CORE PILOT PROJECT REPORTAndy Sontag & Mikkeline KierkgaardKaospilots Team 18

Assaults 86.237Reviewed by: Mikkel Pilgaard Madsen

NARRATIVE INTRODUCTION

THE TALE OF GROWING TREESOnce upon a time there were two swallows, that lived in the Forest of Fog. While flying around between the tall trees, the two little birds noticed a strange phenomenon. All the trees talking about growth, - which of course is the most natural thing for a tree. But, more and more trees were getting sick, and some-how the fog between them seemed to get thicker day by day. In fact, the fog was already so heavy now, the trees could no longer see their own roots in the soil and the branches were breaking off so they could no longer reach each other.

The swallows wondered what was happening and started listening to the monologues of the growing trees: “I must grow faster and higher, I must reach towards the sun”… Scarily, the more the trees grew, the sicker the soil got, and the sicker the soil, the foggier the air, and

the foggier the air, the more the trees suffered and wanted to grow taller. The birds flew from one forest to another, but the same fog was everywhere. “There must be a better way for the trees to treat themselves and the earth.”On their journey the two birds discovered something beautiful happening in the middle of the fog: From time to time, they would meet a gardener, who seemed to have a magical ef-fect on the sick trees, wherever the gardener touched would start shooting green sprouts from the dry bark. And not only that - each new sprout seemed to nurture the ground and clear the air. Delighted, the two birds flew on. They met more and more gardeners, one in this woods, one in another. Each gardener had developed a unique ingredient to help the trees re-discover their ability to bloom. Yet they did not know each other. Imagine the fer-tilizer they might be able to create together!

The two swallows looked at each other and without a word, they agreed what needed to be done: “We must make a big circle to gather

all the gardeners!” With their small feet, they jumped around, leaving an image of a big cir-cle on the ground. They flew from one forest to another, finding the best gardeners in all the land, singing a song to them of the most beau-tiful garden of possibility.

In the circle that the two swallows marked, the gardeners gathered to share their dreams and methods, mixing the best of all their inge-dients. What happened next was an extraor-dinary sight, even with closed eyes. With the collective care from the gardeners, the trees in the circle started popping out yellow, purple, orange and red flowers. A fresh breeze caught the flowers, and a beautiful radiant colourful mist started clearing the fog. Trusting the flow of the wind, the two swallows smiled at each other, imagining how this powerful flower-dust would spread to many other forests far, far away, reminding the trees one by one, of their natural wisdom of what growth is actu-ally about.

MAPHow to read the report……………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………....................................1Executive summary……....…………………………………………………………….................................................................………………………..……………...................1

COMPASSTheoretical foundation……………………………………………………………………………….…………………......................................................………...........................3Core beliefs…………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………......................................................………….............................4Core values …………………………………………………………………………….…………………......................................................……………………...............................4Core challenge...........................................................................................................................................................................................................4

DESTINATIONCONCEPT & PRODUCTConcept vision…………………………………………………………………………………...………………….................................................................………………...……….....5Concept description (3 spheres)…………………………………………………………………………................................……………………………………..…..........................6Product idea, description and features (3-step model)……………………………………................................…………………………………….....…..........................8

NEED & TARGET GROUP Needs the concept is meeting (3 core needs and trend research)……………………………………………………………………..............................……………………10Target group………………………………………………………………………………………...................................……………………….........................................................13

BUSINESS IDEASales concept……………………………………………………………………………………….....…………………………………….......................................................................14Branding and identity……………………………………………………………………….....……………………………………......................................................…................14Business Model & SWOT Analysis……………………………………………………....………………....………………..............................................................................16Business Model visual…………………………......……………………………………......................................................................................................................17Business Model Canvas............................................................................................................................................................................................18Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas…………………………………......……………………………………......................................................................................................19Team/organizational structure.…………………………………………………………….......…………………………………….....................................................................21

JOURNEY SUMMARY OF RESEARCH & MARKET OPPORTUNITY…………......................................................……………..............................………………………...........22Towards the why…………………………………………………………………......................................................……………..............................………………………...........23Towards the what………………………………………………………………......................................................……………............................…..............……………........23Pilot project timeline (research phases)……………………………......................................................……………............................…..............…………….........24Towards the who…………………………………………………………………......................................................…..............................…………………………………..........26Towards the how…………………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………........................................28CORE Board……………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………......................................................29

PROCESSInternal work structure………………………………………………………………….....................................................…………………………………….................................30Impact measurement..................................................................................................................................................................................................31Impact story …………………………………………………………………......................................................……………………………………...............................................32

DEVELOPMENT PLANDevelopment strategy “Core Seasons”………………………………………………………………………………….....................……..........................................................33CORE 2 year plan visual …………………………………………………………………………………..........................................……..........................................................34Core Seasons project plan (Blueprint of how to produce)……………………………………………………………………….................................................……….........37

REFLECTIONSMikkeline’s individual learning journey and reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................……...........38Andy’s individual learning journey and reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................43Individual journey visuals............................................................................................................................................................................................48Individual onward learning goals.................................................................................................................................................................................49

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................………………………………….............50

APPENDIX1. THEORY OF CHANGE…………………………………………… 7 EXAMPLE OF INTERVIEW………………………………………………2. BUDGETS…………………………………………………………….. 8 STRESS STATISTICS……………………………………………….........3. ROLES…… …………………………………………………........... 9 IMPACT MODEL CANVAS................................................4 CORE FRAMEWORK……………………………………………... 10 STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK...............................................5 FEEDBACK SHEET LEADERSHIP EXAM…………………... 11 READING LISTS.................................................................6 EVALUATION CRITERIA & FEEDBACK…………….......... 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................. 13 THANK YOU.....................................................................

1

MAPCORE is an exploration of the captains, Andy and Mikkeline’s combined agency in this world - this text is a compendium of our journey thus far, our plan and vision for the continuation of our explorations in the future.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We are starting the social enterprise CORE, with the vision of unfolding human potential by connecting people to their values. During our Pilot Project period, we have laid a strong foundation for our business to be built upon. We have explored where our passions and talents meets a need in the World, and de-fined a concrete concept. Now have a plan, a vigorous passion, and the relationships and

HOW TO READ THE REPORT

Dear reader,

We are excited and grateful to be able to share this “Declaration of Possibility” with you!

We’ve divided the report into 4 overall sections:

MAP: Fly with us above the ocean to get an overview of it all (narrative & summery).

COMPASS: Get a feeling of our fundamental navigation system (theoretical background).

DESTINATION: See the clear image of the ship we’re building, and the destination we’re set-ting sail towards (concept & product, target group & need, business idea).

JOURNEY: Listen to the stories from our path so far, get a taste of the planned journey ahead and hear our personal journeys (summary of research & market opportunity, development strategy and personal learning reflections).

2

resources to launch it. We have assembled a board to help us create a business engine and a movement. Mikkeline and Andy have both realized our most valuable gift to the World is our sense of possibility and our ability to build profound relations. Thus, it has become clear to us our role is to create frames for possibili-ties to emerge. We will bring people together around the purpose of connecting people to their values to unfold human potential.

The need we are committed to meet, is the growing epidemic of stress, or as we prefer to state it: stifled human potential. Our hypoth-esis is that experiences, which enables people to connect to their values - what truly matters to them - will unfold the individuals ability to realize their own capacity, preventing stress and resulting in a flourishing human being.

A thriving society is build on thriving individu-als in thriving systems. We need organizations that enable people to use their full potential, steered by purpose driven and flourishing in-dividuals. We believe that the greatest oppor-tunity - creating the most impact - is to target individual transformation within big organiza-tions.

CORE brings value through 3 separate and yet synergistic spheres:1) a board of experts2) a process for companies, and 3) an intention of catalysing a social move-ment.

1. We’ve gathered a board of transformational experts to co-develop the content of a 3-step transformational process for businesses, to unfold human potential and to create a proac-tive response to stress.

2. Offering this 3-step process for businesses will be our key to creating a sustainable busi-ness. We call the 3 steps Departure, Journey and Arrival. The 2nd step, Journey, is a retreat in nature, where min 200 employees collec-tively immerse into a transformational jour-ney, facilitated by the experts on our Board.

3. In the fall of 2014, we will create a ‘fuss’ in the media, telling the story of how stress is stifling human potential and challenging businesses to take an appreciative proactive response. We aim to attract the 100 interna-tional business leaders who are most com-mitted to answer the question: How can we structure work and the workplace so that it contributes to human flourishing? We will partner with other international organizations

(B Team, Purpose, B Lab…) to take a stand for growing people, not profit. We want to gather and publicize the list of these business leaders, creating a web platform for them to commu-nicate about their journey, and finally gather them in the fall of 2015. We will set the vision and give away ownership.

We have beautifully stitched together all ac-tivities of our enterprise into a 1-year action research project, CORE Seasons. Running be-tween Jan. 2015 and Jan. 2016, we will do 4 executions with clients, carry out academic re-search and develop methods with our Board of experts. The 100 businesses leaders will all meet at a gathering at the end of CORE Sea-sons, communicating to each other and the World what they have learned.

We see possibilities and dream BIG. Instead of cutting down our ambitions to fit the short timeframe of this Pilot Project (we began working together in January), we’ve decided to go for the big dream, but expand our time perspective. Our first real scale execution won’t happen until the beginning of 2015, and we aim to have a validated tested business of-fer by the end of 2015. This pilot project has been focused on building a fundament, an action research period leading to our defined concept and business start-up plan.

3

OUR THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

Every thought, action, and notion we have rests on certain underlying assumptions, which of-ten unconsciously colors our world. These un-derlying assumptions are always present, and they make us see certain things while letting other things go by unnoticed. In the creation of CORE we have identified an appreciative so-cial constructivist perspective as the most suit-able worldview for us to understand the pro-cess of personal, organizational development and societal development.

We have used the social constructivist world-view to understand the world. A friend and mentor, Carsten Hornstrup writes: “A construc-tionist epistemological paradigm is a mindset or a system of ideas that are based on the no-tion that our world or reality does not exist in-dependent of us but only as it appears to each of us as the result of a construction process.” (Hornstrup, 2013) tThis has guided us in the creation of the relationships that has has and will fuel CORE. The following assumptions and beliefs have formed a common purpose that has guided the creation of CORE.

BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT OF

COREPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OFANDY & MIKKELINE

COMPASSOn our journey we have had good winds, beau-tiful sun, but also the occasional storm. Having a compass and map is always important, but in a storm with low visibility, having a navigation system is crucial. This section is where we ex-plain our fundamental navigation system, our theoretical background, our values and the be-liefs that have guided us thus far and are carry-ing us strongly forward. No system is perfect, and our navigation system also has shortfalls, the first step to overcome these is to be aware of them - we will also touch upon the challeng-es that we have identified.

4

CORE BELIEFS

- People are innately good.- We all have an inner wisdom that we can learn to access.- Our experiences shift our perception which shift the nature of what we experience.- Individuals and society have far more poten-tial than we are currently using or aware of.- A paradigm shift is happening in the World, based upon people evolving their level of con-sciousness.- The evolution of human consciousness is the most powerful way to create a society that will build a sustainable future of healthy, happy and thriving individuals. - The World is not broken and does not need fixing.

We have created CORE to shape an intentional frame for this purpose. A frame in which we can bring together those that share these as-sumptions and collectively accelerate a shift in consciousness, which is needed and already happening.

CORE VALUES - Framing Possibility- Simplicity- Relation- Love - From the core

We want to go to the CORE of what is causing the current situation. We realize stress is also just a symptom of other culturally embedded challenges. Yet, we choose to target stress, as is it a growing mega need that is causing an unfathomable amount of human suffering, and will give us a strong business case as an entry point to make the CORE perceptual shift process appealing to companies.

