Acceptances (vs. wishful thinking)

True assessment of where the company stands with regards to structure, culture, products, projects etc. Be real about the status quo. If there is incentive to sugar coat or even to be deceptive about how things are, the company has a problem that needs to be addressed.

Presence (vs. distraction)

Enable focussed work. Every employee of the company (all the way up to the CEO) needs to be able to have time for focussed work as well as the capacity to be truly present in collaborative situations. Positions and projects need to be staffed appropriately to enable a sustainable and productive work setting.

Patience (vs. speed)

Sometimes it just needs to be fast. But more often than not, it actually pays off to take a step back, to think things through, to make a plan and to execute with realistic expectations of time and resources.

Vulnerability (vs. invincibility)

Companies are made up of humans. So we have to allow for their humanity to come through. Mistakes and failures ought to be embraced to build a thriving culture of learning. We should always strive for the best, while accepting that we will mostly be average and sometimes not even that. That is why we work best in supportive team structures that are grounded in empathy.

Movement (vs. sitting still)

A body that sits still all the time gains weight and tends to be pretty unhealthy. The same is true for organizations and projects. Agility is often preached but rarely achieved. Agility in product development is only possible in combination with an agile organizational structure and a culture which empowers rather than controls. Things always change and that is a good thing.

[based on Brad Stulbergs principles, and applied as operational framework for organizations]