Accelerating a Sustainable Clarke: Radical Innovation to Secure a Shared Global Future
An Appreciative Inquiry Summit
The Q CenterSt. Charles, IllinoisFebruary 7-9, 2012
Participant Workbook
Name: ___________________________________
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In the fall of 2008, we gathered for the first time ever as a company and began a journey to become a more sustainable, more socially responsible, more innovative company. We began a journey to "become" Clarke.
We established a road map, identified seven ambitious goals and began to implement some of the more than 875 ideas that came out of our first meeting. Today, just three years later, with the introduction of Natular, we’ve begun to change the language of our industry. Through the implementation of software systems and operational improvements, we have reduced our carbon footprint by 18%. We have raised more than $250,000 for the Clarke Cares Foundation and donated more than 2,792 hours of employee time to the communities in which we work.
Our 2010-2011Sustainability Report, published in January, has been verified by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as meeting the criteria for the GRI Application Level B. This check confirms that the report complies with the GRI’s standards for thoroughness and voluntary disclosure relative to human rights, labor, environmental, anti-corruption, and other corporate citizenship issues.
And yet, we’ve just scratched the surface of our imaginations and capabilities.
I invite you to join with me for the next few days as we discover and define the next steps in our journey. This time our focus will be on accelerating the pace of change and on using radical innovation to secure a future for all of us.
Sincerely,
J. Lyell Clarke, IIIPresident & CEO
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CLARKE+ 2012
Accelerating a Sustainable Clarke: Radical Innovation to Secure a Shared Global Future
SUMMIT OBJECTIVES
1. Fully engage all stakeholders to accelerate progress toward ambitious and meaningful sustainability goals.
2. Create a mindset of radical innovation and creativity to achieve our vision of a complete eco-tier of next generation offerings.
3. Expand our thinking to identify additional or alternate opportunities to increase value to our stakeholders and secure a shared global future.
Clarke+ 2012 Agenda:
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Accelerating a Sustainable Clarke: Radical Innovation to Secure a Shared Global Future
Day One (February 7, 2012): DISCOVERY Timeframe TaskMorning – begin at 8:00
Welcome and Opening Address—Lyell Clarke Current state of the business The focus of the summit: Our Summit Task Business case for accelerating Sustainable Clarke+
Overview of Appreciative Inquiry Summit—David Cooperrider How we will be working for the next three days 4-D cycle and our agenda Set up and conduct Part1: opening AI interviews
Keynote Speaker on Sustainable Value and Radical Innovation—Andrew Winston, author of Green to Gold.
Roundtable Discovery Part 1 (max-mix groups) and Report Outs12:30-1:15 LunchAfternoon
5:30
CEO Panel – stories of innovation and insight—Chuck Fowler, KoAnn Skrzyniarz and Andrew Winston. Facilitated by Chris Laszlo, author of Sustainable Value.
Roundtable Discovery and Report-Outs Part 2: Identifying “Proudest Prouds” and Success Factors in common stakeholder groups
Roundtable: Images of the future we want to create: Clarke+ in 2017—and creative presentations of scenarios
Insights and Reflections6:00 Cocktail Reception
Day Two (February 8, 2012): From DREAM to DESIGNTimeframe TaskMorning – begin at 8:30
Welcome and Opening Reflections
Keynote speaker on Design Thinking & Sustainable Innovation —Valerie Casey, CEO of Necessary Projects
Emerging opportunity areas (moving from Dream to Design)
Move Into “design studios”—people vote with their feet for the opportunity areas they most want to work on
Design Studio Part I - Build new groups around opportunity areas: Brainstorming in groups: “How might we…?” Clustering most promising opportunities for designing
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12:00-1:00 LunchAfternoon Design Studio Part II – Rapid Prototyping
Presentations of early prototypes Presentations and feedback Gallery walk posting feedback on prototypes – “what’s best”
and “ways to strengthen”
4:30-6:00 Drumming Activity
Day Three (February 9, 2012): From DESIGN to DEPLOYMENTTimeframe TaskMorning – begin at 8:30
Welcome and opening reflections—summit design groupDesign groups refine and strengthen prototypes based on feedbackIntroduction to action planning to move prototypes forwardAction planning: moving from design to deployment
LunchAfternoon –end by 3:00
Presentations: highlights and headlines Our group’s next steps to build momentum and organizational
action Aspiration statements of impact we see in the future
Our “Going Forward” strategyOpen microphone reflectionsClosing appreciations
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What is an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Summit?The WHOLE SYSTEM participates—a cross-section of as many internal and external stakeholders as possible—people and groups that care about and have a stake in the future of the organization. This means more diversity and less hierarchy than is usual in a working meeting, and a chance for each person and stakeholder group to be heard and to learn other ways of looking at the task at hand.