We are beginning to develop our own lan-guage around the field of personal and organi-zational development. Our current terminol-ogy can be abstract and is only scratching the surfacecompared to the depth that we would like to go to in the coming years. What does it mean to be connected to your values? What does it mean to ‘unfold your potential’? Below is our brief answer to these question:

To us, “unfolding human potential through connecting people to their values,” means to be connected with what is most important/drives you. To live from your passions, not based upon the expectations that society plac-es upon you. It means to live from purpose/love rather than from fear.

We have many more thoughts, and are also deeply excited learn so much more about these questions in the coming years. We see our individual development as interlinked with the development of CORE, this is part of our strategy for CORE Seasons.

CORE CHALLENGE

We want people to flourish. We people to nur-ture themselves, each other and the natural system we are a part of. If we aim at a shift of perception only in individuals, the system which was part of fostering their stress, will still be the same. This is why we want to work with organizations to make a systemic change in the structures that organize human endeav-our - though we know these systems are op-erating in even larger systems, it is a synergy to work simultaneously with individual and organizational change. To do this we need to be able to effectively sell our service to organi-zations in a current paradigm focused on eco-nomic growth. An appealing selling point in the current para-digm is to make people more effective, to make them more resilient dealing with the current systems - for organizations to save money on sick days. We want to change the system that make people sick in the first place. We want the system and the people to change simulta-neously, towards a new paradigm of human-centered businesses.

We realize that there is a paradox in getting these organizations to pay for our service, that we hope will alter clients perception, making behavioral change that may not always be in the best interest of the bottom line (possibly causing employees to quitting their job etc.)

5

DESTINATIONHere we will outline our vision for our journey, the ship that we are on, how and with who we will trade with. (concept & product, target group & need, business idea).

CONCEPT & PRODUCT

In this section of the report we will first take you through the overall vision of CORE (WHY), followed by a concrete concept description and the three mutually beneficial levels of our social enterprise CORE (WHAT). Lastly we will briefly describe CORE Seasons, the one year action research plan that stitches all layers of our concept together into an ambitious, whole and realizable concept (HOW).

1. CONCEPT VISION/ WHY

CORE VISIONWe unfold human potential through connect-ing people with their values.The ambition of CORE is to globally drive the evolution of the human minds and human sys-tems toward a World where people are con-nected to their core values and actively build-ing a just, equitable and sustainable society. We believe that we all have the capacity to flourish through acting in accordance with our authentic selves and true values. The social enterprise CORE is a bridge between co-creat-ed imagination and reality, the frame for pos-sibility to emerge through connecting around this shared purpose.

We want to use experience based personal development as a driver for systemic global change. If people evolve their understanding of how to be in the World, our culture, our man-made institutions and systems will follow that change. Donnela Meadows says that the most powerful intervention in a system is at the level of paradigm (Meadows, 2008). Joan-na Macy describes the importance and role of individual transformation towards a desirable future society: “Shifting consciousness is the third dimension of how to contribute to the Great Turning. In the past, changing the self

6

and changing the world were often regarded as separate endeavors and viewed in either-or terms. But in the story of the Great Turning, they are recognized as mutually reinforcing and essential to one another” (Macy, 2012).

We focus on personal evolution, but we col-laborate with organizations that are driving organizational evolution. We believe that organizations can truly elicit and cherish hu-man initiative, allowing increasing autonomy driven by a shared purpose. We will create partnerships that can carry on our work with individuals to drive organizational change.

2. CONCEPT DESCRIPTION/ WHAT

3 SPHERESCORE Board, Experiences and Movement

We are developing a social enterprise with three interconnected and mutually benefi-cial spheres, all undividedly focused upon our core purpose: Unfolding human potential. We have brought together a Board of experts to co-develop new solutions, and are creating se-ries of Experiences where new solutions will be tested and researched. The Experiences with the content created by the Board will be the business that will fuel our larger vision,

a Movement of unfolding human potential.Through personal experience and research about the most effective social enterprises, we have crafted the idea to have our enterprise be “partially a business, and partially a move-ment” (Hornstrup, 2013. Alvord 2004) We are intentionally blurring the lines between busi-ness and social movement, with a sharpened focus upon purpose. Board:

We have brought together some of the most qualified advisors in personal transformation to help us create the content for CORE Experi-ence process. We are providing the frames for them to connect around their shared purpose and offering them an arena to collectively bring their gifts to the World, as they will be facilitating the Experiences. We are also intentionally creating frames for whatever is seeking to emerge between these experts. See our theory of change (Appendix 1) to see how the competencies of the Board match our purpose. CORE Seasons:

3. SOCIAL MOVEMENT

2. CORE EXPERIENCES

1. CORE BOARDAn international board of 7 experts in personal transformational processes will co-create the..

A 3-step process for organizations, which can become a business engine and accelerate the....

A social movement for 100 business leaders with the purpose of unfolding human potential

CORE SPHERES

We are developing a 3-step process that we offer to 4 businesses of around 200 employ-ees, starting January 2015 as a part of a global 1-year action research project. During 2015, we will organize 4 processes, one for each sea-son. The intention of the processeses is to con-nect individuals to their values to unfold their potential. A research institution will study these experi-ences and their effect on the stress levels of those participating. The content of this 3 step process is being co-created in collaboration with our Board.

Movement:

We intent to find collaboration partners to provide the frames for 100 businesses to come together to answer the question: How can we structure work and the workplace so that it contributes to human flourishing? The intention of this sphere of CORE is to empow-er business leaders to help each other to un-fold the innate potential of their employees. The rapid escalation of stress, cause this to be a very important issue for businesses. We hold a process to select the businesses that have the strongest desire to change how they oper-ate, and provide an online platform for them to discuss, as well as a meet up for all of the business leaders in the fall 2015, at the end of our Core Seasons research project.

7

“Soil, soul and society are aspects of the same reality. We must care for all three.

We must expand our conciousness to say I am a mircocosm of a megacosm.

Let’s rememeber diversities are not divisions! Our modern mind is dividing,

not celebrating the diversity in our unity”- Satish Kumar

8

PRODUCT IDEA, DESCRIPTION AND FEATURES

THREE-STEP MODELDeparture, Journey and Arrival

Our overall purpose of CORE is in perfect co-herence with the intention of this product of-fering: To create experiences, which enable people to connect with their values to unfold their potential. This process uses personal development as a driver for organizational evolution, where we also want to unfold the ability of the individuals from all levels of the organizations to be able to unfold their own and their colleagues potential. A natural out-come of this is a flourishing organization with lower rates of stress (a hypothesis being test-ed through CORE Seasons). We have framed this product as a 3-step process:

Phase 1. Departure:

What potential do you have that you are you committed to unleash?

In phase 1, participants engage in a meaning-ful experience to challenge their assumptions of what is possible and have a dialogue about human potential and working from a core pur-pose driven place. We will also give the em-ployees powerful tools and exercises, to work with together until the next phase.We present tools for both rational and crea-tive thinkers. We run a process that looks at some of the challenges that the employees are currently facing around realizing their po-tential, the dream in the challenges and what CORE can offer as next steps. We host genera-tive dialogues, giving a place to talk about the difficult things, like stress and what they feel. To move onto the next phase, participants must have a clearly stated desire to grow and change.

Intention: Clients feel called to explore their full potential. Participants have learned help-ful and powerful tools to work on in groups until the next phase.

Desired Outcome: Employees want to at-tend the second phase of the CORE process.

Employees have learned something new and powerful. That each client has a clearly stated desire to change.

Phase 2. Journey:What insights emerge when you experience what is at your CORE?

Phase 2 is an inspirational experience that moves participants from awareness to insight. Participants are magnetically pulled into the experience of unfolding their own potential. A place to be strong together and turn spark into fire. In the stillness of nature, our inner fire burns brightest. We organize a 3 day/2 night retreat in a beautiful location in nature, where we gather some of the Worlds cutting-edge experts, to help people connect to their values and work with personal transforma-tion. The actual process for how this time un-folds will be co-created with our Board. We use experience design to make this experi-ence “cirque du soleil” extraordinary and tie the experience together with a beautiful crea-tive ritual.

Intention: Providing clients with frames and processes to discover their authentic values. It is a space where each participant can engage in their intention to make personal change. A space for them to meet and share with other people on the same quest.

9

RISE OF PURPOSE

ESCALATING RATE OF CHANGE AND RISE OF

COMPLEXITY

STRESS - STIFLED POTENTIAL

Desired Outcome: Participants have begun a journey of personal transformation by experi-encing what is really important to them. They have a direction based upon deepened self-understanding. They have built deep meaning-ful relationships with other people during the retreat.

Phase 3. Arrival:With new insights, how will you BE and flour-ish in your full potential?

The third phase is where the values are taken into the world. The process is anchored and participants supported in making behavio-ral change. We host a 1-day workshop in the organization to reflect, celebrate and provide frames for peer-to-peer support structures for participants. We bring back up the topics that were brought up during our first phase and anchor the insights from the participant’s experiences. We look forward on the continu-ous process of personal development in the organization.

Intention: Participants support each other in making behavior change, they become ambas-sadors for living a values driven life, centred in human flourishing.

Desired Outcome: The experience is strongly anchored, and the business begin a process of creating frames for the employees to flourish. A journey of personal evolution has begun, and will be supported by the organization and through peer-to-peer groups.

HOW the product is developed:We are initiating a one year action research project CORE Seasons, running in 2015, where we will create 4 executions with clients, carry out academic research and develop methods with our Board of experts. This will be de-scribed in detail in the “Development Plan” section of the report.

““The success of the intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervener”

– Bill O’Brien

10

NEED & TARGET GROUP

The World Health Organization has called stress: “Health epidemic of the 21st century” (Smith, 2014). Stress is the tip of the iceberg, you can statistically (see below) see that or-ganizations today have a critical and escalat-ing problem. Our target group is international medium and large sized businesses serious about better harnessing the potential of their employees, as they have the largest need and resources for taking a proactive response to stress.

CORE Seasons is focused on meeting the fol-lowing needs:

Stress - Stifled human potential

- Danes who feel stressed in their daily lives almost doubled in 10 years: 2000: 7,8 % to 2010: 12,8% (Statens Institut for Folkesund-hed, 2010)- Stress is estimated to cost Danish society 14 billion DKK every year due to lost work

days and hospital costs (Statens Institut for Folkesundhed, 2010)- Stress has been called the “health epidemic of the 21st century” by the World Health Or-ganization and is estimated to cost American businesses up to $300 billion a year (Smith, 2014)- Stress and depression are foreseen to be the main sources of illness in the EU in 2020 (OSHA, 2013)- Almost 60 percent of EU workers believe that work has a negative impact on their health (OSHA, 2008).

What does $300 billion dollars say in terms of human suffering? Why is this happening? What is the underlying cause of this growing epidemic? If stress is a symptom, what is the cause of that symptom?

Through all of our desk research and inter-views with HR Managers, we have come to believe that no one really knows the answers to these questions, and their attempts to stop stress are like to trying to aim at a moving

target with a blindfold on. Most current re-sponses are trying to fight the symptoms, but not addressing and changing the core causes. Organizations today are a burning platform, unable to put out the growing inferno right under their feet. As the numbers rise and the costs sore, the need to take this issue head on, and take a proactive and appreciative ap-proach is growing. We believe that one of the hesitancies in taking the issue of stress head on would call into question large taken for granted beliefs about the way that business ‘should’ be done. The pressure is building on the leadership of companies and coming from another powerful and interconnected force: Increasing complexity.

