Doing Business the Right Way : The Mission Driven Organization

There is a lot going on today that at first blush is disconcerting or at best confusing to most of us. Because of the rise of technology, in particular the way we are able to access information, we are now bombarded with so much data that we are unable to process, or are at least challenged to decipher what is real and what is not. At the same time, we are grappling with unparalleled challenges to the things that we thought were limitless, or at least, so big that we couldn't possibly harm them. These "e;things"e; include our natural environment and the social order. And while these supposedly impenetrable 'things' are now in a state of flux, along comes the rise of business and its increasing role of influence in global decision making. We are at a unique crossroads that has never been mapped. What do you do with this agglomeration of thoughts and activities??? You read it, you ponder it, you act on itthat is the theme. Then you rinse, wash, repeat until it sinks in, inspires you or you decide you want to argue with us or discuss a new idea. You run to the finish, you get up when you fall down, you dust yourself off and go again. Enough platitudes. Be the egghead. You will notice that we don't spend a lot of time with powerpoints, we don't bury you with hour long lectures, but rather we try to get you thinking by reading, watching and listening to things that are going on in the world. And then we ask you 'so what?' Duh--this is your cue to jump in. This is not a book designed to be used in one of those classes where you skulk in the back and hide, this is the deep end of the pool--start swimming dude. All you need are some tasty waves man. (Jeff Spicolli-Fast Times at Ridgemont High) To continue, 'gee am I going to pass this class?'...'I don't know Jeff'......WE KNOW THAT IF YOU APPLY YOURSELF, PARTICIPATE FULLY AND JUMP IN, GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. At the very least you will have tested some ideas, rethought how you learn, and see maybe for the first time that there are people and organizations who are trying to make more than just money but also a positive impact on the world. At the most, you will have changed how you approach learning and will become a true EGGHEAD, one that is on the look for solutions to vexing problems, and is willing to test those solutions relentlessly in pursuit of a minimally viable solution (MVP) to get the ball rolling. Hey, there is nothing wrong with thinking, active self-reflection, and discussion of ideas and concepts. But, we strongly believe that getting out of the classroom and seeing organizations in action is one of the best ways to not only learn but to ignite some passion. Accordingly, we have many activities for you to complete. The book is organized as follows. The preface gives our own manifesto so to speak of the current times and why the need for mission driven organizations is so imperative. In Alpha we present the notion of Conscious Improvement that frames the mission driven organization phenomena and the key concepts that help to understand them. Beta provides examples of mission driven organizations and the types of missions that they are accomplishing in addition to financial viability. In Gamma, we explain and rationalize why we believe that the concepts of supply chain, innovation, and entrepreneurship are essential to understanding mission driven organizations. The challenges facing mission driven organizations and your potential involvement with them is the focus of Delta. The appendix at the end of this book is meant to demonstrate that there are many organizations and individuals besides us who are interested in this topic. This book has been developed to help you find a way out of this seemingly intractable course of events. We believe that a ...