TASK FOCUSED—a summit is task focused, not simply an educational event or a conference. We are here to accomplish the task of building our vision and plan of action for creating a sustainable, innovative and creative company in ways that strengthen the real foundation of our business—creating new sources of shareholder value, employee and customer value, and societal value. Future scenarios are put into HISTORICAL and GLOBAL perspective. That means thinking globally together before acting locally. This enhances shared understanding and greater commitment to act. It also increases the range of potential actions.People SELF-MANAGE their work, and use DIALOGUE and INQUIRY—not “problem-solving”—as the main tool. That means helping each other do the tasks and taking responsibility for our perceptions and actions.COMMON GROUND rather than “conflict management” is the frame of reference. That means honoring our differences and then discovering areas for action where we have strong common ground. APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY (“AI”)—To appreciate means to value—to understand those things worth valuing. To inquire means to study, to ask questions, to search. AI is, therefore, a collaborative search to identify and understand the organization’s strengths, the greatest opportunities, and people’s aspirations and hopes for the future.COMMITMENT TO ACTION—Because the “whole system” is involved, it is easier to make more rapid decisions, and to make commitments to action in an open way that everyone can support and help make happen.
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DiscoveryOpening Interviews
Question Guide for Conversation in PairsTo be completed by ______ o’clock
1. Recall your High Point Moments - Sometimes leaders inspire us. Sometimes it’s a co-worker or team member’s enthusiasm. Sometimes it’s a new product innovation or service that inspires customers or partners. Sometimes it’s the company itself, what it stands for, its mission, the jobs it secures for people, or the value it creates for society and its customers. Or sometimes moments of inspiration happen when we are learning something new, doing good, launching a new initiative, or helping others to succeed. Many things might inspire you.
A. We want you to think about times when you feel most inspired and successful at Clarke. Share an example of a time that stands out as one of your high point moments, a time you felt most alive, inspired, or most proud. Perhaps a time when you accomplished something important with a team, or a customer. Reflect on just one of your high points with Clarke. Recall some of the details: where
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Note: Please take notes, and use your skills as an interviewer as you listen and go deeper into your partner’s experiences, visions, and stories.
were you, when was it, and what were you doing? What made it stand out as a memorable a high point moment for you?
What does this example teach us about success at Clarke or about bringing out our best?
B. Now, when you look at this story and others like it, what does it say about you and your special strengths? What are your three most dependable strengths; things you do well and like doing?
2. Consider Clarke‘s strengths. What things should we keep and preserve?
Charles Darwin once said, "It's not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change." Likewise, we know that Clarke must change, evolve, and transform in the future. Every organization will have to change. But effective organizations know how to preserve their core and keep what they do best. They study their strengths and seek to preserve the best. So let's look at our core strengths in three key areas: producing innovation; being a leader in sustainability; and inspiring or serving others.
From your experience or what you have seen…
A. Share a story that illustrates Clarke’s strengths or skills in the area of innovation. When are the people and partners of Clarke most innovative? Can you point to an actual example? What are the ingredients for innovation and what can we do more of to create a culture of radical innovation. A culture where new ideas are bubbling up from everywhere?
