Our Approach
We value the complex and multi-dimensional nature of people and the ever-changing and dynamic nature of organizations as the foundational assets upon which to build and grow as we dismantle oppressive structures and cultivate environments that foster creativity and flourishing. Recognizing that the world and contexts we exist in are similarly complex and dynamic, we have built a practice that seeks the best in people and organizations in order to envision and work toward compelling shared images of themselves and the organizations they compose. The following overarching frameworks and bodies of knowledge ground, interweave, and guide our work and our vision:
Racial and Social Justice
Towards Us and Us: Eradicating racial and social power structures that rupture relationships to ourselves, each other, and the earth
We believe that an equitable and inclusive world is possible, and that social service and social change organizations can play a necessary role in creating such a world. We understand that histories of oppressions require that world to be explicitly Pro-Black, Pro-Indigenous, Pro-Trans & GNB, Pro-Disability, Pro-POC, Pro-Queer. We have found that the journey toward creating equitable and inclusive organizations is most successful when it begins by first understanding the sociocultural, sociopolitical, and socioeconomic power structure and establishing shared language and knowledge base for recognizing and understanding the systemic nature of racial and social inequities, how these are based in the history and current practice of anti-blackness, and how policies and practices that reflect dominant cultural norms create barriers that harm Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and prevent organizations from benefitting from BIPOC wisdom and contributions. Based on this understanding, we support people and organizations in 1) establishing this foundational shared language and knowledge; 2) identifying where and how dominant cultural norms exist in and inform organizational culture; and, 3) developing policies and practices that create the conditions for becoming an anti-racist organization and 4) co-creating a culture of belonging in which people and organizations thrive—not despite— because of the many identities we embody and the intersectional experiences we hold.
Appreciative Inquiry
Building on what works: Being detectives of success to become powerful and effective architects of desired futures
Through our work with various organizational change models over the years, we have found that courageously dreaming and building toward what is wanted is a powerful, efficient, and effective approach. Understanding that change begins at the moment we ask a question and—Working from David L. Cooperrider’s premise that “we live in worlds our questions create”, we at Quantum Possibilities seek values-driven questions that are generative—articulating what is wanted—and move us forward toward expanding possibilities for organizational transformation. We find Appreciative Inquiry to be an inspiring, growth-promoting, and transformational philosophical and practical approach to frame, take inventory, envision, plan, and pursue meaningful change by building on existing assets and opportunities. With Appreciative Inquiry, we support people and organizations through a transformational journey of Discovery—unearthing the best of “What is”; Dreaming—envisioning “What might be”; Designing—naming “What should be” and creating the roadmap to get us there; and, Delivering—assessing where we are on the journey (“How are we doing?”) and realizing “What we want more of.” This approach creates a collaborative change process that can be simultaneously accessible and inspiring to everyone involved.
Generative Leadership
Authentic relational leadership that fosters excellence, engagement, and growth
For decades, industry and factory-based models of leadership and management have had us believing that consequences, rewards, and fear of being caught are what make people perform their duties. Fortunately, dated beliefs that human nature is lazy, and that people want to get away with what they can and prefer not to make decisions are being repeatedly debunked. Research demonstrates that people want to work hard, do meaningful work, and lead, if given the opportunity. Moving away from leadership and management models that thwart intrinsic motivation, drive, and self-direction through attempts at extrinsic motivation, punitive practices, and rigid instruction, makes room for us to reconsider what we know to be true and become open—through research-based evidence—to the expansive possibilities of Generative Leadership. That is, an approach to leadership that nurtures intrinsic motivation, drive, and self-direction by creating opportunities for skill-acquisition and mastery, illustrating to people that their work is meaningful and is connected to a greater mission, and supporting levels of autonomy and self-determination. Generative leaders lead in authentic relational ways that are more rewarding for the leader and those they lead and foster the growth and innovation that can bring about mission-driven excellence.
Neuroscience, Behavioral Economics,
& Interpersonal Neurobiology
Expanding possibilities by integrating scientific disciplines that help us understand and catalyze growth, change, and creativity
We recognize that the prospect for change can be a source of fear and uncertainty. Whether we are seeking to change our organizational practices and culture, or we are being asked to change our leadership or supervisory styles and approaches, change processes necessitate trust, vulnerability, and curiosity. At Quantum Possibilities, we turn to the fields of Neuroscience, Behavioral Economics, and Interpersonal Neurobiology to understand the conditions necessary for people to be willing to engage in meaningful and lasting change processes inspired by possibilities rather than being blocked by fears. We incorporate the latest research these fields have to offer into our training design, coaching approach, and consulting model.
Wellness
Practicing a politic of care and love for ourselves and each other
While previous models of human health and well-being have focused on the absence of illness and suffering, researchers have come to identify the conditions and practices that human beings need to thrive, flourish, and emerge—to be fully ourselves. Oppressive power structures and toxic ideologies of power-over and better-than have disrupted ancestral knowledge and practice of being in right relationship to ourselves, our bodies, our minds, each other, our communities, and the earth. Inspired by the body of knowledge emerging from various fields of science, as well as from community leaders and elders, we understand Wellness as the human experience of showing up in the full expression of ourselves and with the full capacity to experience the world, others, and ourselves in every moment, and be in right relationship with each of these experiences and connections. We our best able to practice this wellness when oppressive structures are not constraining our freedom nor our contributions. Throughout our work, whether guiding organizations through racial and social justice trainings or organization-wide transformational processes through Appreciative Inquiry, we are seeking the conditions and practices necessary for humans to learn, engage, and express themselves, making it possible to fully contribute to the mission and wellness of their organizations. Simultaneously, we seek the conditions necessary for organizations to contribute to the wellness of individuals, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that propels organizations to fully move in the direction of the mission they are created and designed to pursue.