The Possibility Process
"I've made it my life's work to analyze what extraordinary entrepreneurs do differently, test my findings in high stakes business environments, and distill specific actions into a process anyone can apply to produce breakthrough results"
- Tana Plewes, Co-founder, Hume Chalk & Author of The Possibility Process
At the root of most business headaches are people issues: recruitment, engagement, performance, retention, communication.
And at the root of all of those issues are human emotions and real people.
The Possibility Process is a breakthrough method that digs into the 'elephant in the room' of most business failures and struggles - a breakdown in relationships between people and the human emotions behind it. And, most importantly, it does it in the context of the whole system, which is always complex, fluid and multi-dimensional.
Developed by Hume Chalk co-founder Tana Plewes over a 30 year career in systems analysis and business/economic development, it is based on not only solid, hands-on experience with transforming businesses but also interviews and discussions with over 22,000 Canadian business people about their workplace struggles, hopes, dreams and stories.
And at the root of all of those issues are human emotions and real people.
The Possibility Process is a breakthrough method that digs into the 'elephant in the room' of most business failures and struggles - a breakdown in relationships between people and the human emotions behind it. And, most importantly, it does it in the context of the whole system, which is always complex, fluid and multi-dimensional.
Developed by Hume Chalk co-founder Tana Plewes over a 30 year career in systems analysis and business/economic development, it is based on not only solid, hands-on experience with transforming businesses but also interviews and discussions with over 22,000 Canadian business people about their workplace struggles, hopes, dreams and stories.
Engaging the Whole System ...
Owners of high-growth companies manage the environment, not the people. As practitioners of possiblity, we use the systems and tools of The Possibility Process to help you create:
1) an ecosystem where people think and act decisively and collaboratively - a high performance culture where management and staff learn and grow together while continually improving systems and processes - and;
2) a modern, ready for innovation, fully documented, system optimized business that you either continue to run or pass on/sell to the next generation - a turnkey business designed for the future, and ready for the change that is coming
Congruence, Crazy Canaries, & What You Don't Know ...
"The Possibility Process is more than a business book. To people who are awake I introduce it as a spiritual business book. Tana, you're a medicine woman of business." - Mike Grewal, Ethical Gypsy
When a business is undergoing change, there is, as you can imagine, a lot going on. There are always multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, conflicting stories and outside pressures. It’s not enough to come into an organization with one trick up your sleeve and think that is the only answer. It’s never just one problem (‘if we could only communicate better’, “if only our sales team functioned more efficiently”, “it’s just that this one product needs improving”). That’s why the Possibility Process is a process, not just a single tool.
Yes, we use a lot of well-researched and real-world tested business change tools, such as (cue the buzz words) - just-in-time workplace development, business systems re-engineering, participatory workshops, interviews, executive/personal coaching, meaning-centred narrative building and knowledge collection/deployment - but how and when each tool is pulled out of the toolkit is customized for each client and situation.
While the tools we use are pulled out when they are needed, the journey, the process, we go through with each client, remains the same. It looks like this:
As we go on this journey with you through your business, we are looking for a few key things. One them is Congruence. Congruence creates harmony or agreement across the full spectrum of the system. There are actually 16 dimensions of a successful business. We are looking at dimensions such as visual, emotional, functional, financial, and seeing how each of these impact customers, employees, suppliers and lenders.
In a business system re-engineering project, we have to look at all these dimensions, all the inter-relationships, and see if they are congruent, operating optimally and doing what they are meant to do.
In a business system re-engineering project, we have to look at all these dimensions, all the inter-relationships, and see if they are congruent, operating optimally and doing what they are meant to do.
We are also looking at the people, and searching for what we affectionately call “Crazy Canaries” - the rare birds in your company that, like the canary in a coal mine, are able to detect systemic problems way earlier than most people. The unique thinkers. Sometimes the ‘problem employee’.
The Possibility Process looks at your people (and you) with new eyes -and explores their stories, their dreams, and aspirations. Together, these processes often find skills, talents, ideas that we never knew existed. Trapped potential hidden in plain sight.
Another thing we are looking for are the Hidden Dynamics at play. Of course, in any business, there’s going to be a lot of moving parts, and you’d assume that when a business analyst comes into to look at what’s going on in the business, all the relevant information could be found and laid out on the table.
But we’ve found that is virtually never the case. There are always hidden dynamics at play.
And in order to move forward in an optimal way, those hidden dynamics have to be brought forth into the light of day. The Possibilty Process includes a unique way of conducting a complete inventory of the current reality, including hidden dynamics.
