Innovation Partners International (IPI) is proud to announce it made the 2012 WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces, a global certification based on 10 democratic principles such as transparency, integrity, and accountability.  This marks IPI’s 5th consecutive year, an honor carried by only 5 of the 48 WorldBlu certified companies worldwide. IPI is in good [...]

Last week I toured various schools and community centers in Houston where I had the honor of meeting some amazing people: teachers, administrators, family development workers, parents, and students.  We sat down with several of them throughout the tours and asked the same question each time: “Why does learning matter?” Everyone sat up straight, looked each [...]

There are nice people in the world willing to go the extra mile for strangers.  The media sends negative messages daily that encourage us to worry about our security, especially with regard to technology and strangers.  We are to eat or be eaten.  We are to protect ourselves or lose everything.  We are to avoid [...]

So the strategy is complete. It’s bound up in a nice binder containing a beautiful series of strategies and goals wrapped up in a bow with objectives. It’s bound up. Now, how do you “unbound” human potential and engage leaders and teams in implementation? Many strategy efforts produce 100% perspiration but little inspiration or innovation. [...]

Nearly every organization uses strategic planning. Few, however, leverage its full power. Too often people adopt the “usual” definition of strategic planning that goes something like this: strategic planning is a plan or a blueprint for achieving a vision or overarching goal. While this is true and important, I would contend that strategic planning, at [...]

[This is part 2 of a two part series. Check out part 1 here.] You’re the manager of an assembly line in a modern factory. Your mean yield rate is running at 82% over the last quarter and today it is at 91% so you stop the machines to discover why. Or you’re the project [...]

By Jen Hetzel Silbert November 28, 2011 I recently heard from a longtime friend and colleague in Guyana, South America.  His name is Samuel, and more than a successful businessman, Samuel is a father, husband, son and devoted Guyanese citizen.  Like many Guyanese, Samuel gained an appreciation for democracy the hard way – growing up [...]

What form of governance exists in your company or network? How do you think about governance? What is the role of governance and who is involved in carrying out that role? The answers depend on what we see as current reality. My Nov. 8 blog on this topic (Part One) described Appreciative Governance (AG) at [...]

Your boss just left your office. She told you that production on your shift is down 15% this quarter and you need to find a way to fix that … and quickly. You sigh. You’ve been through these problem solving exercises before and they always suck the energy out of you. Worse yet, the solutions [...]

Introducing Appreciative Governance* – Part One Bernard Mohr, Partner, Innovation Partners International Whether it is the inability of the global financial system to self regulate, the malfunctioning of the “network” operating the Deepwater Horizon rig, or the rise in employees who report they are somewhat or very disengaged – the issue of organizational governance has [...]