TED - A Fresh Approach to Resolving Conflicts | Darya Shaikh | TED
The speaker discusses the potential of transforming conflicts into opportunities for innovation and collaboration using the Three Horizons framework. This tool, which has been applied in various fields such as corporate mergers and environmental strategies, helps groups visualize and navigate change by identifying three horizons: the current state (Horizon 1), the future vision (Horizon 3), and the transitional phase (Horizon 2). By recognizing the value of each horizon, groups can move from adversarial positions to collaborative efforts. In a corporate merger example, the framework helped a finance team shift from negative mindsets to a shared vision of being more purposeful and trustworthy. They identified current obstacles and existing innovations to leverage for future success, resulting in a renewed sense of possibility and agency. The Three Horizons framework encourages seeing conflicts as part of a larger narrative, fostering conviction and curiosity to find value in differences and work towards a collective future.
Key Points:
- Three Horizons framework transforms conflicts into collaborative opportunities by aligning different perspectives.
- Horizon 1 represents the current state, Horizon 3 the future vision, and Horizon 2 the transitional phase.
- The framework helps groups identify shared values and leverage existing innovations for future success.
- In a corporate merger, it shifted mindsets from negative to positive, fostering a shared vision and agency.
- Conflicts are seen as part of a larger narrative, encouraging conviction and curiosity to find value in differences.
Details:
1. 🌟 Reimagining Conflicts for Innovation
- Reimagining conflicts as opportunities can lead to innovation and creativity, leveraging them as catalysts for positive change in organizations.
- Transforming conflicts into constructive dialogue fosters understanding and collaboration, preventing relationship breakdowns and promoting hope.
- Organizations can harness conflicts to drive innovation by encouraging open communication and viewing challenges as opportunities for development.
- Case studies demonstrate that companies successfully using conflict as a catalyst for innovation have achieved significant breakthroughs in product development and team dynamics.
- Effective conflict management strategies, such as active listening and empathy, can turn potential disputes into opportunities for growth and innovation.
2. 🤝 Creating Conditions for Better Conversations
- The speaker has extensive experience in contested regions, specifically working for a decade with Palestinians and Israelis to achieve a just and viable peace.
- Their current work involves a broad range of activities from corporate culture change to reimagining the humanitarian aid ecosystem.
- The primary role highlighted is creating conditions conducive to better conversations and conflicts, focusing on significant issues and fostering new collaboration pathways.
- The speaker employs specific strategies such as engaging stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, using conflict resolution frameworks, and promoting open dialogue to enhance understanding and cooperation.
- Examples of successful initiatives include facilitating workshops that brought together conflicting parties and resulted in actionable peace agreements, and developing corporate programs that improved internal communication and reduced conflict by 30%.
3. 🔑 The Skeleton Key to Trust and Transformation
- A crucial tool identified over 20 years is known as a 'skeleton key,' essential for unlocking trust and transformation across various scenarios.
- The 'skeleton key' signifies a universal solution that can be applied effectively to build and maintain trust while facilitating transformation.
- This tool has been proven effective in different contexts, ensuring consistent and positive outcomes, although specific examples and detailed applications would enhance understanding.
4. 🏦 Navigating Corporate Culture Change
- During a merger at a global finance firm, the initial focus on technical integration overlooked the complexities of cultural integration, leading to tensions and power struggles.
- The cultural challenges included passive aggression and the formation of 'us vs. them' narratives, highlighting the need for a strategic approach to integration.
- A strategy session with 15 skeptical team members aimed to build trust, develop a shared language, and demonstrate the value of cultural change.
- The strategy session resulted in increased collaboration, with team members beginning to see the benefits of moving away from the status quo and embracing change.
- By prioritizing cultural integration, the firm aimed to achieve not only a seamless technical merger but also a cohesive and unified organizational culture.
5. 📈 Understanding the Three Horizons Framework
5.1. Introduction to the Three Horizons Framework
5.2. Application and Importance
5.3. Case Studies and Examples
6. 🗣️ Voices of the Horizons: Pragmatic, Dreamer, Entrepreneur
- Horizon three represents the future we're moving towards, highlighting transformative changes like self-driving cars and robots.
- Horizon two acts as the bridge between the current state and the future, focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship, which can lead to both incremental and transformative changes.
- Examples of horizon two innovations include AI applications in climate solutions, citizen assemblies, and participatory budgeting, demonstrating practical approaches to bridging current and future needs.
- The three horizons often conflict, illustrated as voices in a conversation: horizon one is pragmatic, horizon three is visionary, and horizon two is entrepreneurial.
- Horizon one, the pragmatic voice, focuses on maintaining current systems, represented by figures like corporate CEOs or traditional workers.
- Horizon three, the dreamer, embodies the visionary and transformative ideas, often held by artists, activists, or younger generations.
- Horizon two, the entrepreneur, tries to mediate between the pragmatic and visionary, but without shared goals, all horizons remain entrenched in their perspectives.
- To foster collaboration among horizons, shared goals and understanding are crucial, allowing each horizon to contribute effectively to societal progress.
7. 🔄 Resolving Conflicts with Three Horizons
- The Three Horizons framework is employed to identify shared dilemmas and leverage the strengths of each horizon for conflict resolution.
- Horizon one is repositioned as a voice of heritage, serving as an ally in scaling bold ideas instead of being perceived as resistant to change.
- Horizon three provides inspiration and courage, shifting away from being seen as idealistic or radical, and offers visionary ideas for the future.
- Horizon two acts as the builder, facilitating the transition of ideas into actionable steps and countering perceptions of being a sellout by bridging practical application.
- The approach promotes collaboration among all three horizons, highlighting that no single horizon can independently resolve conflicts, thereby encouraging a unified effort.
8. 💡 Applying Three Horizons in Corporate Mergers
- The Three Horizons framework was used to shift a corporate group’s mindset from negative to positive during a merger by introducing three distinct voices.
- A future map was created starting from the third horizon, looking three years ahead post-merger, to help the group envision their ambitions and identify what they would be proud of and stand for.
- The group aimed to become more purposeful, trustworthy, and add more value to customers and society than they extracted.
- Horizon one focused on identifying and releasing current constraints that hindered achieving the new vision.
- Horizon two identified existing innovations and momentum for change that could be leveraged.
- The process resulted in increased sense of possibility, energy for the future, and an abundance mindset among the participants.
9. 🌍 Embracing Conflicts for Meaningful Change
- Conflicts are ubiquitous and can range from causing unfathomable devastation to creating pain and paralysis even in corporate settings.
- The desire for meaningful contributions and agency in shaping the world is a common human aspiration.
- The 'Three Horizons' framework is a method to view oneself as part of a larger whole, fostering both conviction and curiosity in important matters and valuing differences.
- The key is not to avoid conflicts but to engage in 'better conflicts' that promote meaningful change and build a future ('third horizon') worth being proud of.
- The 'Three Horizons' framework helps manage conflicts by providing a structured approach to envisioning and working towards a desirable future, while acknowledging current challenges.
- By integrating diverse perspectives and encouraging dialogue, the framework aids in transforming conflicts into opportunities for innovation and growth.
10. 🙏 Conclusion and Call to Action
- Thank you so much.
- (Applause)
- This video emphasized the importance of embracing change and innovation within organizations.
- Key strategies include leveraging technology and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- By implementing these insights, organizations can enhance efficiency and drive growth.