B. Share a story that illustrates Clarke’s strengths in creating sustainable value. When has Clarke succeeded in a way that advanced both business value AND value for building a better, more sustainable world or ecology? What were the specific strengths or assets, in that example, that helped make it happen?
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C. Share a story that illustrates Clarke’s capacity to inspire others “on the outside” – customers, the industry at large, or partners we work with such as schools, communities, or business partners. What are our strongest strengths in serving, winning the hearts, or inspiring others?
Finally, in your view what are the three best things about Clarke, our ways of working, our strengths, and our best organization and management practices or aspects of our culture, that we should keep, even as we move into a new and changing future?
In my view here are the 3 most important things we should keep:
1.
2.
3.
3. Developing an eye for innovation and “what works”. Share stories of the sustainability revolution in successful companies beyond Clarke.
Good companies are constantly searching outside of themselves for stories of innovation: examples of what works, what’s best, and what’s next. It is in this spirit that we have asked everyone to come to this summit with one sustainable value story. A story of some ecologically beneficial product or service, clean energy or smarter efficiency system, zero waste breakthroughs, or some consumer or societal trend pointing to new sustainable value opportunities and business models. Why scan for innovations? We do so, because the sustainability revolution is in full motion and each innovation points to possibilities for the future. Factories designed to produce more clean, renewable energy than they need are giving the extra energy to their communities. Sneakers are being designed so that they won’t fill up our landfills. Instead, they can be planted and turned into flowers. Hydrogen fueling stations could reach 5,200 by 2020. Herman Miller, one of CNN’s top 100 places to work, designed a state of the art health center for employees to advance personal well-being. They have also included locally-grown and organic products in their cafeteria selections. Honda just announced zero waste at ten plants and plans on eliminating the very concept of waste. The stories go on, with
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airplanes experimenting with algae to power their engines, and an explosion of innovative new partnerships between business and nonprofits working to eradicate poverty, conserve our waterways, and more.
A. At Clarke, we want to create an organization where every single person and partner is on the lookout for sustainable value trends and opportunities. Even if the examples are in another domain or far afield from what we do, stories of positive innovation can open minds, spark unexpected ideas, and help seed a creative culture.
What sustainable innovation, somewhere other than Clarke, has caught your eye? What inspires you about the story? How does it stretch your sense of what’s possible and what’s coming?
4. Images of an Exceptional Future: Clarke and its Achievements in 2017
Let’s assume that tonight you fall into a sound sleep and it lasts for five years. When you wake up it is 2017. During those five years, many positive innovations and changes happened at Clarke. It is exciting to see. During those five years so many good things happened that it is like a miracle, and Clarke has become the organization you would be most proud to be a part of.
So step into 2017. Describe what you see happening; things that are new, different, or the same but even better. What do you see inside Clarke; the people, the operations, our culture or “the special Clarke way” of working? What do you see on the outside; relationships with customers, communities, and results? And how have we grown? What do we look like in 2017? What are we known for? Where have we been innovative? What are we best in the world at?
A. Please make notes on what you see in the 2017 vision. Here is what I see that is new, different or better—things that would make me proud:
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B. Now with these images and vision of 2017 in mind, what is the smallest thing that we could do, or put in motion, coming out of this summit to make this vision of the future possible?
C. What is one bolder thing we might set in motion to move in the direction of your vision? It might even be something that we may never have even talked about or considered yet?
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Forming GroupsSuggested Self-Management and Group Leadership Roles
Each small group manages its own discussion, data, time, and reports. Leadership roles can be rotated. Divide the responsibilities in any way that works best for your group. Here are useful roles for managing this work:
Discussion Leader: Ensures that each person who wants to speak is heard within the time available. Keeps group on track to finish on time.
Time Keeper: Keeps group aware of time. Monitors report-outs and signals time remaining to the person talking.
Recorder: Writes group’s output on flipcharts, using the speaker’s words. Ask people to restate long ideas briefly.
Reporter: Delivers report to large group in time allotted.
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Discovery – Part I
Discovering the Resources in Our Community
To welcome and appreciate each other, to learn about special experiences, strengths, and resources people bring to this summit, and to touch on every aspect of our “task” for the whole summit.
