Author/Editor:
Jeremy Scrivens
Language:
English
Industry:
For-profit Business (Corporate)
Primary Country:
Australia
This is an authentic story about a group of real people in an Australian fresh produce business who are using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to engage their people to take the business ‘from good to great’ by discovering, aligning and extending their strengths. It is an exciting journey because they are focusing on what they can become and how they will grow at a time when many fresh produce companies are simply trying to survive in tough market conditions. But what is really exciting is that the company is engaging everyone in the business to help build the future. They are doing this as a ‘whole system’. It is not just the owners and executives behind closed boardroom doors who are building the future of the business as used to happen but all the staff together in the same room, including the ground floor teams; the growers, the pickers and the packers. In an industry where most people are seen only as hired hands who operate machines or pick / pack fresh produce; to see the people on the ground floor at SA Mushrooms coming together to build the future with their managers and owners is truly inspiring. It is also a very smart business decision; as the benefits of tapping into the combined creativity of everyone is already paying off. We caught up with some of the people who attended the first AI conversations, what we call an AI Summit, to find out what their experiences of the AI process has been like so far and what has improved already. We are delighted to be able to bring you this real story. Special thanks to Managing Director Nick and the amazing team at SA Mushrooms for sharing their story with such passion and for growing the best mushrooms you will ever see or taste. Good on you for having the guts to invest precious money, time and energy in your people and your potential, not fixing your problems. You are awesome guys! Looking forward to the next AI Summit with you! Part Two of this video is in production where we will go a bit deeper into what happens when you focus on the positive at SA Mushrooms and what is possible when you transform enterprises into communities who create together from their strengths as a way of being. Here is the video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6fwR81voVE&feature=plc