Embracing strengths to weather change
Change is a constant in our business environment and especially in our industry, and how we navigate it defines our success. Often, the focus during rapid change is on identifying problems and fixing what’s broken. While this approach has its merits, it’s equally important—if not more so—to focus on what’s already working well. This is where a strengths-based approach comes in, a method rooted in “Appreciative Inquiry”, which encourages us to leverage our existing strengths as the foundation for meaningful and sustainable change.
A strengths-based approach is not about ignoring challenges, but rather about shifting our focus towards the positive core of our organisation—our shared values, peak experiences, and best practices. By identifying, knowing and building upon these strengths, we can create a more resilient and adaptable business environment, one where change is seen as an opportunity to amplify what we do best. And by recognising and reinforcing our strengths, we can remain agile and adapt our strategies to meet new market demands without losing the essence of what makes us successful. This not only helps us stay ahead of the competition, but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and collective empowerment.
This Appreciative Inquiry approach aligns perfectly with Kyocera’s philosophy which is ‘Your life is an expression of your mind”. By building upon the provocative propositions and creating possibilitystatements instead of finding criticism, we can drive positive change that resonates with our core values, ensuring that our growth is both meaningful and impactful.
As we continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of our industry, I encourage each of you to reflect on the strengths you bring to the table and consider how we can collectively harness these to create a brighter future for our team and our customers.
As Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Encouraging each other in our culture of appreciative inquiry helps us maintain our shared vision and purpose and keeps building on our core values and strengths.
Sadiyah Rasdien - Finance Director - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