Note: Select a Discussion Leader, Timekeeper, Recorder, and Reporter.1) Go around the table and introduce your interview partner in one or two
minutes by sharing a couple of highlights from your interview. Share things from your partner’s stories or visions that stood out most for you. Everyone introduces his or her partner.
2) Next, go deeper into one of the interview questions assigned to your table. Everyone shares his or her stories and observations. Your group should listen for patterns/themes. Tables 1-6 focus on the high point question—#1 A & B Tables 7-13 focus on the things Clarke should keep question—#2 A
& B Tables 14-20 focus on “an eye for innovation” outside Clarke—#3 Tables 21-26 focus on hopes and things that can come out of the
summit--#4 A, B, C3) Recorder will fill out the designated worksheet (see next pages) for
your table’s assigned question.
4) Reporter should prepare to give a three-minute report-out, being sure to include one or two of the most powerful stories/examples that came from your group.
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Purpose:
Guidelines:
Tables 1- 6 -- Focus on Question #1: Share and record High Point Moments that describe an organization where people are inspired every day to bring
their best to the customer, each other’s success, and our world.
Question 1 When are Clarke people
most passionate or inspired to bring their best?
Root Causes(What do you notice? What
supports passion, high performance, and
inspiration?)
Implications(What might this mean for
our future? Are there things we want to do more
of or do better?)
Listen to each person and list stories from each member of your group from part “A” and “B” of interview question 1.
Choose one or two of your group’s best stories or real examples to share in the report out to the large group
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Tables 7-13—Focus on Question #2: Things Clarke Should Keep Worksheet
Best Practices and StoriesFrom Question 2
Implications(What might this mean for our future?)
Strengths we have for igniting or supporting innovation
Strengths we have in sustainable value creation
Strengths we have for inspiring others on the outside, such as customers, partners, communities, etc
As a group, name three strengths, qualities, or values thatClarke should keep no matter how much it changes in the future
(Now, create a picture, a drawing or a metaphor of Clarke’s signature, dependable strengths)
1.
2.
3.
Note: choose one or two of the group’s best stories to illustrate as examples and share your picture or metaphor depicting Clarke distinctive signature or dependable
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strengths.
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Tables 14-20 – Focusing on Question #3: Developing an eye for innovation and “what works”: stories of the sustainability revolution in leading
companies
Stories of Innovation
What Trends Do You See in Your Stories?
Based on your stories, will sustainability be more important or less important to Clarke’s success in the future?
What opportunities do the stories point to? Are there some incremental improvements or small opportunities for us (areas
for quick wins) suggested? Can you name at least one small opportunity, even if it sounds obvious?
Can your group “go beyond” the stories and imagine at least one bolder, bigger opportunity area to consider? Something that might lead to a breakthrough in Clarke’s next ascent in ensuring our shared global future?”
How might we get better and better as a company as it relates to continuously spotting
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innovative sustainability stories? How might we better leverage and use the stories for innovation and inspiration?
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Tables 21-26 – Images of the Future WorksheetImages of the Clarke organization and results we want in 2017
(Everyone shares from Question 4 and listens for patterns and group visions)
Next, create the front page of the Feb. 2017 edition of the Wall StreetJournal or Time Magazine with a cover story dedicated to Clarke. What’s the exciting
headline? What are some of the key elements and the heart of the story?
Wall Street Journal’s headline in 2017:
Key elements in the Clarke future story:
Small actions and bolder actions that Clarke took to get there:
Note for Reporter:Be sure to report out your group’s top 3 “smallest things” that could have a large impact, and report out your group’s top 3 “bolder things” that could come out of this summit.
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KEYNOTE SPEAKER ON SUSTAINABLE VALUEAndrew Winston
Key Messages and Themes:
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Discovery – Part IIStrengths in Our Various Stakeholder Groups
To look at the things we are doing, from the perspective of our common stakeholder group, which we are most proud of, our strongest strengths, things we bring to our Clarke and our summit task, strengths that we might magnify and leverage during this summit and beyond.
