Our mission: Seeding the art of sustainable innovation by creating relaxing

and inspiring (virtual) breeding places where a diversity of managers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and professionals from different cultures, organizations and industries meet, connect, exchange information, learn, profit, may create new unities and

do business together. The ultimate aim is that these people unleash their own and their organization’s potential to develop sustainable business planning, processes and strategies, organisational design, leadership styles

sustainable and products, services, advocacy and activities to the benefit of all.

It’s our small contribution to make this world a better place to live and work in.

The metaphor of our breeding places, be inspired by the concept of:

"The Silk Road was the world's first information superhighway."         —Jeff GreenwaldFor countless centuries, travellers along the Silk Route crossed paths in caravansaries, a network of oases and sanctuaries that dotted the 4,000-mile road from Europe to East Asia. These bustling caravan stops offered more than just shelter from the desert wilderness; they were vital centres of cultural exchange, bringing together traders, pilgrims, monks, nomads, traveling entertainers, and wild-eyed adventurers from all points of the compass to share their stories around a common fire. Though fuelled by mercantilism, their legacy to us is a grand commerce of ideas — a swirling exchange of languages, legends, technologies, philosophies and art that helped shape nearly every aspect of our modern world.

"Much travel is needed before the raw man is ripened."        —Proverb of the Caravan of DreamsEvery year we will create several caravansary labs that occupy the crossroads of a dreamland: a ‘bazaar’ of sustainable innovation ideas and questions wherein treasures of every sort, from every land and age, flow in and out to be flaunted, lost, exploited and discovered. This is not a tourist destination, but a home for ‘travellers’ who come here bearing their stories, ideas, competences and questions on sustainable innovation as gifts. Amid the twisting and the turnings of its ‘souk’, participants will come upon an inexhaustible array of unexpected ideas and feedback, art and artists. Anyone may pose as 'merchant' of sustainable innovation ideas here, and anyone may play a 'customer’ of these ideas. According to a rule of desert hospitality, the only thing of value in this 'marketplace' will be one's interaction with (a) fellow human being(s).

"Have the nature of a dervish: then wear a stylish cap."        —Proverb of the Caravan of DreamsOur labs will also be a scene of luxury and cultivated ease. An apron of fine carpets will spread out beneath the shade of portals that surround a courtyard. Here travel-wearied ‘pilgrims’ may relax, inventing pastimes as they watch the whirling world go by. Workers of great ideas and art will be welcome here; they will throng through this performance space, like figures that adorn the fabric of a silk brocade. Finger cymbals, chimes, and music of acoustic instruments will fill the air. By night, bathed in the lambent glow of lanterns gently swaying overhead, fire places will be around the breeding place.

"Our history will be spread abroad by caravans."        —The Thousand and One Nights

Like the ancient Silk Route, The Caravansary Labs communities are also to be spread worldwide. They will form a network stretching all the way from e.g. Italy to South Korea, from Lithuania to Brazil. In the years to come we will invite these groups to help create real-life caravansary labs that represents their varied cultures. Any sustainable innovation concept or question by anyone, regardless of our annual themes, is welcome at the Labs.

Explanation of certain words and concepts that we use in

Why the words Lab and Sustainable Innovation? A lab is a safe place for research and tests. It

is derived from the Latin word ‘ labour’ . It is a breeding place for new business ideas and business incubators

Sustainable innovation means: innovate to develop sustainable products and

services and to cultivate an organisational climate that enables

constant and sustainable innovation processes. We focus first on the climate and next on the

products. A farmer also needs to focus on cultivating his soil first and taking

weather conditions into account before he can plant the seeds and harvest his crops.

The environment of our seeding process We meet in and travel along inspirational (virtual) places

around the globe where we experience nature’s design and human heritage

We use the metaphor of art and real projects of artists working together as best practice to illustrate how highly responsive to change and open-minded, creative people work and how best to work in a multicultural environment on trans-cultural creative projects

We create ‘platforms’ for people from different industries and cultures to work together

We develop media to develop insight and understanding on the importance of responsiveness to change, bio mimicry, cultural dynamics and human’s core competences.

