Economic:

Historically, most organizations employ supply-side growth strategies, mass-producing foods, minerals, goods and services, then using mass communications strategies to create artificial markets for their food, minerals, goods and services until they became commodities. Think wheat, corn, coal, oil, cars, washing machines, telephone service and even internet access.

In recent years, we have seen the emergence of demand-side growth strategies, in which organizations focus on identifying the needs and wants of customers, then producing goods and services to meet those needs and wants. This phenomenon is called mass customization. Think Dell computers, Levi's jeans and Select Comfort mattresses.

More recently, we’ve entered what James Gilmore and Joseph Pine call The Experience Economy in which companies like Walt Disney, Lexus motorcars and Barnes & Noble use their goods and services like ‘props on a stage‘ to provide a unique experience for which they can generally charge higher prices. With Lexus, for example, it’s not just their high quality automobiles and legendary service but the whole ‘motoring experience’ that is the basis on which it competes quite profitably.

But even unique experiences can become commodities, so now we find ourselves entering what Gilmore and Pine call the transformation economy in which the customer is the product, transformed by a customized experience that helps them become what they aspire to be, and willing to pay more for it. Examples would include the fast-growing natural foods industry for those whose values and aspirations demand sustainable, grass-based meats without hormones and antibiotics, and the equally fast-growing hybrid car industry for those who value and aspire to energy independence and a cleaner environment.

Methodological:

With the emergence of ‘whole-systems’ thinking and ‘complex adaptive systems’ thinking in recent years, we have begun to look at organizations less as ‘machines’ and more as ‘living systems’ with many interdependent relationships on whose support the whole organization depends for innovation, adaptability and growth. Recognizing that their vitality depends on these relationships, ‘wholistic’ organizations seek to fulfill not only the aspirations of their investors and customers, but also those of their employees, suppliers and communities.

Philosophical:

Implicit in all of the above is the emergence of a leadership style more aptly described as one of service rather than command and control. Servant leaders realize the limits of their knowledge and skills; they seek the collective wisdom and mutual fulfillment of aspirations found in relationships. According to the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, servant leaders strive to create a culture characterized by “collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment.” The servant leader’s goal is to get everyone actively engaged in helping the organization to adapt quickly to challenges in the environment, fostering innovation, creativity and growth.

Psychological:

As most of us learned in psychology 101, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is as follows:

Basic needs are food, water, air, rest and, for most of us, sex,
Safety needs, such as security, physical comfort, and economic well-being,
Social needs like acceptance, feelings of belonging, love, and affection,
Need for esteem, as recognized by others and emanating from within our selves, and…
Self-actualization, or the fulfillment of our potential, and the sense of peace and accomplishment that comes from that.

The lesson here is that aspirations are found at all levels of human need. The challenge is to create a business strategy that fulfills the aspirations of customers, investors, employees, suppliers and communities where the organization does business in a balanced and equitable manner.

Sociological:

Humans have a universal hunger for immortality and a positive legacy. Here in the US, aging Baby Boomers are at their peak of power in American society, and as they contemplate retirement and mortality, especially after the events of September 11, 2001, most aspire to leave some kind of positive personal legacy, work-related or otherwise. Most organizations also aspire to fulfill their own vision and mission, leaving a positive ‘foot print’ or legacy for themselves.

In recent years, business leaders the world over have been acknowledging that with all the privileges that accrue to their organizations, good corporate citizens also have serious social responsibilities. “Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) is a global organization that helps member companies achieve success in ways that respect ethical values, people, communities and the environment.” While BSR views its members’ commitment to socially responsible actions as a competitive advantage, their commitment may also be viewed as a moral obligation to fulfill the aspirations of their other constituencies in addition to their investors and customers in a balanced and equitable manner.

Spiritual:

Finally, there is a growing phenomenon in the business world that may be called the ‘spirit-at-work’ movement. “The Association for Spirit at Work is a global organization that serves the spirituality in the workplace and the faith in the workplace communities.” “Spirit at Work is helping to create a critical mass in society that can help shift from a worldview that focuses primarily on materialism to one that incorporates social justice, spiritual values, concern for the environment, and a valuing of human development in our places of work.” Here is a growing belief that organizations are spiritually obligated to fulfilling the aspirations of all their constituencies in a balanced and equitable manner.

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