

The GENERATE view of value sees a wider range of value that business has the potential to provide: all the good created as well as the cash gained in the process. Giving and gaining work together when value is generated rather than simply distribute… — The GENERATE view of value sees a wider range of value that business has the potential to provide: all the good created as well as the cash gained in the process. Giving and gaining work together when value is generated rather than simply distributed.

The theoretical basis for this generative view of value is found in an article by Andrew Baughen, Cliff Oswick & Rosie Oswick in the Journal of Change Management (2020).

Rethinking ‘Organizational Effectiveness’ as a Core Premise of Organization Development: Beyond Narrow Organizational Interests and Towards Wider Soulful Interventions.

Go to journal article

Soulful Enterprises follow nature’s generative processes

There are three generative processes in the natural world.

ADD
The world thrives because of the constant growth processes of nature. Our work contributes to these generative realities. Adding value gives us meaning and purpose while destroying value minimises us and reduces the worth we and others experience and enjoy.

EXTEND
Nature seeks to fill empty space and will look to ways of removing vacuums and barriers that resist growth. Our work also pioneers value and extends value into new markets and people groups as well as into new technologies that extend opportunities for flourishing and ingenuity to thrive.

INTENSIFY
Not all grow is additive in breadth of value – many times value is developed by intensifying the depth of impact and usefulness we provide. We intensify by a continual process of developing and enriching what we have and how we serve others.

There are three generative strategies in the natural world.

HUMANITY
The natural world operates through interdependence in ecosystems. Silo thinking, conditional value, abuse of power and exploitation disrupt this natural order, break down healthy relationships, cause power struggles and sow distrust. Natural strategies connect and build up for mutual benefit.

A Soulful Enterprise:
• values people, treats them with dignity, builds cooperative relationship and develops human potential
• releases from enslaving, demeaning and dehumanising practices
• relates to stakeholders with compassion, reconciliation, truth and justice.

Diagnostic question:
Imagine you take your parents into work for the day. What would they say about the way you treat staff, customers, staff and investors that you interact with?

CREATIVITY
Material absence leads to lack of form, disorder, atrophy and waste. The term 'formless' means 'to be in a state of unreality'. Natural strategies form and create value.

A Soulful Enterprise:
• adds worth, form purpose, create order and release trapped potential
• solves real problems with lasting solutions
• meets genuine needs with empathy, ingenuity, efficiency and elegance.

Diagnostic question:
Imagine today is your very last day of work. Look back at all your firm has achieved and all you have spent your time doing over the years. What have you added to the world? What would you be most proud of and what would you reflect was rather a waste of time and energy?

GENEROSITY
The natural world thrives within abundance. Absence forms vacuums, void and empty space. Similarly in business ecosystems lack occurs when combative competition, aggressive acquisition and excessive consumption create scarcities and limit growth. Natural strategies fill and resolve lack.

A Soulful Enterprise:
• fills voids and vacuums so life can expand
• pioneers markets, widens accessibility and focuses where need is greatest and supply is least
• cultivates clients by building relationship and treating them as you'd like to be treated.

Diagnostic question:
Imagine your firm is given a cash windfall equivalent to an extra 50% revenue. The only stipulation is that you have to invest it all within the next 12 months. What would you spend it on and why?