An Escalation of Change and the Rise of Complexity

Think of the things in the world that are chang-ing at an exponential rate? Lets just cite a few (Hamel, 2011):

11

- CO2 emissions- Internet connections- The amount of Data storage- The amount of mobile devices using the web- The amount of genes that we have sequenced

This are new challenges that have profound impact on organizations today. Organizations are stuck making meaning in the Newtonian-mechanistic paradigm, with a dismally thin fo-cus on financial value and control – is dying and a new way of making meaning – an en-ergetic, purpose driven holistic exploration of value creation - is being born. There is a paradigm shift in the very structure, purpose and potential of organizations that is driven by an unrelenting escalation of com-plexity (Hamel, 2011. Hornstrup 2013). This will necessitate a paradigm shift in the organi-zational model as we know it, launching us out of the mechanistic paradigm into a paradigm that is supporting organizing around purpose, individual autonomy and creativity (Haque, 2011).

IBM conducts biannual global surveys where they ask 1,500 CEOs and senior public sector leaders what they identify as their main chal-lenges and thus their top leadership priori-ties. In the 2010 survey they found that: “…a rapid escalation of ‘complexity’ is the biggest

challenge confronting them. They expect it to continue – indeed to accelerate – in the com-ing years.” In the 2012 study they found that: “CEOs see greater organizational openness ahead.” As a result of, “…complexity of in-creasingly interconnected organizations, mar-kets, societies and governments.” The escala-tion of change is imminent, now the question is how will organizations deal with it?Rising complexity demands a shift in organi-zations towards flat structures, increased au-tonomy and emerging organizational struc-tures like Holacracy. People must evolve their understanding of how to be in an organization before the organization can harness the true benefits of structural change. Robert Keegan says, “The world needs a service that delivers an overhaul of the way that individuals make meaning in organizations today” (Keegan, 1982). A bold challenge, that we hope to take on.

Seth Godin says it bluntly, “For the first time ever, everyone in the organization - not just the boss - is expected to lead” (Godin, 2008). Daniel Goleman writes about the new skills required for people to thrive in organizations today, in the recent cover article, The Focused Leader, from the Harvard Business Review. He then calls for business leaders to meditate, to gain sharpened self-awareness, have height-

ened empathy for their co-workers as well as expand their attention to the systemic view of the wider World (Goleman, 2014). Just to em-phasize this point: The HBR is calling for busi-ness leaders to meditate!

The Rise of Purpose

“Purpose is increasingly being touted as the key to navigating the complex, volatile, am-biguous world we face today, where strategy is ever changing and few decisions are obvi-ously right or wrong.” (Craig, 2014)

Workers are no longer happy to spend all of their devoted time to something that is me-diocre. Yet, most organizations are locked into a way of doing business that is myopi-cally focused on increasing the bottom line. There is a growing global movement of social entrepreneurs, and the businesses that don’t adapt will/are suffering. A recent Gallup sur-vey showed that 71% percent of workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” from

12

their work (Gallup, 2011). Seth Godin writes that, “Many people are starting to realize that they work a lot, and that working on stuff they believe in (and making things happen) is much more satisfying than just getting a paycheck and waiting to get fired (or die).”

Where does CORE fit in?All of these needs have the common core of the need for a consciousness shift in individu-als leading and working with organizations. We know that connecting individuals to their values has been proven to reduce stress re-sponses (Cresswell, 2005). We are curious to explore the possibilities of enabling people to make perceptual shifts. We are positioning CORE to be a front runner in helping individu-als organizations make a fundamental shift in their perception through working from a value driven place, lowering employees stress and increasing individuals ability to thrive in change.

TREND RESEARCH

“What’s good for us as individuals is also good for the bottom line.” - Arianna Huffington, 2014 (Huffington, 2014)

The name of our company CORE, is inspired by an international trend forecast for 2015 (see in Branding Section). We have also been continuously looking out for clues leading us towards a growing need in society - where the need for a product or service will be growing as the company develops. We see a plentitude of indicators of the good timing of CORE Sea-sons. We believe that there will be a growing need for organizations to holistically support their employees ability to thrive, through con-necting individuals with their values in rela-tion to the magnetic organizational purpose.

“In the realm of possibility we gain knowledge by invention”

- Benjamin Zander

Some examples of trend indicators that point us towards CORE meeting a growing need:- Global: The Karololinska Intsitute has opened a Centre for Social Sustainability with the ob-jective to: Map factors (values, notions, struc-tures and processes) that facilitate or obstruct the development of functional social systems.”- Global: Yoga and mindfulness are being syn-ergistically brought into mainstream culture, businesses, leaders, individuals all embracing mindful living. (Gregoire, 2014) - European: International Partnership for Transformational Learning takes shape 2013 with 8 leading organizations sharing methods on “Hosting Transformation” at a Changemak-er Festival- Danish: A TV Show in 2014 shows how BS Christiansen takes 4 women to Canada to work on personal development in nature to get off antidepressive medicine- The rapid rise of purpose driven social enter-prises, especially among the younger genera-tions.

13

TARGET GROUP

The target group for CORE Seasons is HR Man-agers at medium to large sized organizations globally who have a strong need (defined by the percentage of employees who are sick, and burned out from stress) to take a pro-active response to stress and fit our four re-quirements. We wish to attract companies on the cutting edge of future organizational structures, already sensing the needed shift and willing to proactively support this change and actively try to connect with their values both an individual and group level.

During the first year we are only selling to 4 businesses that will enter into a paying col-laboration. We have created a list of require-ments, to help us find the right organizations to work with during CORE Seasons. We want to create a magnetic and attractive offer for businesses, to draw them to CORE Seasons. Here are our requirements:

- Businesses that have a serious statistical challenge with stress - An authentic desire to build an organization that truly trusts, honors, and cherishes its em-ployees. - Openness to learn with 3 other businesses as part of a research project- Willingness to have the story told in the me-dia

“People don’t resist change. They resist being changed”

- Peter Senge

14

BUSINESS IDEA

In this chapter we go into the different aspects of our business idea.

SALES CONCEPT

“I really want to be part of this. I will set you in contact with my HR network – they would LOVE this! We have no clue what to do about it (stress). And I don’t think we know how to prevent it.”

- Sophie Olsen Grand(HR manager Unity studios)

“Sounds very interesting. I will bring this up during the next (leadership) group meeting, please send more info.”

-Line Hojer Fogde(Work climate responsible

at Jyst Bank, 4,200 employees)

If I was a leader of a larger company I would say yes yes yes to your offer, because it in-volves international cutting edge experts. It sounds very interesting.

- Helle Kibskov(Founder of BladbjergKibskov,

leading Danish stress prevention consultancy)

Through interviews with our target group, HR Managers of medium and large sized organi-zations we have identified that the challenge of stress is creating a burning platform for or-ganizations. When we have sailed our boat within talking distance of these organizations, they have beckoned us closer as they need a boat to take their people off of their burning platform. The sales that we will be making during the first year will be limited to 4 processes. CORE Seasons we will make it attractive to business, through being part of cutting edge research, having access to international experts, and because they have a need. We will frame the sale as collaboration between the business, the researchers, and the experts. Our sales concept has five main steps:

1. Networking from Mikkeline and Andy2. Leveraging the network of our Board3. Media coverage, that will the branding ap-peal of being part of CORE Seasons to compa-nies.4. Movement attention, and media coverage of the gathering of 100 business leaders

BRANDING & IDENTITY

Branding is about storytelling. We have cre-ated our brand and identity to as authenti-cally represent the story of the change that we want to spark in people and the world. Our brand is about connecting people to their CORE, it is about living a meaningful, purpose and passion driven life. However this is an area that we have gotten professional help, and we still need to much development on this front. The name CORE comes from a fashion trend forecast for the summer of 2015. This was our first inspiration for the visual identity.

We brought in Kristina Bonne, who has devel-oped the current visual identity of CORE. Kris-tina brought up the complexity and has given our logo a more nuanced feel:

BRAND ELEMENTS

The BoardAn important aspect of our branding is to be conscious about the people that represent the brand. By having an international and re-spected board on our website, we hope to be able to position ourselves as a trustworthy and exciting brand. Through time we will build up our legitimancy.

The ResearchWe see research validation of our process, as a key aspect of the brand of CORE. We see the research as a bridge that will enable us to be able to bring alternative practices, such as Lisa Arie’s work with horses to corporate culture.

CORE SeasonsWe believe in making everything we do so at-tractive that people are magnetized to it, and want to be a part. This is commonly referred to as the pull strategy. We will use this tech-nique to boost our brand through the creation of CORE Seasons, which we believe will result in international publicity, through collabora-tion with many prominent and influential peo-ple and institutions, and unique research.

On this page you can see our CORE logos, typefond (Graphik) and colour scale. Above is the trend forecast for summer 2015, which inspired our brand name CORE.

15

BUSINESS MODEL

…we haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s possible through the act of exchange. In fact, the boundaries of human exchange are vaster than we often conceive of, and within them lies an enormous continent, still wide open for discovery, exploration, and settle-ment.

- Umair Haque

Business Model Innovation: Social Movement

We want to utilize the potential of all people that share our purpose, and see no reason why we should close our doors when there are mil-lions of people that potentially believe what we believe. Mikkeline’s experience with 100 in 1 Day, and Andy’s experience with Good For Nothing have inspired this social movement inspiration. The writing of Daniel Goleman’s The Power of Tribes, and Rick Falkvinge’s book Swarmwise, have also deeply informed this piece of our business model. Mikkeline has in-troduced a powerful model for creating move-ments based upon three spheres: Mentality, Locality and Action. This frame has helped us create our idea for the business movement.

STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES THREATHS

We have personal relations to all board membersThe research project is creating a validation and

pull strategy for our buisnessWe have the courage to share and follow a big

visionThe content of our service will be co-created

We have a 2-year business dev. planThe project is global

We highly personally committmentedto the project

The concept only works large scale so MVPs are difficult

Being in nature is inconvenient (added cost and time consumed for clients)The content of our service is yet undefinedOur first execution wont be until Jan 2015,

until then we must finance project expenses Flexible location requires us to work with new

stakeholders for each process No ownership of the content

as it is co-createdThe project is global

CORE enables us to use our strenghts in connecting and framing possibilities

CORE is a platform for the founders developmentWe have the freedom to steer our own ship

We may enable a lot of people to feel substantially better

We are living and working in a way we want and that may inspire others

Sales of 4x1.000.000 DKK might be unrealisticThe board won’t help with sales

The startup budget of 600.000 DKK is a risk if we dont get an investor and cant sell

Board or founders are essential to carry out project, and they can get sick or quitThe board can be too busy to meet

and facilitate the executionsOur process is based upon selling to

1 company of 200 participants for each experience,

it won’t work for many companies at once

CORE SWOT ANALYSIS

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY CANVAS (see visuals page 19-20)

We have mapped out other players in our field, all providing value propositions similar to CORE. Looking at the Canvas we realize the CORE concept is combining the what we find the most appealing aspects from ideas from:- Burning Man, a large scale event where co-creating around a shared purpose. Pathfinder, a 3-step process only accept very committed people- Baravara, a course gathering experts within personal development- No Minds Festival, a festival in nature for in-dividual interested in personal growth.

Inspiring current offers for individual trans-formation are based on collective processes, extraordinary experiences, and inputs from various experts. We found a way to offer this to businesses. The benefit of high relational building among the employers also differen-tiates CORE from other stress-preventing ser-vices for businesses.

Pricing: Compared to other players on the market we offer our service to a low price per participant, which is possible when we have a higher num-ber of participants at the same time.

