Organizational Attention Directs and Constrains Organizational Function
Our guiding values operate to direct our organizational attention because we will only make discoveries when they are within the scope of our attention. After all, we can hardly expect to see something that exists where we aren’t looking. But where should we be looking?
We recognize that default attempts to satisfy the apparent mandates of the norms of business-as-usual can easily monopolize organizational attention, threatening to leave little or no organizational attention available for exploring vectors of discovery and innovation. We recognize that these norm-based organizational attention deficit disorders (NOADDs) severely limit free markets’ potential for social transformation and self-regulation. And we were founded on the belief that activating such potential is essential for the sustainable and equitable function of a mature economy and society.
While NOADDs function as strategic blinders for all organizations, they can be particularly stifling to the intentions of impact innovators. We chose our guiding values because they function to remedy common organizational attention disorders that restrict social entrepreneurs’ transformational impact. We’re tired of seeing impact innovations co-opted by the prevailing norms of “business as usual” rather than achieving their full transformational potential to function as drivers of broad and lasting social progress.