How to survive as a business, an organisation or a person in the coming decades? Cultivate:

Our vision

The political, economical, social and technological tracks change so quickly and we derive our natural and human resources so much that constant, sustainable, human scale, nature based and strategic innovation will be the key to business survival in the coming decades. And e.g. not management tools, like economies of scale, mergers, acquisitions, cost savings, flexibility, corporate control or reorganizations. They are simply too slow.

Cultivating an innovative, self steering organizational climate ‘ecosystem’ will be the most critical success factor. The reason?

Our vision continued

Everywhere in the world it is not the strongest or biggest of organisations, teams or individuals that are successful, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to (change in) their environment.

Therefore being responsive to (change in) your natural and human environment is the critical success factor for transformation, sustainability, advancement and business survival.

Therefore grow success under your feet

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent,

fastest or biggest, but the ones most responsive to change in their

environment. They have proven to be the fittest in the struggle for existence”

- Charles Darwin

And business history and news has proven that this is also true for

organisations and people with sustained success!

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Our statementOrganisations or entities with an innovative organizational climate:

Are more profitable, but also more environmental and cost conscious than others and over a longer period

Are early adopters and/or qualitative market leaders Exist longer than others because of their resilience Are more social responsible and humane employers Produce better, more innovative and sustainable

products, services, advocacy or general purpose items

03-05-23Sjaak Pappe I Innovation and Culture Management 14

Our business model and strategy

Ending up at a SOFT ROCKS status is like asking yourself the question:

“Where is the North Pole?” You know more or less where you and want to go, but you miss the context and a “compass”

How to cultivate an Innovative Organisational Climate? Install the SOFT ROCKS Business Strategy and Circular Economy Model, which acronym stands for ..... SSurvival

OOf the Fittest

Through a RResponsive

OOrganisational CClimate and

KKnowledgenowledge SSystemystem

Manage core talentsAlign culture and strategyNature as mentor for design

The three main sources for the SOFT ROCKS Model

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The three sources of proven success for business survival in the coming decadesCORE TALENT MANAGEMENT: THE “HUMAN RELEASE”: Human scale management and responsive leadership embedded. Discovering, disclosing and developing the core talents of your employees, including human scale (self)leadership and management competences

ALIGNING CULTURAL DYNAMICS AND STRATEGY: Advancing worldwide intercultural cooperation and relationship building, while respecting cultural diversity, but also understanding how to apply culture and strategy alignment, cross cultural performance management, trans-cultural management and have the insight that multicultural work forces are amongst the most effective ones in the world

NATURE BASED DESIGN: Building sustainable systems, structures, processes and drafting strategies and developing products, services, advocacy and general purpose items, whereby nature is used as a mentor

These so-called soft areas will be the hard rocks in daily work

THE INDIVIDUAL (SELF) LEADERSHIP AND TALENT THE INDIVIDUAL (SELF) LEADERSHIP AND TALENT SOFT ROCKSOFT ROCKDiscover, develop and unleash your core Discover, develop and unleash your core competences and the ones of your (future) employees competences and the ones of your (future) employees and become a responsive (self) leader and human and become a responsive (self) leader and human scale manager of yourself and others scale manager of yourself and others

THE GROUP CULTURAL DYNAMICS SOFT ROCKTHE GROUP CULTURAL DYNAMICS SOFT ROCKAlign culture and business strategy, Align culture and business strategy, organisation’s design and leadership. Create a organisation’s design and leadership. Create a goal oriented, open and professional goal oriented, open and professional organisational culture, cultivate cultural diversity, organisational culture, cultivate cultural diversity, develop cultural competences and use cultural develop cultural competences and use cultural and reference scanning as predictor of future and reference scanning as predictor of future employee- and consumer behaviouremployee- and consumer behaviour

THE ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM SOFT ROCK THE ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM SOFT ROCK Flexible Short Term Objectives, Strategies, Flexible Short Term Objectives, Strategies,

Plans, Actions, Policies within Fixed Long Term Plans, Actions, Policies within Fixed Long Term Goals . Goals .