16

BUDGETS (See Appendix 2)

BOARDof 7 experts

co-creationgatheringof board

CORE SEASONS

research project

COREMikkeline

& Andy

FOURORGANIZATIONS

of 200employees

CORE VISUAL BIZ MODEL

RESEARCHER

Learning

Content

Validation

THOSE WITH A NEED

THOSE WITH EXPERTISE

Money

17

Participants

Connection to values

Money

Insights

Fram

es

Connection to other experts

REVENUE STREAMSCOST STRUCTURE

Businesses paying to be part of CORE Seasons: 1.000.000 DKK for full 3 step, 1 month long CORE process. Investor Funding

Salary: For founders - 25,000 Dkk per monthTemporary employment: Transformational change experts: 15,000 Dkk for 2 daysOrganizational change experts: 20,000 Dkk for 2 daysproject manager: 25,000 Dkk per monthCost of renting retreat center + food: 120,000 Dkk per 100 people

CORE BIZ MODEL CANVASCOST STRUCTURE

Who are our key partners?Our board A research institution (Carnagie Melon, Århus University and the Karolinska Institute) CompaniesRetreat centers in nature Which key resources are we acquiring from partners?From the board we are acquiring the expertise that the companies needFrom the research institutions we are acquiring validation of our CORE process, and heightened legitimacy of CORE Sea-sons from all other stakeholders. From companies we are acquiring fund-ing and participants

Which key activities do partners perform? The board will be facilitating the second step of our CORE process and helping to sell our process in their networkThe research institutions to researchThe companies give us their employees and funding.

VALUE PROPOSITION

What do we deliver to the customer?

We create a synergistic program of work-shops and a retreat to help businesses unleash their workers potential and take a proactive approach to fighting stress. We bring together world experts in transformational change at an immersive retreat in nature to connect our clients with their values. We help organizations become more adaptive and purpose driv-en, through using personal development as a driver for organizational change.

KEY ACTIVITIES

What Activities does our Value Proposi-tions require? To clearly communicate a compelling vi-sion to bring all partners onboardTo design effective processes for co-creat-ing with collaborators (board, businesses and researchers) Our Distribution Channels? Our networkOur boards networkThrough the media

Our Customer Relationships? Holding a compelling vision for all stake-holdersBringing the whole board together in the beginning and end or CORE SeasonsCreating publicity around our project to make it more attractive for companiesRevenue Streams?Delivering transformational processes that actually lower stress levels in organi-zations.

KEY RESOURCES

A pool of experts in transformational changeTalented and respected researchersA website that compellingly and power-fully communicates our vision and social media that shows our values and vision in action

COSTUMER RELATIONSHIPS

What type of relationship does each of our customer segments expect us to establish and maintain with them?

Businesses (HR Managers) - We deliver - Employees that are more connected to their values and less likely to go down with stress.We receive - Payment

Board -We deliver - A network of likeminded professionals and frames for emergence. To provide the context for them to meet and create together, secondly clients for them to professionally work with. We receive - Expertise, legitimacy, an amazing network to distribute our prod-uct and generate publicity from

Researchers - We deliver - They will be paid (100,000.00 DKK, from Innovation Fund). It is an inspiring test case that will con-nect them with companies and expert practitioners.We receive - Validation of our idea, and the ability to communicate ‘fluffy’ ideas in concrete result oriented academic research.

Which ones have we established?We have established relationships with the board

How are they integrated with the rest of our business model?All of the relationships meet around our vision of unfolding human potential, and helping to solve the challenge of stress.

CHANNELS

Through which channels do our customer segments want to be reached?Through their existing trusted networks, followed by face to face meetingsHow are we integrating our channels with our customer routines?

COSTUMER SEGMENT

For whom are we creating value? What needs are we helping to relieve? What problem are we helping to solve? HR ManagersNeed - Increasing rates of stress, employ-ees potential unused, and inability to deal with increased rate of change on an individual and organizational level. Board membersNeed - A network of likeminded profes-sionals and frames for emergence. Clients for them to professionally work with.ResearchersNeed - Research cases that will build up their career, and give them access to ex-perts and subjects in their field of study.

18

PRICE PER-PERSON

CONVENIENCEDRAW OFLOCATION

PROVEN EFFECT

BURNING MAN FESTIVAL1 week in Nevada, USA

PREVENTSTRESS.DK4 hours company workshop

WEEKEND MINDFULLNESS RETREATwww.mindfulness-denmark.dk

outside Aarhus

HIGH

LOWEVALUATION

CRITERIA

PROVIDERSwith simular

value proposition

CORE BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY CANVAS

BARAVARA5 day course in Sweden

PATHFINDER3 modules of 4-5 days

NO MINDS FESTIVAL5 days in Sweden

BLADBJERGKIBSGAARD2X2 Stress coaching/workshops

1 WEEK MEDITATION TRIP BALI www.munonne.dk

TIME CONSUMED

INDIVIDUALCONTACT

EXPERI-MENTAL

RELATION BUILDING

120.000 DKK

13.000 DKK

14.000 DKK

10.000 DKK

7.500 DKK

15.500 DKK

5.000 DKK

3.500 DKK

3 x 4 days

4 hours

10 days

1 week

4 days

5 days

3 days

19

PRICE PERPERSON

CONVENIENCEDRAW OFLOCATION

PROVEN EFFECT

EVALUATION CRITERIA

TIME CONSUM

PERSONALCONTACT

EXPERI-MENTAL

RELATIONAL BUILDING

HIGH

5.000 DKK per person 200 participants from 1 com-

pany at the same time

phase one: 1 dayphase two: 3 daysphase three: 1 day

CORE BLUE OCEAN POSITIONINGextrodinary

nature location

international experts, eventually high proven effect

and validated methods research project

cutting edge methods, co-created by renown

experts in personal transformation

concious pull stratgeyimportance of location

trumps convenience

personal development,

in a mass process

capacity building within the individual -

group sharing, learning and growing together

WE CREATEExperience Design

Combined int. experts Co-creation of contentFestival, mass process

for businessesResearch focus

WEREDUCE

Cost per participantConvenience

WE RAISEExpressed commitment

to changeNumber of participant at

the same timeBuilding relationships Power of experience

Time consume

WEELIMINATE

Coming to clientsParticipants

as receivers ofIndividual processes

20

CORE AMBASSADOR OF INTENTION CORE AMBASSADOR OF POSSIBILITYANDY MIKKELINE

RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT

VISION AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

TEAM/ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

CORE is a Holacracy inspired fishnet organi-zation. All three distinct spheres of CORE are guided by the overall organizational structure that is led by Mikkeline and Andy. Holacracy has inspired us to work with areas of account-ability, this doesn’t mean you have to be the one watering the plant, but only that you must make sure that the plant is watered. We try to make sure that someone is made accountable for all tasks. This structure is inspired by the organizational structure of 100 in 1 Day.

RolesWe are both equally accountable for the vi-sion, organizational development and build-ing/maintaining relationships. One of us is always accountable for task, or task areas. Additionally, Andy is mainly responsible for business development and Mikkeline for product development. Our roles seem to emerge naturally from our different interest areas and strengths. See a detailed break-down of our roles in (Appendix 3).

DecisionmakingMikkeline and Andy are the leaders and have equal responsibility to the overall vision of CORE. We use our areas of responsibility to delegate decision-making in all areas that do not radically alter the course of CORE. We have bi-monthly vision development in beautiful nature, where we step out of the playing field, ascend to the mountain top to get an overview of CORE.

In summaryWe have shared with you our destination, a magnetic motivational force pulling us for-ward in our work. Even if the days are long, the salt burns under the hot ocean sun, the beauty and deep purpose of our destination is all that we need to sail onward.

21

“If you are going to have a story have a big story

or nothing at all” - Joseph Campbell

JOURNEYNow we will take you on the journey that we have been on to construct our craft CORE. The journey of an explorer begins in himself, with finding the courage and passion to embark out into the open ocean towards unknown lands.

In this section we will take you through the journey so far (our process, summary of re-search and market opportunity), our onward journey (business development strategy) and finally our personal journeys (learning reflec-tions and conclusion).

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND MARKET OPPORTUNITY

This part is a summary of our research process leading to the current concept, that is filling the market opportunity we have discovered. Our research has primarily been action re-search, inspired by the Lean Start-up, focus-ing on minimum viable products (MVP) and accelerating our learning loops (Ries, 2011). We have also done academic research and qualitative interviews with our target group. Our continued conversations with our group of mentors and advisors, has given us a real depth to the research and market opportunity research.

We divided our research into four phases: We started at our own core with the purpose: “Towards the WHY”. After defining our com-mon shared purpose, we started prototyping to find the product to fulfill that purpose. This second phase was “Towards the WHAT”. As we were getting closer to the format of the product, we were exploring different target groups this might serve and possible collabo-ration partners. We call this third phase “To-wards the WHO”. Finally, when we were clear about our concept, we started scoping and finding the best strategy of how to get there. The fourth phase was “Towards the HOW”.

22Kaospilot Team20 at Outdoor Exam

TOWARDS THE WHY

CORE PURPOSEResearch Question: “What calling is at our own core?”

The research leading to finding our core pur-pose has (and probably still will be) been somewhat a lifelong process. We had both started different projects in the beginning of this final year, but decided it was not exactly what we wanted to do. In December 2013, we were both experiencing a low point and where without a project, and through our conversations we realized we both feel drawn to the same overall purpose and big dream.Looking at Neil Crofts “living on purpose” model, we mapped out our talents (exp. de-sign, change process frameworks), frustra-tions (unused human potential) and passion (nature, enabling people to grow) (Croft, 2014).

Insights:- We have a shared purpose: To support a shift in human consciousness towards more life nurturing behaviour.- We have a shared passion: We’d love to cre-ate experiences in nature with this purpose. We have a shared talent: We are skilled in ex-perience design and creating frames for pos-sibility.

SYNTHESIZING INSIGHTS:DECISION 21/1: We are starting the company CORE together, structured like a social move-ment, driven by our purpose of shifting human consciousness. Our first focus was on experi-ences in nature.

TOWARDS THE WHAT

CORE FRAMEWORK Research Question: What theoretical founda-tion can frame transformational experiences?

We wanted to compare and combine 5 dif-ferent change frameworks to understand the core mechanics of transformation. We were inspired by all the different change frame-works we’d learned during our years at the Kaospilot (Theory U, Narrative work and He-roes Journey), and different Native American frameworks which Mikkeline had come along during her personal transformation journey and research about this field (Disciplines of Peace, Wheel of Life).By extracting the essence of each phase in dif-ferent frameworks, we came up with our own CORE framework with 8 phases, built on the stages of all the combined frameworks:

1. Attention 2. Presence. 3. Depth 4. Pattern 5. Clarity 6. Possibility 7. Creation 8. Wholeness.

This CORE framework was the fundament to define the intention of each phase in the de-sign of our nature experiences. Insight:- When comparing many different change frameworks, an overall pattern occurs, describ-ing of the general phases of a transformation (See Appendix 4).

OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP EXAM, Kaospilot Team20, February 3rd-5th 2014.

Research Questions: How can we create experi-ences in nature that enable a shift in peoples consciousness? Does our framework create impact in 4 desired areas? Which part of the experience creates our desired impact?

23

1. TOWARDS THE WHY 2. TOWARDS THE WHAT 4. TOWARDS THE HOW

Outdoor Leadership Exam

Experience Dinner Aarhus

DECISION 12/3:Our value proposition is a

3-step process for organisa-tions incl. an expeirence

retreat in nature facilitated by experts

2013 2014

Meeting Lasse Zäll

Meeting Carsten Hornstrup

Academic research/ trend indicators

Failed Boat Experience

Start Up Weekend

Focus Group dinner in Amsterdam

3. TOWARDS THE WHO

CORE Framework

Interviews with HR managers

Meeting with biz advisors

Board meeting

DECISION 21/1We want to collaborate on starting

a company with the purpose of helping people get in touch with

their core.

DECISION 28/3:We target HR managers of progressive organiza-tions taking a satnd for

proactive responses to stress. We make

the year long biz dev. project “Core Seasons”,

organizing 4 experiences co-created with a board

of experts.

