Organizational Wellbeing
We are living in unprecedented times where the risk of riding out the status quo is quickly becoming greater than the risk of trying something new. The irony we find when we talk with organizations is that “something new” isn’t actually new at all.
Leaders tell us that what they want from their organizations - and from life in general, for that matter - is to be themselves. They want to feel like who they are and what they bring is enough. They want to give and receive permission to test out new ideas, to embrace failure as a powerful tool for learning, and to allow the everyday vulnerabilities of being human to have a gentle place to land. Afterall, a culture of care needs to be spacious enough for people to be unwell - and not just on their lunch breaks.
Our Work
Org School
Org School is an academy where social purpose organizations come to learn the art of organizational wellbeing. Org School “students” are not individual leaders or small groups, but the organizations themselves.
Learn More About Org School Here!
Collective Wellbeing Summit
In response to what we’ve learned, we hosted a summit dedicated to the topic of organizational wellbeing where we explored whether structures, policies, and resources such as self-management, 4-day work weeks, an emphasis on creativity, and funding that supports emergence and visionary leadership contribute to a culture of wellbeing at work. To watch recordings from the summit, visit our Little Library.
Organizational Wellbeing Collective
To reimagine the contours of what’s possible in organizations, we are members of an international community of practice that explores individual and collective wellbeing in the day-to-day of working life. The working group consists of global changemakers from Ghana, Scotland, Spain, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United States from organizations including Organization Unbound, The Wellbeing Project, Nkum Associates, and Gestalt Africa. As the group continues to form and look ahead, we envision opportunities to connect, convene, and consider the future of organizational wellbeing globally.
A New Home for Organization Unbound
Since 2009, our colleagues at Organization Unbound (OU) have been stewarding a global community of inquiry to better understand the relationship between the inner life of social purpose organizations and their outer work in the world. Through a decade-long exploration of theory and practice, they’ve come to understand that the only way for our organizations to effect deep and lasting change is to embody it.
As is the natural life cycle of all things, the time has come for OU to cease to be what it was and to take shape in new forms. While OU’s website will remain a static resource, ICW is proud to host their rich collection of articles, videos, self-guided workshops, and blog posts, easily accessible through our Little Library and throughout the website. As we begin the migration, you’ll see materials tagged “Organization Unbound,” which represent these archived resources. It is our great pleasure to preserve, honor, and amplify OU’s heritage of learning and research that continues to impact and inspire organizations throughout the world.