Human Scale and Responsive Management Human Scale and Responsive Management Systems . Procedures and Processes . Cell Systems . Procedures and Processes . Cell

Division . In- & External Knowledge Networks Division . In- & External Knowledge Networks and Incubators Across Industries . Diversity in and Incubators Across Industries . Diversity in Staff Demographics. Focus on Core Qualities. Staff Demographics. Focus on Core Qualities. Shared principles . Passion and will to excel . Shared principles . Passion and will to excel .

Total Self Organisation System for Serving Total Self Organisation System for Serving Customers . Continuous ‘Blue Ocean’ (like) Customers . Continuous ‘Blue Ocean’ (like)

Innovation and Marketing of Sustainable Innovation and Marketing of Sustainable Products and ServicesProducts and Services

THE BIOMIMICRY SOFT ROCK THE BIOMIMICRY SOFT ROCK Use design principles from Use design principles from

nature as mentor for nature as mentor for strategy, organisation’s strategy, organisation’s

design, leadership, product design, leadership, product and service designand service design

Personality Dynamics Profile of Core Talents

Feeling Awareness

Thinking Intuition

Your Persona: the ‘mask’ that you show to the outside world for acceptation and conformation

Shadow: Natural drives, creativity, cultural and personal valuesAnima: Feminity in men and Masculinity in women

Beleid & Beleid & StrategieStrategie

SHAREDSHAREDCORPORATE CORPORATE CULTURE +CULTURE +

FUNCTIONAL FUNCTIONAL DIVERS DIVERS

CULTURESCULTURES

Input,Throughput & Output Processes

STRATEGYSTRATEGYFOR YOURFOR YOURBUSINESSBUSINESS

Structure of the

Organisation

Systems for Systems for Analysis &Analysis &

ControlControl

Staff Staff Competences,Competences,

Diversity inDiversity in DemographicsDemographics

Style of Management

&Leadership

Cultures values of:

Nations

Regions

Ethnicity

Religion

Linguistics

Genders

Generations

Social Classes

(Education, Occupation,

Profession based)

The OrganisationThe Organisation

7S-MODEL:7S-MODEL: FACTORS INFLUENCING BUSINESS THAT FACTORS INFLUENCING BUSINESS THAT NEED TO BE BALANCED WITH EACHOTHER FOR TRUE NEED TO BE BALANCED WITH EACHOTHER FOR TRUE

EFFECTIVENESS. AND IF NOT ALIGNED THE EFFECTIVENESS. AND IF NOT ALIGNED THE “SOFTWARE” WILL ALLWAYS WIN“SOFTWARE” WILL ALLWAYS WIN

The principles of biomimicry and design of sustainable products, services and organisational structures

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The 13 core principles of a SOFT ROCKS organisationNature As Mentor – Culture – Human Nature 1. Everybody works according to their core talents and a healthy life

style2. Business strategy and culture are allways aligned3. There is short term flexibility within fixed long term goals4. Human nature’s traits predominate the systems-human interfaces5. Everybody works in preferably self steering units no larger than 506. People are connected to people from other industries than their

own7. There is diversity in all aspects of staff demographics8. The organisation focusses on its core qualities only9. Everybody is bound by clear corporate principles10. People have the passion and will to excel11. Everybody is responsible for serving customers12. There is constant innovation due to responsiveness13. Nature is the mentor for sustainable structures, products and

services

Phase 3 - Implementing and Sustaining Change

Phase 2 - Engaging and Enabling the Whole Organisation

Phase 1 - Creating a Climate for Change: 2,5-day meeting at The Caravansary Labs

The 8-step change process towards realizing SOFT ROCKS

After transformation: a set of new aligned After transformation: a set of new aligned organisational factors organisational factors

How to develop an

The Learning Track

First: Your Self Assessment First: Your Self Assessment ProcessProcessFIRST1. Organisational self assessment with the aid of the SOFT ROCKS self assessment tool (c)

IF YOU SENSE AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT2. Interviews with key stakeholders defining the needs for improvement and sense of urgency3. A group of key stakeholders verifies the needs for improvement and sense of urgency