DECISION 22/4:CORE Seasons will be a global research project

running in 2015. We aim to get clients and define locations from the possibilities

emergeing though the board.

In the fall 2014 we will gather the board to develop the content

TOWARDS THE WHAT

TOWARDS THE WHO

TOWARDS THE HOW

TOWARDS THE WHY

Both ending initial pilot projects and in perosnal crisis

CORE PROJECT TIMELINEJAN FEB MAR APR MAYDEC

24

After connecting around our shared purpose and creating the CORE framework, we want-ed to create an MVP as soon as possible. We asked to be part of designing and facilitat-ing the 3-day outdoor leadership exam for Team20, in the forest of Rold Skov. It was a perfect learning opportunity as the practical frames were already set, and both the school and the students were very open to let us test our idea and give us feedback afterwards.

We designed the overall story of the 3-days, creating a narrative and an experience design to bind together the trip, focusing sharply on our intention of enabling a consciousness shift. Adding to the program that was already scheduled, we designed 8 exercises/experi-ences, one for each phase of our CORE frame-work. We handed out feedback sheets to all students on the bus home (See Appendix 5), and had an evaluation meeting with the over-all responsible of the trip, Jon Tangen.

Insights:- The common purpose we’ve formulated is meaningful to us. We LOVE to facilitate pro-cesses in nature. It works (we had incredible feedback from both the students and Jon (See Appendix 6). - The purpose we’ve formulated is meaning-ful to others. Our framework and experiences have potential to reach our purpose of shifting consciousness.

MEETING WITH CARSTEN HORNSTRUP, founder of MacMannBerg consultancy, February 12th

Research question: What is the best way to give CORE a business engine?

We met with Andy’s business mentor Carsten, as he is one of the leading thinkers within or-ganizational development, and has followed Andy’s progress for two years. We presented our idea to get feedback and advice on the business opportunity he saw in CORE.

Insights:- Focus on the value creation for the company, more than what and how you will bring them to that result.- Companies want high performing employees.

“A TASTE OF CORE” DINNER EXPERIENCEin Aarhus, March 1st 2014

Research question: How can we create an urban experience, which makes people inter-ested in our nature experiences? How can we create experiences which enable our collabo-ration partners to experience what we do?

We wanted to explain to our possible busi-ness partner Carsten Hornstrup and our visual identity designer Kristina Bonne, what CORE was about. We wanted them to experience it, instead of telling them. We decided to invite a group of 8 interesting people we know, to a 3-hour experience dinner in Mikkeline’s apart-ment to experience CORE and to get feedback on our idea. We requested feedback in a mail questionnaire and had individual feedback meetings with most of the participants after-wards.

Insights:- Don’t force change! A transformational pro-cess needs to be a free choice. - We are not the experts. With our experi-ences and exercises we might be able to open up for something profound, but we are not trained to “hold and support” people in and out of such deep change process.- Don’t put ourselves in a position where we have to prove/deliver to the participants, find a way to include them in the process, bring them into the dialogue and development.- The most valuable things for the participants was the connection between them.

25

MEETING WITH LASSE ZÄLL, Founder of Pathfinder, March 16th

Research question: How do we successfully de-sign, sell and communicate transformational processes for businesses?

We met with Lasse, as he is one of the most successful examples of selling transformation-al processes to Danish companies with more than 20 years of experience. We were curi-ous about the ingredients to this success and wanted his advice for our business develop-ment.

Insights:- “Mød mennesket hvor mennesket er” (quote Søren Kierkegaard). Meet people where they are. Gradually getting people interested and committed in the change process works. Ad-dressing both the rational and creative mind is important.- The 3 step model. Pathfinder successfully uses a 3-step model: In the 1st step meet-ing people in the company on a theoretical level, in the 2nd step taking them into nature embodying the learning, and in the 3rd step opening the heart.- We scale up the amount of participants to 100-500 people gathering around the same purpose. This is a key way we innovate and make our business viable.

TOWARDS THE WHO

“DE FOCUS/RE FOCUS” FOCUS GROUP in Amsterdam, March 24th 2014

Research question: Who needs transforma-tional nature experiences?

With our clarified concept of WHAT, we want-ed to get feedback on this concept and ex-plore who would be the best target group. We spend two weeks in Amsterdam learning from Meike Ziegler, Creatuals. She offered to invite people in her network that were related to experience design and stress to a focus group

dinner in her studio. Nine people attended. We presented our current idea using Nick Jan-kel’s “Breakthrough V” model, explaining: the current state of stress, the current solutions, the current underlying belief, the new belief we build our concept on, the new solutions needed and our new concept.

Finally we facilitated a dialogue around the current need (also based on the “Breakthrough V”) to hear their inputs on current underlying beliefs causing stress, and got feedback on our concrete idea.

26

Focus Group in Amsterdam

Focus Group insights:- Co-creation works. The participants showed huge engagement in the topic.- Focus in unfolding potential, not preventing stress.- There is a huge need to change organization-al structures.

INTERVIEWS WITH DANISH HR-MANAGERS (9th-23rd April 2014)

Research questions: What is the current state of and best solutions around stress preven-tion? What do HR managers desire? What would make our concept attractive/challeng-ing for a company to buy in on?

We did qualitative interviews - inspired by Carsten Hornstrup’s ‘generative interview’ technique - with a series of HR managers from different sizes of companies to explore the current situation, the need, and start validat-ing the market opportunity for our concept.

We spoke with:- Sophie Olsen GrandHR manager Unity studios, educated coach, private company in Aarhus, 30 employees

- Helle Kibskov Founder of Bladbjerg Kibskov, leading Danish company in stress prevention for companies- Line Højer FogdeWork climate responsible at Jyske Bank, 4200 employees- Karina BoldsenPrevious HR manager at Vestas, author of “Happy Chefs”- Anne Molbeck-Kunskner, Lundbeck, global Pharmaceuticals compa-ny, leading 2-year project “Mental Health at Work” 6000 employees worldwide, 2000 in Denmark- Maj Morgenstjerne BekAarhus Munestipalicy “Magistrat for Sundhed og Omsorg”

Key Insights (See Appendix 7 for a sample in-terview):- Current stress handling methods are largely reactive and not going in depth. There is big space and a need for innovation- Focusing on mental health at work is used a branding - That taking time to do processes with compa-nies is a big problem

SYNTHESISING INSIGHTS:DECISION March 24th 2014:

For WHO: We decided to target HR managers in organizations, who are dedicated to make an organizational shift towards unfolding hu-man potential.

DECISION April 3rd 2014:- With WHO: We decided to invite a CORE board of 7 experts to be our advisors, plus co-creators and facilitators at the nature experi-ences.- New vision “We unfold human potential by connecting people to their values through a 3-step model” (workshop, nature retreat, workshop).- We are the frame holders not the experts.

2627

Mikkeline and Chené in Amsterdam

TOWARDS THE HOW

MEETINGS WITH BUSINESS ADVISORS (8th-11th April 2014)

Research question: How can we best sell/market our concept?

We felt we needed some advice on our sales and marketing strategy, so we organized individual meetings with some people in our network, whom we admire for their skills in the field of business. We presented our ideas, asked for feedback and inputs on sales/mar-keting.- Jesper Krogh Kjeldsen, Kaospilot Team17- Mads Poulsen, owner of Drudenfuss- Carsten Hornekamp, founder of MacMann-Berg consultancy

Insights:- All three expressed the concept was very clear and promising, really hitting a mega trend need and they believe we can sell our product.- A possible strategy is to make a “desired change or money back” sales strategy to get our first customers on board.- A great selling point is the added branding value a company gets through media etc. when they are part of this 1-year cutting edge project.

BOARD MEETING online April 22nd 2014

“How can this initiative be most valuable for the board?”We send out an invitation to the board on April 3rd inspired by Gunter Pauli’s strategy of “letting everyone say yes individually, before asking them all”, we mentioned all of their names and framed the possibilities and ad-vantages in this initiate. They all agreed and even though they are all very busy people we managed to find a date where 6 out of the 7 could to meet online. April 22nd we hosted the first 2-hour board meeting on Skype.

Insights:- Connecting the board members is of huge value to them. They are committed to be part of the 1-year research project.- They expressed great desire to all meet in person to share methods and co-create among each other, at first without partici-pants/clients.- Coordinating schedules of 7 busy experts in different timezones all over the World is chal-lenging.- Sensing a tremendous possibility of ideas and impact, which could emerge if they would meet face to face.

SYNTHESISING INSIGHTS:DECISION 28/3: We are creating a 1-year re-search project called CORE Seasons collabo-rating with the board on 4 executions within a year.DECISION 22/4: We decided to make CORE Seasons global. We see this aligning with the global movement that we have the intention to start and see a great possibility to make the 4 sales through the board’s international network.

OVERALL SUMMARY OF RESEARCH

We believe that our research has led us to a concept that is realizable, attractive and rel-evant. We have identified a mega need (see full stress statisics in Appendix 8) and a pro-cess for developing a solution to this need. But most of all this process has strengthened our shared vision and intention with CORE. We have learned about the importance of taking decisions/action to get feedback that moves us forward in our development pro-cess, a learning that we will take forward as we develop CORE.

“Wisdom without knowledge is blind, knowledge without wisdom is empty”

- Immanuel Kant 28

Meike Ziegler Amsterdam, Netherlands Creatuals

www.creatuals.comInnovative change through creative rituals

Megan de BayerCape Town, South AfricaEcological psychology

www.megandebeyer.comPshychologist and Master in Holistic Ecology

Lisa ArieColorado, USAStillpoint Experiences

www.vistacaballo.comFast Company call her “the CEO whisperer”

Göran GennviStockholm, SwedenNature Academy

www.naturakademin.seEnabling leaders re-connect to nature and themselves

Nick JankelLewes, UKBreakthrough Leadership

www.nickjankel.comInspiring companies world-wide to live purpose driven

Manuel MangaSan Fransisco, USAEvolutionary Leadership

www.evolutionleader.comTraining leaders to conciously shape our future evolution

CORE BOARD

Chené SwartJohannesburg, South AfricaNarrative work

www.transformations.co.zaRe-Authering the World through narrative work

2829

PROCESSINTERNAL WORK STRUCTURE

FOCUS ON WELLBEINGOne of our key values is “from the core”, which also means starting with ourselves. For us it is not enough to be messengers, we want to BE the message. We wish for people to con-nect to what truly matters to them, to become conscious co-creator of their own lives and our collective reality. We want organizations to nurture the growth and wellbeing of each individual - so we start with ourselves.

CORE PRACTISESWe have developed CORE practises, which we do everyday for an embodied connection to our values and preparation to be in an optimal state to begin our workday:

INTERNAL CORE PRACTISES1) Dancing freely to a piece of music we choose to get us into our bodies (practising our value: Love)2) Meditating 5-10 min. individually (practis-ing our value: From the core)3) Looking each other deep into the eyes for 1-2 min in silence. If we feel like it we share how it made us feel, appreciating each other and our connection (practising our value: Re-lation/co-creation)

4) Holding our arms out to shape a half cir-cle each, with our eyes closed imagining our shared vision between us. Sharing afterwards what we have seen (practising our value pos-sibility)5) Writing down our intention of the day and tree top priorities that day (practising our val-ue: Simplicity)

These practises have worked surprisingly well for us. It is especially interesting to share with each other the images which comes up while “holding the vision” between us. This is inspired by the Poetic Organization Theory, that calls for, “authentically focusing on values through conversation and process” (Auster, 2013). The results of this process are different day to day, deepening our shared vision, clari-

fying the focus points of what is currently most appealing for to us to work towards and giving us inspiration.

