Value creation decision making is instrumental in volatile business environments, where dealing with complexity is a standard requirement and the need to change is constant and virtually ominous. Although many companies have mastered the use of data, logic and analytics to determine if they are consistently and sustainably driving positive value creation or NPV (Net Present Value), incorporating data resulting from unconscious processes has lagged behind the use of conscious data and logic that underpin value creation decisions. The challenge is to help business leaders lower their threshold of conscious-level thought in order to access unconscious processes with a structured approach that makes such data visible and useful. Habitually using reflective sessions as a psychodynamic instrument in decision making processes regarding value creation is one example of such a process.
Creating reflective space as a psychodynamic instrument in groups and organizations enables people to achieve insightful recognition of the systemic factors and unconscious psychic realities that are contributing to a current situation. So while the resolution of personal conflicts or an increase in happiness might be the outcome of individual psychotherapy. Psychodynamic/socio-analytic methods such as using reflective space is about increasing a system’s capacity to confront business challenges by bringing subconscious variables into the decision making equation that are difficult to discover in other ways.
Value creation is contingent upon several behavioural imperatives, e.g.
Maintain an externally informed perspective on business opportunities and challenges;
Understand what the customers need (immediate and long term) and focus on delivering innovative solutions to meet these;
Focus on external partnerships that deliver value to customers and stakeholders;
Work back from commercial opportunities to prioritize activities that deliver value;
Agree clear accountability and gain commitment for delivery of specific outcomes;
Motivate people to exceed, reward success and apply consequences for non-delivery;
Take appropriately informed decisions and manage related risks;
Remove barriers to quick action.
Business leaders who are able to question their and other business leader’s assumptions in the face of business reality and who succeed to optimize free association as an instrument to leverage creative and innovative ideas and who are able to integrate this effectively through reflection, are establishing the basis for prospective value creation.
Associating happens as the brain tries to synthesize and make sense of novel inputs. It helps innovators discover new directions by making connections across seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas.
By hearing every decision maker’s sub-surface feelings, emotions, biases, assumptions and by reflecting deeply and cultivating new insights on what is possible, a level of learning, sense making and trust is cultivated. A good leader should look around and look forward – and that means looking “inside” as well.
The true value of reflection in the context of value creation decision making is in the opportunity to find new value through thoughts, which emerge from a harvesting of the unconscious, which can be “translated” into clean logic and data driven value decisions. This requires reflective learning. Business leaders must find new ways of doing things and create innovative and out-of-the-box solutions that make the needle move and keep ahead of competition and the rapid technological advances.
Reflective space, with the right pre-requisites for effective participation, provides an unrestrained “safe” space, where thoughts and emotions of the participating business leaders are respected and optimal conditions for the development of trust are provided.
It raises the business leader’s self-awareness and builds the business leader’s ability to cultivate a creative and innovative thinking environment building on learnings, testing assumptions and building overall resilience in the face of the volatile, uncertain, complex and often ambiguous business environment.
If you want to obtain more information regarding this topic, please contact Circle Coaching & Consulting at info@circlecoachconsult.com or call +31 6 42410740.