Note: Select a Discussion Leader, Timekeeper, Recorder, and Reporter.1) List what your stakeholder group is doing, or has done, that you are
most PROUD of and/or the strengths that you bring to the objectives of this summit.
2) Make a list of the “Proudest Prouds” or “Strongest Strengths” of your stakeholder group.
3) Identify and record your top three “Proudest Prouds” or “Strongest Strengths”
4) Identify one story to share with the entire group that illustrates your stakeholder group’s “Proudest Prouds” or “Strongest Strengths.”
5) In addition, answer this question: “As a stakeholder group our biggest hope for this summit is…”
Note: Reporter should be prepared for 2-3 minute report-out of your stakeholder group’s “Strongest Strengths” and a story illustrating those kinds of strengths.
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Purpose:
Guidelines:
CEO PANELChris Laszlo, Chuck Fowler, KoAnn Skrzyniarz, and Andrew Winston
Key Messages and Themes:
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DREAMING WITH OUR FEET ON THE GROUND AND IMAGINING THE FUTURE WE WANT TO HELP CREATE
Future scenarios we want to work toward
“Every single social and global issue of our day is a business opportunity.”- Peter Drucker
“The best way to predict the future is to create the future”-- Peter Drucker
To imagine the Clarke you want to work toward; a successful business and sustainability leader that has advanced radical innovation to secure a shared global future.
Group Roles:Select a Discussion Leader, Recorder, Reporter, and Timekeeper
Overview:1. Put yourself 5 years into the future. It is Clarke in 2017. Visualize the
ideal organization and its positive impact that you really want to work toward. Be bold. Speak to your vision. Step into the best future you see in 2017.
Everyone shares their visions based on questions like these:a. I will be most proud of Clarke in 2017 when….
b. What are some of the most exciting and valuable initiatives? What are some of the smallest and valuable innovations? What are some of the bolder ones? Consider elements like these:
i. How do the people of Clarke embody innovation?
ii. What does the organization look like in terms of people? What new or better things are we doing to empower, engage and bring out the best in people?
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Purpose:
Guidelines:
iii. What incremental or disruptive blue ocean business opportunities are happening? New products? Services? New or different markets?
iv. Where are we capturing new incremental value and bigger or bolder value by using the sustainability lens?
v. What do people around the world say about Clarke? What is our reputation in 2017?
vi. Why do talented people want to be here?
vii. What are we doing to tell our story?
viii. What strategic partnerships are happening? Are there any surprising new ones that our unexpectedly strategic or innovative?
ix. What impact do you see by 2017? Business results? Social and environmental impacts?
What makes this vision exciting to you? How does this vision help us unlock hidden opportunities to create value?
2. Each person shares his or her visions. Capture the key elements of your group’s visions for the future. Spend enough time to develop a concrete vision of what your group wants to see. This is an exercise in creative visualization and one that builds on all earlier discussions.
3. Choose a creative way to present your vision to the rest of us in a 3-4-minute portrayal. Use as many members of your group as possible in the presentation. You could do a TV news report, a TV show, a “day in the life…”, a skit, a song, a CNN feature, or a panel presentation, etc.
Note for Reporter: during the discussion, listen for the “what” and “how” of the vision and record key insights on the template on the next page.
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Things I Like in the Images of the Future(Take notes from each of the presentations)
Elements of the visions I findmost important or exciting
(What)
Opportunities andpossibilities for action
(How)
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KEYNOTE SPEAKER ON DESIGN INNOVATIONValerie Casey
Key Messages and Themes
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Design – Part I
Working With Key Opportunity Areas: Holding a “Brainstormer” in the Area You Have Most Energy For
To brainstorm as many ideas as possible related to your group’s opportunity area. Think of ideas that can move Clarke in the direction of our future visions and dreams.
Assuming anything imaginable is possible in relation to your opportunity area. “How might we….?”