WORKFLOWWe have had a simple structure for our plan-ning and decisions: We start the week with a Monday Morning Meeting where we set goals for the week, plan our schedules and divide ac-countability areas for each task. At the end of each week we have a short Friday Evaluation, where we look back to see if we’ve reached the goals of the week and talk about where we are at. After each meeting or execution, we’ve been gathering our insights using the “Stop, start, continue” tool.

30

“I feel my life is like a river that has been leading em to this shore”

- Lisa Arie at the first board meeting

IMPACT

MEASURING OUR IMPACT

We would also like to tell the story of the im-pact that we have had thus far in our process, as well as illuminate the impact that we have the ambition to create through CORE Seasons and beyond. We are aiming for breakthrough innovation through our scalable concept that is tackling one of the worlds growing mega-challenges. There is inherent complexity in designing impact measures for CORE Seasons, which will create perceptual shifts on multi-ple levels (individual and organizational) and on several layers (Board of Experts, Clients/collaborators and 100 Business Leaders). We have created a number of components to evaluating this impact. You can also see the measurement system that we used for the Outdoor Leadership in Appendix 4.

We will use a positive performance rating sys-tem to rate the impact that we create in the world. We do not need to reinvent the wheel, and will leverage existing, measurement systems such as: (New Profit Inc. Balanced Scorecard Methodology, B Lab GIIRS, The Acu-men- Mckinsey Scorecard, AtKisson Compass Assessment for Investors, and OASIS). We will become registered as a B Corp, from B Lab Eu-

rope when we can after one year of oppera-tions. This will give us a holistic measurement of the impact (social, environmental, and fi-nancial) as a company.

The Impact that We Will Create:

Scalability: We have developed a model that only works at scale. We believe that because of the size of the need we are working with, the ability to scale is of paramount impor-tance. Our business model becomes more profitable as we scale the size of gatherings up. We are starting with 200 participants, but we plan to scale to above 1000 participants per gathering in the next 7 years. The ability to scale is essential to creating breakthrough innovation (Jankel, 2013).

Relevance to Mega-Trends: We are focusing on the “health epidemic of the 21st century” (Smith, 2014), which makes what we develop extremely relevant for our time. This will en-able the impact of our enterprise to scale as rapidly as we can maintain the quality and the delivery of value to our customers. We will be able to offer our services at an even cheaper

price, and thus be able to reach more people if we scale up the amount of participants that we take through each CORE Experience.

Transparency: We will have complete trans-parency about our environmental, social and financial performance. Our finances as well as our environmental and social impact and yearly goals will accessible to the public from on our website. We will strive to be an exam-ple of good business, through the practices that we keep as an enterprise.

Action-oriented: Actions speak louder than words. We evaluate what is done above what our policies are – continually trying to lessen the gap between these two.

31

Bringing Chené and Meike together in Amsterdam

OUR IMPACT STORY OF CATALYZING CHANGE:

Our primary impact to date has been to cata-lyze change, helping individuals sense new possibilities. For Team20 we created a pro-cess in connection to their outdoor leadership exam, enabling them to see new possibilities within themselves. For the board we created a framework enabling them to see new possibil-ities in their collaboration. We have tried to be the change that we wish to see in the world.Board Members

Our biggest impact so far and largest potential future impact has been connecting the board members. One week after bringing Meike and Chené together in Amsterdam, they were al-ready collaborating on a big project in Cape Town, the “Table of Hope”. By connecting these cutting edge experts within transformational processes, we are creating an impact that can rocket our purpose powerfully into the world.

Connecting these 7 board members, has been a deeply powerful personal experience for the Board members. One member cried during the first group call, saying that, “I feel my life is like a river that has been leading me to this (the constellation of the board) shore.” Anoth-er said it was a miracle. The common senti-ment from all was that they wanted to meet in person. We believe that them meeting in person will be a tremendously powerful thing for the world.

Kaospilot Team20

Our process with T20 has impacted a genera-tion of future change leaders - the new pos-sibilities that they see in themselves ripple out to all those that they touch. The feedback from the Team20 students: “As a result of this experience I reminded myself of what I really want to do in my life.” See more of the feed-

back in the (Appendix 5). The feedback clearly showed that we have had a significant impact from our 3-days with them. We were asked to be part of designing the trip again next year, so we will possibly have an impact on future Kaospilot outdoor leadership exam formats as well, adding more focus on experience-based personal transformational processes.

IMPACT MODEL CANVAS (Appendix 9).

32

“A mind once stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions”

- Oliver Wendell

Facing fears during Outdoor Exam

Kaospilot Team20 at Outdoor Exam

DEVELOPMENT PLAN

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY: CORE SEASONS

Starting a social enterprise requires patience. We have decided to let our Pilot Project be the first part of our 2 year start-up plan. The next half year will be preparations for our first busi-ness year, which is a 1-year research project to test and validate our business. We call the research project CORE Seasons. It synergisti-cally weaves together the separate strands of CORE into one whole, relevant, and attractive concept. This allows for the continuous busi-ness development of CORE, and the personal development of the founders.We are the frame holders, connecting to-gether those with the need (the individuals in organizations), with those able to meet the need (the board) and those interested in learning about and validating new solutions (the researchers), around a magnetic shared purpose: Taking a proactive approach to the growing epidemic of stress.

CORE Seasons is a global research project where we, organizing 4 CORE experiences, one for each season, over the duration of one year: Winter 2014, Spring 2015, Summer 2015 and Fall of 2015. We will find 4 international organizations that will each pay to send 200

employees to go through our 3-step CORE process. The board will also help us reach out for these clients.We will get a professional academic research institution to research how connecting people with their values can unfold human poten-tial and be a proactive approach to stress. A research project makes it more desirable for both the Board and companies to be part of, and will be a major competitive advantage for our future business, as it will be a validation of our value proposition and methods.

The CORE Season crew (researcher, board and 4 companies) will communicate the findings to the World, throughout the year, for inspira-tion and to spark interest in future CORE ex-periences. The format of this communication will be co-created with the stakeholders.

THE CORE BOARD

“Never doubt that a small group of thought-ful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

From our personal experience with initiat-ing “100 in 1 Day”, we know that gathering a small, engaged core group around a shared

33

100 leaders gatheringNOV 2015

Board co-creation gathering OCT 2014 FALL

CORE SEASON

# 4 FALLOCT 2015

WINTER

CORE SEASON

# 1 WINTER

JAN 2015

SPRINGCORE SEASON

# 2 SPRING

APRIL 2015

SUMMERCORE SEASON

# 3 SUMMERAUG 2015

Board evaluation & gathering OCT 2015

CORE SEASONS JAN-DEC 20151-year action research project testing and validating business through 4 executions

BIZ START-UP PHASE JUL-DEC 2014Preparations and content development for CORE Seasons

PILOT PROJECT PHASE JAN-JUN 2014Defining concept and biz start-up plan CORE 2 YEAR PLAN

““Everything can be trained. We become what we train”

– Lasse Zäll

34

purpose can leverage a global movement.Throughout our education at the Kaospilots we’ve had the privileged to connect with and learn from truly extraordinary inspiring people within the field of personal transformation. We both have a natural desire and talent for connecting to these masters. We have both established deeply personal and meaningful relationships with our mentors.

We have reached out to 7 of the most inspiring people we know within personal transforma-tion processes, and all 7 have gladly accepted our invitation to be part of our international CORE board and our one-year action research project CORE Seasons.(See board presentation on page 29)

During the first board gathering, they will share among each other their methods by bringing each other through their unique pro-cesses. In this case we are really focused on creating frames for emergence. We are fully committed to connecting them around our shared purpose, yet we are also consciously unattached to the shape the outcome might take. If we aim too concretely for a certain outcome, we might stand in the way of what is truly seeking to emerge between these ex-traordinary people.There are several benefits for the board mem-

bers to be part of this initiative. We have com-mitted to inviting them to be paid (travel + 15,000.00 Dkk for 2.5 days) to facilitate a pro-cess, at one or more of the 4 CORE experienc-es, which we will organize. We offer a frames for them to focus on what they are best at, bringing both the participants and the col-laboration partners (other experts).They are also connecting to other experts with similar visions.

“I have found a hope in me a that is bigger than the pain I see. To be able to create frames for other to sense possibility of change, I my-self needed a team around me, who ensured my state of being hopeful and positive.”

- Bliss Brown

RESEARCH PROJECT

We have decided to make CORE Seasons a re-search project: - To learn about how processes that are pre-ventative of stress.- To have a magnetic shared purpose to gather people around. - To rigorously validate or process - To make it attractive to businesses

We are interested in working with David Cresswell from Carnegie Mellon’s Health and Human Performance Laboratory or the Karo-linska Institute - Center for Social Sustainabil-ity. We have been in contact with a Danish In-novation Fund, for 100,000 Dkk for doing new research. They seem excited about our pro-ject, we hope to be able to fund the research through this fund.

CORE SEASONS FOR COMPANIES

The companies who decide to be part of this research project will benefit on many levels. First of all the will get the nuanced value of our 3 step process, hypothetically reducing the huge cost of people being sick with stress. They can brand themselves as front-runners through participating in a global research pro-ject on preventative methods for stress. We will provide a frame for the business leaders from the 4 companies to meet, and share in-sights about the process.

35

“The place I’m stuck in my own success, is the place we’re stuck in our cultural development’s success,

and its the place human consciousness is stuck overall. From this point of view, working on my

personal limitations, becomes an impersonal, yet tremendously meaningful project”

- Peter Bastian

36

2014

NOV/DECJUL AUG SEP/OCT

CORE SEASONS ACTION STEPS AND GOALS

2015

MAY JUNJAN FEB MAR APR

OCT NOV DECJUL AUG SEP

ACTIONS:

- Reach out to investors- Hire a brilliant campaign and branding agency or individual- Hire a project manager- Release Website- Contact partner organizations for 100 Biz Leader Movement- Get 100,000 funding for research from Danish Innovation Fund- Get research institute on board- Plan first board gathering

ACTIONS:

- Organize and facilitate first physical gathering of all 7 board members- Co-develop with them the content of the CORE 3-step process- Our campaign master is creating a “fuss” about stress in companies and the need for a proactive response, driving attention to CORE - Seasons and attracting companies, who can “apply” to be part of this exciting research project.

HOLI

DAY

CORE SEASON

# 1 WINTER

ACTIONS:

- Organize the first CORE Season experience (possibly in Cape Town Jan. 2015)- Organize a gathering for the leaders from all 4 companies in Jan. 2015

CORE SEASON

# 2 SPRING

CORE SEASON

# 3 SUMMERCORE SEASON

# 4 FALL100 LEADERS MEETING &

Board Evaluation

CORE SEASON GOALS by Jan 1st 2016:

- We have organized and executed 4 CORE Seasons processes for 4 international companies, each paying for 200 employers- The research has been published and shared- CORE has a process of connecting people to their values, that has been tested and validated

GOALS by Sept 1st 2014

- Researcher on board- Financing secured for first half-year pre-income phase- Branding expert hired for to launch our creating a “ fuss” campaign about CORE Seasons - Collaboration with least 2 really strong organizations (Purpose, B Team)

GOALS by Nov 1st 2014:

- The board has met for 4 days on Lisa Aries ranch in Colorado- We have a clear idea of the content of the CORE 3-step process- Our researcher has been connected to the board- We have sold the 4 CORE Seasons processes to 4 interna-tional companies, who will each send 200 employers through the experience in 2015- The 4 companies have paid min 25% of the fee up front

GOALS by Jan 1st 2015:

- All logistics set for the first CORE Season execution- All content of the 3-step process of the first execution is ready- Leaders of the 4 companies have met to share their current state, desires and expectations before entering the research project

37

REFLECTIONS

MIKKELINES PERSONAL LEARNING REFLECTIONS

OVERALL MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF THE PILOT PROJECT

One year ago I burned out. I sat by the ocean every day for a month to let nature be part of my healing. Today, I’m returning to the same spot by the water - with tears of gratitude for the journey I’ve been on the past years. After going down with stress, I’ve realized that nur-turing myself is essential if I want to be a Life long Activist (Rettig, 2006). I’m committed to use my own experience to enable others to step out of the “spinning wheel”, and start nurturing all life, starting with themselves.