GO OR NO GO DECISION FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT OF THE STATTUS OF INNOVATIVE ORGANISING4. Market/Environmental scan5. Organisational scan6. 360 degree self and core competency assessment of key stakeholder teams

VERIFYING AND PRESENTING THE SCAN RESULTS7. In-depth interviews to align findings with daily practice 8. Participative observation to verify collective findings9. Client panels 10. Relevant groups link daily practice examples to the results and verify the scan results

The answers to the questions. Scores on a five point Likert scale, some examples and quotes from the assessor Questions and Answers

Score legend of colours Actual situation Exceptions to the actual situation

Optimal situation

(SELF) LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES: score 21. Executives, middle managers and operational leaders work according to their real core competences e.g. motives, traits, self concepts, attitude, values,

knowledge, skillsScore: Strongly

disagreeDisagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Score: 2 and 3.Examples/quotes: This perspective comprises 20-60% of the managers. Management sessions are often held, like at IMD, end of May. There is an atmosphere where people can fulfil their ambitions. There are periodical meetings with managers regarding their career perspective.

2. Executives, middle managers and operational leaders, fully trust their staff and give them trust

Score: Stronglydisagree

Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Score: 2 and 3Examples/quotes: There is no clear picture; a lot is managing according to the existing procedures and processes. The score in the recent past was ‘disagree’. There was a lot of focus on faults. A culture of learning from our faults is being developed.

3. Executives, middle managers and operational leaders serve their staff e.g. they listen to them, have empathy, solve problems, have awareness of what is happening , they use persuasion and conceptualization, they have foresight and cultivate stewardship, growth and building community. They use authority over power.

Score: Stronglydisagree

Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Score: 2 and 3Examples/quotes: The organization had a hierarchical mind set. In the recent past the score would have been ‘disagree’. Leadership is being promoted based on two axes: connecting and vision. There is an annual engagement survey.

ORGANISATIONAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES: score 2,94. Staff involved in innovation processes have insight in and respect the values of their in-/external stakeholders , not being (potential) clients

Score: Stronglydisagree

Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Score: 3, innovation centre: 4Examples/quotes: The ‘agree’ score applies to new people in the organization. The innovation centre applies this principle as much as possible. It has a T-shaped model of competences: general competences versus one specialism. Understanding the inside and outside world is important.

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RADAR SUMMARY OF THE SOFT ROCKS ® SELF ASSESSMENT

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Where are you on the S Curve of Where are you on the S Curve of Innovation?Innovation?

What next? Inspired?

The Caravansary Labs: Co-Ordination TeamCo-Ordination Team

Sustainable Innovation Consultancy |Sustainable Innovation Consultancy |Sustainable Innovation Management Consulting Sustainable Innovation Management Consulting

Across CulturesAcross Cultures

The SOFT ROCKS Foundation |The SOFT ROCKS Foundation | Research on InnovativeResearch on Innovative

Organisational Climate EcosystemsOrganisational Climate Ecosystems

The EL CID| The EL CID| The The EExecutive xecutive LLearning earning

CCentre for entre for IInnovation nnovation DDevelopmentevelopment

The MILE| The MILE| MMedia for edia for InInnovation novation LLearning & earning &

EEntertainmentntertainment

Sustainable Business Incubators | Sustainable Business Incubators | Support Programs for Sustainable Innovative Support Programs for Sustainable Innovative

Entrepreneurial OrganisationsEntrepreneurial Organisations

The Caravansary InnOvation Gatherings | The Caravansary InnOvation Gatherings | Sustainable Innovation Information Exchange, Sustainable Innovation Information Exchange,

Business Network Meetings & Business Network Meetings & Innovation ToursInnovation Tours

Committee of Committee of Recommendation; Recommendation;

Strategic Advisory BoardStrategic Advisory Board& Think Tank & Think Tank

The Global Innovative The Global Innovative Organisation Index | Organisation Index | Annual Ranking of Annual Ranking of

Organisations with the Organisations with the Most Innovative Most Innovative Organisational Organisational

Climates and Best ResultsClimates and Best Results