Brainstorming rules:
Defer judgment—don’t dismiss any ideas Encourage wild ideas—be radical Build on the ideas of others—no “buts” only “ands” Stay focused on the topic Hold one conversation at a time Be visual Go for quantity
1) Each breakout group manages its own discussion, data, time, and reports. Leadership roles can be rotated. Divide the responsibilities in any way that works best for your group. Here are useful roles for self-managing this work BRAINSTORM RADICAL – Assures that the group is challenged to
contribute bold, wild ideas. TIMEKEEPER – Keeps group aware of time left. BRAINSTORM FACILITATOR – Facilitates the brainstorming session
by upholding the brainstorming rules and raises questions to keep the brainstorming moving. Challenges the group to go for quantity. Try to get as many ideas and “post its” as possible on the board.
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Purpose:
Guidelines:
Design – Part II
Rapid Prototyping
To focus in on and take the most promising areas from the brainstorming session and build and design a prototype or model of it that can be brought into Clarke to help us realize our visions. The goal is to begin prototyping an initiative that has strategic value for the company.
Note: Select a Discussion Leader, Timekeeper, Recorder, and Reporter.1) Do a quick read of the promising ideas or combination of ideas from
the brainstorming session. Think about ideas that can be designed into something that is tangible, a value creation initiative. It might be a new structure or service, a training manual, a re-design of a program, a new communication program, tools for efficiency, new process design, a program with customers, or others.
2) For the sake of building at least one prototype, narrow and prioritize the brainstormed list. One way to do this is to use colored “dots” and have each group member take five dots and place them on the items they most want to work on (someone could put all five dots on one item, or they could vote for five different items).
3) If the prototype has several discrete elements you might want to form subgroups to work on different pieces.
4) Build the prototype and make it visual, for example: A drawing A storyboard A three dimensional model A “Bodystorm” (skit with props) A business proposal format (as if you were presenting to the
Company’s board of directors)5) Be prepared to do a 3-5 minute presentation of the prototype to the
whole group. After your demonstration, we’ll ask you to name the discrete design elements or big ideas you included. Be ready to make
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Purpose:
Guidelines:
the business case, the innovation case and the sustainability case for the initiative you are prototyping.
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Deployment – Part I
Action Planning
To refine the prototype and build an action plan to find the quickest, cheapest, and lowest-risk ways to put the prototype into practice.
Note: Select a Discussion Leader, Timekeeper, Recorder, and Reporter.1) Steps:
Name your prototype. Identify your key objectives; describe clearly your initiative and
what it is intended to accomplish. Determine whose input or partnership (some structure or group in
the organization or with external stakeholders we should collaborate with) would be most valuable at this stage of development.
Assess business/financial logic: will this have positive impact on the world or our communities? Will it affect the bottom line? Will it make us a stronger, higher performing business? Which stakeholders will see the value?
Identify challenges and requirements for execution or good implementation.
Determine how you will measure success What is your action plan: early steps, moderate term stages, and
longer-term steps? See worksheet on next page. Name the group members who will continue with this initiative and
their contact information2) Reporters will present the highlights for your final (3-4 minute)
presentation. Choose what excites you most. Make the case for it. Why is it important? We cannot get into details, so hit the highlights with speed. Then share your next step(s) to illustrate how this initiative can move forward.
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Purpose:
Guidelines:
Plan of Action for ________________________________ (name the initiative)
What will Be done(stages and steps)
Persons responsible(name group & point person or
chairperson)Completion date Help needed from
specific others
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Deployment – Part II
Ambassadors for Success, Innovation, and Inspiration at Clarke
With your original interview partner (if available) or another team member, discuss the following:
1. Name the three most important things that happened at this Summit.
One key area of learning for me was _______________________________________________________
One high point in the summit for me was _______________________________________________________
One of the most important outcomes in my view was _______________________________________________________
2. What one message of innovation or inspiration will you communicate to others to ensure the success of Clarke?
_________________________________________________________
3. What are your personal commitments and to do’s:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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Guidelines:
Notes
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Created In Collaboration With