“At følge sit hjerte rimer også på smerte” (following your heart also also painful)

- Kristin Birkeland

In the fall I experienced one of the most diffi-cult times in my life, caused by a private crisis. I had just returned after a year off with burn-out, and it was really frustrating to call off my project with Samsø Energi Academy to take time off again to recover. But from the empti-ness and deep frustration, a tremendous de-sire to create “near-life experiences”emerged. And on a stormy night, I created the CORE framework, as if it just came to me. I consid-

ered joining other projects, but deep down I knew I just wanted to follow my own calling, roaring stronger than ever in me. I’ve been so blessed to team up with Andy. Having some-one to create a flow with, someone sharing my vision, supporting and challenging me, is indescribably valuable. It has been tough as times too, especially because this vision is so personal to me. Coming from the core, makes the vision strong, but also very precious and vulnerable, like a baby. Before we decided on changing our roles to frameholders and not

38

“After going down with stress, I’ve realized that nurturing myself is essential

if I want to be a Lifelong Activist”

experts, I put a huge pressure at myself for our executions. I missed the high level of exper-tise and necessary in-depth preparation I felt was needed to deliver something matching the potential I saw in the concept. It was diffi-cult to combine this desire of mine with Andys urge for action, prototyping and his feeling of being “behind” starting much later than our classmates. Looking back, I understand how our different angles were both so important to develop the concept we have now. It was so important for us to start doing right away, to get feedback and start the learning loops. But it was also important to realize something was wrong with our initial idea of being experts - sensing there was a greater possibility hiding behind our frustrations.

Be the message. This year has indeed been a journey towards my own core. I’ve been working with a psycho therapist regularly throughout this year, to ex-plore my underlying core beliefs. I have been practicing daily yoga and meditation, and been on a weeklong OSHO retreat to connect to my body’s wisdom. I’ve been through a one-week intense personal transformation process with Meike Ziegler, going “through the pain” as she describes it. I was confronting suppressed past experiences and in the end creating a creative

ritual for myself to re-conciliate with the pain of the past. I could write a whole report just on this process. “Become a midwife for con-sciousness – remember to pay attention both to what will be born (the ideas) and those who are giving birth (myself).” – Bliss Brown. I re-alized the most inspiring people I know have not only impressed me with their actions, but much more with their way of being. It reminds me to continually work on myself, to BE the message, not only the messenger.

“The succes of the intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervener”

– O’Brian Santa Fee Institute

Frames for emergence. Two years ago I was part of initiating the project “100 in 1 day” in Bogota, which has since grown into a global movement of active citizenship. I’ve seen what it takes to engage people in a shared dream which can grow by itself . What worked was the CORE group, as we called it. We gathered a small group of the most engaged people. A vision hitting a big need, a concrete big goal and frames for peo-ple to gather and co-create. I’m still learning the fine art of framing emergence. The frame must be clear and attractive for people to step into it, yet loose enough to open up for much more than I could possibly imagine emerging.

39

Creatual execution in Amsterdam

Mentor and dear freind Meike Ziegler

I’m aware now of my gift in seeing possibilities and enabling people to see their own possi-bilities, in themselves and the space between them. While creating the frame for the board to co-develop new methods, I’m simultane-ously framing an optimal space for my own learning to emerge, to step by step build up by own expertise in leading transformational processes.

“Invite people into a space of possibility, where they see their own potential, meaning and ability to contributed”

– Bliss Brown

Committed unattached. I feel I’ve build a fundament in myself, an AGENCY as entrepreneurial leader. This year has given me a new clarity and freedom: Now I know my field is transformational learning. I know my vision is to enable people to get in touch with life and what truly matters. I know my role is to create frames for possibilities, and connecting people around a shared pur-pose. I have a network of strong relations to co-create with and learn from. (Meike has of-fered me to live and work with her, Lisa said I am welcome to visit her and learn from her anytime, Megan want to develop programmes

with us, Im learning to facilitate a nature quest with John P. Milton and Göran summer , and I’m co-creating a Womanity circle with Chené in Oct). I have an inspiring idea as our start-ingpoint. I have my wonderful project part-ner Andy, driven by the same core vision and beliefs as I am, yet we’re supplementing each other. I feel I’m driven from a deep place of my own core purpose. I’m fully committed, I can not NOT do this. Yet, I feel unattached to the shape of future outcomes and the path of the journey ahead. I know I can not know where this will take me, but I feel equipped for the unknown.

“A breakthrough leader is fully committed, yet unattached”

– Nick Jankel

Rooting AND rising. To me, this year has been about landing in myself. I’ve often felt split between conflicting desires: The upward thriving energy of vision-ary ideas and responsibility to contribute to the World, and the downward seeking energy longing to belong, simply BE and be loved un-conditional of achievements. Now I realize it is not about choosing between ambition and well-being, as both are needed in this World

and to make me fulfilled. I no longer feel self-ish when focusing on my own learning, happi-ness and health – and I am no longer afraid to “loose myself” in my dedication to contribute and shaping ambitious visions. I am experiencing what Joanna Macy calls “a wider sense of self”, starting to embody my new understanding that the World and I are the same.

“In the past, changing the self and changing the World were often regarded as separate

40

Collage process in Creatual Studio

endeavors and viewed in either-or terms. But in the story of the Great Turning, they are rec-ognized as mutually reinforcing and essential to one another”

– Joanna Macy, Active Hope p. 32

Small actions, big difference. In March, I hitchhiked with a woman, who turned out to be on her way to say goodbye to her best and only friend, dying from cancer. Luckily I was present and open to see what was needed in this situation. She later wrote me a letter saying this 3 hour conversation between

us was the most important and meaningful in her life, she was deeply grateful. I’m becoming more and more aware how important it is for me not to loose footing, to be present in the moment, - but also let myself use my strength in seeing and creating visionary possibilities. “What’s a small action that could make a big change?” (Bliss Brown) The small action that makes a big difference, can be anything from a conversation with a stranger or bringing to-gether an international board of experts.

Apprentice at the wellspring. I have learned that sharing my life story and the call I feel, very honest and vulnerably, has opened up to connect with people I ad-mire the most. Ex. I kept writing Göran for 6 month telling him what was on my heart and how I was following that purpose. Finally my persistence convinced him I really meant it. Nurturing these relations with shared person-al experiences (ex. living in Meikes house for weeks), curiosity and small magical gestures, has created my most valuable fundament for the future. I feel I’ve learned how to make full use of my natural talent in establishing profound rela-tions to the people I admire the most. And I feel I’ve found a way to contribute with some-thing very valuable in return – connecting them with each other.

LEARNING GOALS

Now, as I reflect on the fulfillment of my learn-ing goals, let me give a living example of being committed unattached. A story of how being fully committed to an envisioned future state, yet unattached to the shape of the outcome, can magically create the desired reality. Text in italic is quoting my Learning Strategy from Oct 2013:

41

“As an ‘imagenist’ I sense and visualize yet unseen possibilities. I create opportunities

in the space in between”

Celebrating the first board meeting

Backcasting: How will I feel by the end of the Pilot Project?

Rooted to rise.I have created a strong fundament for my fu-ture life, in myself and my relations. I’m root-ed in myself – as I have cultivated virtues and character to be an enterprising leader... I am free to rise – as I have started creating what might just be the beginning of a long-¬- term meaningful and relevant project. Through the pilot project I have connected and contributed to caring creative communities, and these col-laborations are now my network of support and possible future jobs. I am confident as an enterprising leader with the agency to create bring about change and live the life I want. It feels like this project period has been my per-sonal “rite of passage”.

Looking at the learning goals and strategy I created for myself 7 month ago, I’m fascinat-ed to see I am in the EXACT “state of being” I hoped for when backcasting how I wished to feel now at the end of the Pilot Project. Back when I was an elite athlete I used visualization to train peak performances in my mind, - now I realize just how POWERFUL it is to create a strong inner image of my intention.

“As an ‘imagenist’ I sense and visualize yet un-seen possibilities. I create opportunities in the space in between. I connect and engage peo-ple/organizations around a shared purpose. I initiate, lead and co-create a process of explo-ration and experimentation to support what is seeking to emerge.”

I imagined somehow creating “a living mani-festo, which can magnetically gather other people passionate about transformative learning”.

DISCIPLINES

I will now shortly share reflections on how I’ve applied the 4 Kaospilot disciplines, referring to the learning goals I set in the beginning of the pilot project period:I wanted to practice my creative leadership, by “consciously choosing the meta-skill driving my actions and being.” I have very consciously tried to be a living example of daring to live form the core, following my call. Nurturing myself, while seeing possibilities and bringing them to live.I wanted to practise my creative business de-sign by “conceptualizing possibilities.” I feel this describes our CORE concept quite well.I wanted to practice my creative process de-

42

sign by “leading a process for collaboration partners to explore their shared needs, visions and possibilities.” This is exactly what we will do in the Fall, when the board meets to de-velop the content of the CORE process. I’ve also used my skills of creative process in the designs of the Leadership Exam, Experience Dinner, Focus Group and Board Meeting.I wanted to practice my creative project man-agement by “engaging a team, to make sure I can focus my energy on what I’m best at and love the most: being the visionary ‘imagenist’, the overall storyteller and the one connecting the players to bring visions to live.”

First drawing of the CORE Framework

ANDY’S PERSONAL REFLECTION ON CREATING POSSIBILITY

When I arrived at the airport, the box carrying my bike looked like someone with a weapon had attacked it. I took my bike out of the di-lapidated cardboard - pitifully taped together as if the bike box assailant had been swept by a hasty remorse - and put the pieces that I could still find back together. I borrowed a phone to call the one person that I knew in

“Don’t aks yourself what the World needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then

go and do that. Because what the World needs are people who have come alive.”

- Daniel Epstein

43

Preparing “arrow exercise” at the Outdoor Leadership Exam

Denmark. The beginning of a journey that has led me to the bottom of the world looking out into the intersection of two oceans, the feel-ing that the biggest limit to what I can create is my imagination, the familiar warm smiles of people that I love, a community, and a mag-netic future. I am grateful everyday for the life that I have. I have seen and lived into my self-efficacy.I came to the school with the same intention that I entered this year with: to create a social enterprise. The Kaospilots has been a fertile nesting ground for my dreams. My vision has now hatched, though it is still comfortable in its nest, soon it will take a leap and fly out into the world, forever remembering where it came from but with its own curiosity and will. I am graduating with the agency to create my visions, and with the belief that my actions will make an impact in the world.

