In the beginning, people weren’t really happy about the changes. But, after about 10 days, we started to see things slowly begin to change: Our proposals became more creative, we started experimenting with new ways of doing things – in how we presented projects to clients, for example. The team became more focused, more innovative, happier, and freer.
We also observed two unexpected outcomes:
- The average size of our projects grew seven times more than what they were just a few months ago. With the same questions and needs, we are now able to think bigger, to design more impactful projects for the clients we serve.
- People at Futureberry are more confident and more proactive and customers seem to appreciate our new style. As a result, this year we are projecting an unprecedented increase in revenue (at least, this was the forecast before the Coronavirus).
To keep this momentum going, we have just launched a beta operational model which is bringing more autonomy to the teams. We have also launched a sustainability initiative to get us a B Corp Certification by the end of the year. We’re creating new partnerships, working with people and organizations on a global level. Piero Gandini, another one of my classmates, is coaching our team to be able to navigate these operational changes. I can feel totally new energy, both in the company and in myself. It’s a place that is not only working better but that I personally like more.
* * *On Theater Day at THNK, I learned from our director Liesbeth that leadership is about creating the right context. When I returned to Futureberry, we set out to create the right context for people to be more innovative and happy.
This lesson, combined with sessions on purpose and systems change, created the shift in my mindset that was waiting to happen. Even one year after finishing the program, I still feel great energy and emotion. I feel a huge sense of gratefulness – there is magic in the school and in the program.