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Research Hub

The Future of Organisations 

Embracing generative AI, exploring generational shifts, and imagining more ethical futures.

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We thought the revolution was around the corner and we lived accordingly. 

Anne Robinson on the Tate’s “Women in Revolt” podcast

Imagining futures for people change today

The increasingly rapid pace of change and level of complexity today is already having a profound impact on how our organisations work.  Yet it is often difficult to know how to engage with the future, and who gets to do it.

Mayvin’s new Research Hub, led by director Sarah Fraser, is exploring the key trends and advances impacting our ways of organising into the future in service of helping organisations become more intentional in the now.

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Building Potential in Organisations

We are bringing together diverse expertise, perspectives and experiences to develop collective wisdom and imagination.

Rather than attempting to predict the future, we are building potential in organisations to engage creatively and inclusively with the future.  In our experience, this is about finding ways to create the spaces to face into the right questions, bring in voices from the edge and inspire collective action now towards the futures we want to create together.  

Through our OD lens we are exploring three interconnected themes, as below, drawing on a range of experts to bring you trends, challenging perspectives and critical inquiry questions.

More info / get involved
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Research Focus

Through our OD lens we are exploring three interconnected themes:

 

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Integrating AI into the way we work

The era of generative AI is upon us, with potentially profound impacts on our ways of organising. Predictions range from the 'singularity' to the creation of 'useless class' (Harari). Rather than replacing humans, there is an opportunity to design and work with AI in way that places human qualities of creativity, emotional intelligence and artful ways of knowing at the centre of our work and our communities. ​

Our focus is on:​

  • How can we partner with AI to make work more, not less, humanising and relational?​
  • How can we develop learning organisations that can adapt effectively to the speed of technological change?​
  • What are the cultural patterns and rules that underpin both ambitions?
Generational shifts, the rise of Gen Z & beyond

There is a changing social contract with work - multi-generation teams have very different expectations and are positing different social contracts with the world of work and the role it plays in their lives and identities. ​

Our focus is on:​

  • How do we adapt our culture, ways of working and operating models to meet increasingly diverse and changing needs and expectations across generations?​
  • How can we support the power dynamics that create a creative and inclusive dialogue between generations?​
  • As the social contract with work changes, how do we enable a different approach to leadership and belonging?

 

 

Building ethical futures, from profit to purpose 

In a future where ecological balance, social equity and long-term sustainability is valued ahead of economic growth, organisations will look and feel very different.  We will focus our research on questions like:​

Our focus is on:​

  • How can we let go of old ideas about leadership to unleash greater agency in our organisations, borrowing from social movements, civil society and indigenous traditions?​
  • What might it look like to bring in imaginary future generations and the more-than-human world into governance and decision-making processes?​
  • How might we blur the boundaries of organisations to become more agile and reciprocal with our wider systems while cultivating safety and belonging?

 

Future of Organising Event Recording

Sarah Fraser and Sophie Tidman hosted our first Future of Organising event with the Mayvin community in July which you can watch in full here:

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Future of Organising Podcast

Sarah Fraser and Steve Hearsum recorded a podcast after faciliating the 'Future of Organising / Organisations' module of the Mayvin Masters. Reflecting on their noticings and their appetite to look in to it more. 

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Inquiry and practice

The Research Hub team are collaborating with our clients and community. Through the collaborative research-based approach we will share our insights and imaginings through:

  • Podcasts and content, introducing critical issues and insights. 
  • Master classes with guest speakers to provoke critical and artful thinking.
  • A grounding in Mayvin’s practice-based learning methodology to support inquiry and the development of inquiry-based future leadership skills.
  • Collaborative research findings and support for further inquiry.

Talk to us about joining the Research Hub community 

Join us as we continue to explore how more creative approaches can enhance our work within Organisational Design and Development. 
Join the Research Hub
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We're based in the South East of the UK and work globally.

+44 (0)1273 696446
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