My most profound personal learning this year is a deep sense of centeredness, a deepened self-knowledge that has fueled my agency. I have studied and practiced accessing my in-tuition through my training in the CTI method of coaching. I have felt a centeredness and flow in my thoughts and actions. I have than taken this learning further through my train-ing to become a provider of HeartMath – a methodology and technology that helps peo-

ples alter their physiology to bring their heart and mind into coherence. This has taught me an incredible amount and has pointed my into the world of studying physiology, something that I will continue after I graduate the Kaospi-lots. Most of all my deepened understanding of the workings of my body and emotions has contributed greatly towards my agency as a creative leader. The Path Towards AgencyThe learning goals that I set out for myself where about: “…creating a social enterprise and intentional communities.” I could not be happier about the results. CORE is my third attempt at starting a social enterprise this year (I tried with Yannick and Nick, and also Social Loop born from a Startup Weekend that I won), I am proud of my perseverance and about the coherence of the concept with my core passions in life. I have studied entre-preneurship for the last 5 years. In the US, I graduated university with a degree in entre-preneurship and sustainability, and I kept a blog called: The Evolution of Capitalism. Now I am working towards the evolution of human consciousness as an entrepreneur, connector and catalyst through the lens of framing pos-sibility. On Dec. 1st I wrote in my journal,“I want to realize the potential of business to do good in the world. I want to work with the

very brightest minds to be a catalyzing force in this transition… I can see the best in the world, in organizations, and people. I want to bring out this skill. I would like to nurture the revolutionary in me, the man that can stand up tall and speak from his heart about what is meaningful.”I feel I have found what I was looking for when I wrote this. In some way CORE is like a coming home for me, it is the evolution of my previ-ous ambitions.For the first half of the year I was working with Yannick Porter and partially with Nick Arroyo.

44

Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas

The focus of this time was to create a com-pany that would create the frames for social movements. We then altered the concept to be working with creating temporary organi-zational structures. We failed in creating this company. There was too much talk, to lit-tle action. We did not narrow in on a need. I believe that Yannick and I where to similar in our skill sets to enable a synergistic partner-ship to emerge. It is also exceptionally difficult to work in different physical locations, when the concept is in anyway still ambiguous. We did however successfully start Good For Noth-ing in Stockholm, which Yannick has taken on. This period was a true opening up, that has helped me to find the why that is currently guiding CORE.

Bumps on the PathThis year has not always been easy. Yannick and I stopped working together the night be-fore we had to turn in our synopsis. Yannick turned his in, partially written by me, and I started from scratch. I felt at this time that my process did not fit into the schools frames, and I had a hard time seeing how I would make the best of the year.

Getting a JobHowever, I was proactive. I have taken on debt as going to the Kaospilots is quite expensive for me as an international student, and I decid-ed that I would like to get a job. I reached out to some of the most inspiring organizations that I knew: the Social Innovation Exchange, Reach for Change, and the political party Al-ternative. I also reached out to an old friend Carsten Hornstrup, founder of Macmannberg. I got positive responses from every place that I turned to! I was very happy, realizing that if my dream places to work where that attaina-ble, I really must use the rest of my time at the KP to follow my dreams. Carsten invited me on with him full time, and offered to co-write a piece for HBR. Marcello Palazzi, part of the Club of Rome, a philanthropist and founder of B Lab Europe, also contacted me; he found me through my writing about the New Economy, and he was interested in how I might help with

B Lab Europe. I interviewed to be the Reach For Change country manager for Denmark, and was strongly urged to move on in process, but my intuition told me that told me my gift to the world was different. I realized that I re-ally did not want a job; I wanted to create my job. Putting my vision behind a desk would be like using the desk as a fireplace. I have big vi-sions, I see possibilities, and I am a creator; I would burn up without the space to dream.Back to my CoreAfter I realized that I still wanted to start my own enterprise, Mikkeline and I bumped heads. I have thought Mikkeline was inspiring since I met her, and we shared at a deep lev-el the same purpose, so we began down our path. At this time I also began long conversa-tions with Manuel Manga and have began the journey to becoming and evolutionary leader. Guided by Manuel, I read 5 books (see my syl-labus) on the process of evolution, leadership, sustainability, ontological design. Our conver-sations gave/give me clarified direction and purpose.

The Leverage of Purpose“Finally I am coming to the conclusion that my highest ambition is to be what I already am.” - Thomas MertonI am now deeply happy with where I am. When you have purpose you have leverage

45

First day woking togteher

- enambling the force that you exert to be magnified. Have you ever tried to pull a nail out of a board with your fingers? Compare that with your experience of pulling a nail out with a hammer. The leverage that you have when you pull out the exact same nail with a hammer is a completely different experience. Leverage – the mechanical advantage where the force of your arm strength is magnified. That is the same feeling that I have with CORE, working from a place of strength, grounded and centeredness – our hammer makes pull-ing out the nail a joyous and fulfilling experi-ence.Have you ever tried to make a business pulling out nails? What would the conditions have to be for this business to be viable? Well, if all of a sudden there were millions of nails put in Danish peoples houses, buildings, trees, EVE-RYWHERE - then you would be in business. You would be solving a problem in society by creating a business that would effectively take out nails. Stress creates more suffering than nails ever will.

Mentors:These are the shoulders that I stand on. Men-torships have been a place for conversations that have been focused on learning, expan-sion of mind, sharpening of self-knowledge and friendship. I have made a Blueprint of We, a general clearing of expectations and sharp-ening of the intention with the relationship, to varying degrees with the different mentors. I have been employing the practice of having a ‘ball’ to throw back and forth with my men-tors. Having something that we do together. With Chené, Manuel and Carsten this activ-ity has been writing. I will do this in all future mentorships I has worked exceptionally well. It has been a really good way to deepen my knowledge in these experts subject areas and actively create value for them.

Chené Swart - Narrative PractitionerChené, has helped me to cut through the fog - swim the sea of taken for granted beliefs and assumption - and be the author of my own story. We started the mentorship in Nov. when she was in Aarhus. She has been very generi-ous with her time. I am proud of the piece I have made about her work: Re-Authoring the World.

Manuel Manga – Evolutionary LeaderManuel has guided me on my path to become an evolutionary leader. I have been reading five books that on the ‘curriculum’ to become an evolutionary leader. We have had long talks about the state of the world, and what is needed. He has spent hours focused on help-ing to prefect our model for CORE, how to make money while creating really positive im-pact on the world. I have edited a white paper about becoming an evolutionary leader, and am starting to help him with his book.

46

Celebrating first execution in Rold Skov

Carsten Hornstrup -Systemic Organizational ConsultantCarsten is first of all a friend. Our relation-ship is based upon a passion for the future of organizational structures. I went straight to Carsten as soon as I heard his ideas, since then he has been following my progress at the KP. At first he wanted me to work for him, I had difficulty turning this down, so was planning to work with him one day a week from Jan

2014 on. But, I have been practicing aligning my intentions, and so asked him if we could work with each other through the lens of him helping Mikkeline and I develop a business en-gine for CORE. I have read his books and have edited his PhD. I think I am one of the people that most familiar with his work in the world.

Marquise Stillwell - OpenBoxWe made a Blueprint of We, about a business/movement development mentorship. Our en-ergies have not matched, through still really good friends, after meeting him in NYC in Jan-uary, we have agree to just keep each other up to date.

Mentees:I have also been the mentor for some of the younger classmates. I have tried to bring what I have learned about creating mentorship re-lationships into the these mentorships. This has been a powerful experience for me, that has been deeply empowering. I have learned a lot through these conversations, about the school, life, choices, and about the general path of development. I have mentored: Jo-hannes Björkman (the last 2 years), Rasmus Eriksen, and Helene Arnfred.

“If you don’t make mistakes, you are not working

on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake!”

- Frank Wilczek

47

Celebrating decision on 3-step model

48

2013 2014JAN FEB MAR APR MAYSEP OCT NOV DEC

CORE JOURNEYS

Masterclass Bliss Brown

Masterclass Meike Ziegler Apprentinship

Malene LundénSamsø EnergyAcademy

1-week personal devprocess with Meike

Ziegler in AmsterdamDeveloping

CORE framework

2-week apprenticeship

with Meike Ziegler in Amsterdam

Starting mentorship

with Lisa Arie

Fullmoon circles & mentorshipwith Kristin Birkeland

Psycho theraphywith Christian Højlund

Yoga practise focused on grounding 4xweekly

1 weekOSHO retreat

SamsøMIK

KELI

NES

JOU

RNEY

Executing client Creatual with

Meike

co-organizing Nature Quest with

Göran Gennvi

co-organizaing Womanity Circle

with Chené Swart

COMING UP:

ANDY

S JO

URN

EY

Interview & article about Chené Swart

Forming alliance with Nick & Yannick intention to start company together

Starting mentorships with Chené and Göran

Intenting to start collaboration between

Kaospilot, Samsø EnergiAkademi and Orange Innovation

Ending Samsø project due to perosnal crisis

Facilitating“self worth” processes

for danish elite sport children

Mentorship alliance with Chené Swart

Research on movements and lean startup loops

Alliance with mentee Rasmus Lang Eriksen

CTI Coach Training

Forum d’Avignon

France

First Good for Nothing event

Stockholm

End collaboration with Yannick

Create alliance with Mikkeline

Apply for jobs, decide to be an entrepreneur

Job interviews with Haver til Maver and DR

Decide to do own projectwith Andy

Relationship building and

research in NYC

Begin Evolutionary Leadership Training with Manuel Manga

Start writing exchange

with Carsten Hornstrup

Win “Most innovative Idea”price at StartUp

Weekend

Edit writing for Manuel

Manga

Begin HeartMath certification

Training

Editing Carsten Hornstrups PhD

“Systemic Relational Leadership”

Creatual inspired facilitation for LEGO

hack event

Mentorships withManuel Manga

and Chene Swart

HeartMath training

Coaching Tarining

LEARNING GOALS FOR CORE SEASONS

ANDY:

Evolutionary Leadership How can I develop as an evolutionary leader? - To learn more about the art of leadership- To learn more about evolution- To learn more about the physiology of what make people feel really good

Entrepreneur How can I develop as an entrepreneur?- To learn how to hold the frames for multiple stakeholders to meet around a shared inten-tion. - To learn more about the financial aspect of making a business work- To develop our practices of connecting to our values, vision.

Subject KnowledgeHow can I hold a firm understanding of the field that we are in?- To gain a deeper more nuances understand-ing of what drives stress, and what really works to help stop it? - To learn about the state of the art in how organizations can truly provide space for hu-mans to flourish?

MIKKELINE:

Host of transformation- To learn more about personal transformation processes from different experts- To learn how to facilitate people through a deep perceptual shift- To learn more about processes of connecting to nature

Lifelong Activist balance- Practising healthy balance, giving without loosing myself - Practising entrepreneurial skills of engag-ing and framing co-creation, using my energy wisely

Subject KnowledgeHow can I best connect people to co-create around a shared purpose?- Engagement processesHow can I develop a deeper understanding of our field and how can I communicate it?- Transformational learning theory- The art of storytelling

49

CONCLUSION

Though there has been storms on our journey, there has also been beautiful sun and amaz-ing company. We are proud of the concept we have developed, empowered by our sense of agency and very excited about the future. Bringing our board together has been a major accomplishment, that gives us a taste of the what is to come. The deep personal relation-ships we have build with them has created the fundament for our onward learning and busi-ness development. We now clearly see our role as social entrepreneurs building a bridge from those with the need to those with the expertise - framing a space for new possibili-ties to emerge. Over the coming years we will strive to build up the legitimacy in our roles as leaders of

CORE. This is a nuanced process that began a long time ago, but that we are consciously supporting through CORE Seasons. We are pa-tient, and happy with the path that we are on.

As we sit here to sum up our journey, there is a vast amount that we still do not know and much to be excited about. We have a clear shared intention - a coherence of direction - that is our driving force. We have a deep curi-osity about what our collective and individual potential is? We are leaving the school with this intention, a powerful sense of our own agency and the confidence to go for the pro-ject that we really believe in.

Thank you for reading our declaration of pos-sibility.

NARRATIVE CONCLUSION

Remember the tale of the growing trees? Now, the two swallows have marked the first circle for the gardeners to meet. They can’t wait to experience how the fertilizer they mix togeth-er will help the trees re-discover their ability to bloom, remembering the natural laws of growth. Each day, they imagine vividly the magical mist of flower-dust, which will spread from the blooming trees. This image in their mind makes them shine, and wherever they fly, they sing the song of beautiful gardens of possibility.

50