Here’s a couple of diagrams we use to explain hidden dynamics:
The Possibility Process looks at your people (and you) with new eyes -and explores their stories, their dreams, and aspirations. Together, these processes often find skills, talents, ideas that we never knew existed. Trapped potential hidden in plain sight.
Another thing we are looking for are the Hidden Dynamics at play. Of course, in any business, there’s going to be a lot of moving parts, and you’d assume that when a business analyst comes into to look at what’s going on in the business, all the relevant information could be found and laid out on the table.
But we’ve found that is virtually never the case. There are always hidden dynamics at play.
And in order to move forward in an optimal way, those hidden dynamics have to be brought forth into the light of day. The Possibilty Process includes a unique way of conducting a complete inventory of the current reality, including hidden dynamics.
Here’s a couple of diagrams we use to explain hidden dynamics:
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The hidden dynamics, which are also invisible barriers, are what's below the surface, what you may not know is going on. The top part of the iceberg is what you can see - the functional parts of the business, the information you can find on a financial statement or annual report, while the bottom part of the of iceberg are the hidden dynamics - the emotions, the information and insights that are not easily seen or known.
In other words, The Possibility Process is designed to help you answer questions like:
What do I need to know that I don’t know?
And is there anything that I don’t even know I need to know?
What are the invisible barriers to success?
Most business diagnostic tools are linear. They take your input, run it through some analytics and come up with a few suggested answers for you. If it is a simple question you are seeking an answer for, looking for data analysis, asking a linear type question, then those types of diagnostic tools are great (we use them all the time).
But what if the answer is actually way more dynamic and multi-dimensional?
What if you’re not even sure you are asking the right question in the first place?
Working through the Possibility Process will reveal the bottom part of the iceberg and find out what’s really going on.
(Even though we’ve been at it a long time, it still surprises us how much of an impact a small but dysfunctional dynamic in one of the 16 dimensions can impact the whole system in a way that no one is really aware of - revealing and healing those incongruencies is what makes this process so powerful, and our work so rewarding).
The hidden dynamics, which are also invisible barriers, are what's below the surface, what you may not know is going on. The top part of the iceberg is what you can see - the functional parts of the business, the information you can find on a financial statement or annual report, while the bottom part of the of iceberg are the hidden dynamics - the emotions, the information and insights that are not easily seen or known.
In other words, The Possibility Process is designed to help you answer questions like:
What do I need to know that I don’t know?
And is there anything that I don’t even know I need to know?
What are the invisible barriers to success?
Most business diagnostic tools are linear. They take your input, run it through some analytics and come up with a few suggested answers for you. If it is a simple question you are seeking an answer for, looking for data analysis, asking a linear type question, then those types of diagnostic tools are great (we use them all the time).
But what if the answer is actually way more dynamic and multi-dimensional?
What if you’re not even sure you are asking the right question in the first place?
Working through the Possibility Process will reveal the bottom part of the iceberg and find out what’s really going on.
(Even though we’ve been at it a long time, it still surprises us how much of an impact a small but dysfunctional dynamic in one of the 16 dimensions can impact the whole system in a way that no one is really aware of - revealing and healing those incongruencies is what makes this process so powerful, and our work so rewarding).
Want to Know More about The Possibility Process ?
Excellent! If you are undergoing change, or are gearing up for a major exit or transition in the years to come, please contact us to book a demo of our tools or to book a time to have a heart-to-heart (completely confidential) talk about your company and where you want to go. You can also grab a copy of the book, read our feature blog articles or explore some of the links below - our workshops, our innovative assessment tools, and our systems leadership dashboard.
Your modern, ready for innovation, fully documented, system optimized business that is highly profitable, saleable and turnkey is waiting for you.
Your modern, ready for innovation, fully documented, system optimized business that is highly profitable, saleable and turnkey is waiting for you.
Workshops/Events
Grounded in The Possibility Process, our hands-on programs range from succinct one-day courses through to in-depth multi-day courses.
Workshops & Events |
Assessment ToolsThe first thing to do in any change initiative is to figure out what's going on (yes, in all 16 dimensions of a business).
Our Innovative Assessment Tools |
Systems Leadership DashboardThe dashboard tool is our collaborative co-working space - a whole system mind map we create together with real legs into the operation.
See it in Action |
Re-humanizing Business Systems
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"I'm inspired to see opportunities I've never seen before"
- John Munro, Scrummasters, Inc |
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