the seeker ebbf lisbon keynote by vafa akhavan

The Seeker

Organizational Change Personal Transformation

(keynote by Vafa Akhavan)

The Seeker

Organizational Change

Personal Transformation

The Thesis

people can improve organizations by becoming Seekers

Seekers will create organizations that foster seekership

seekership is the organizational genome

organizations will transform when there’s a seeker genome

The Journey

The Learningsthe world is but one country

and mankind its citizens

my world changes when I change

a bird can only fly when both wings

work in unity

justice is the foundation for unity

i am nothing i am everything

who i am what i believe

prejudice is a virus

change management

organizational development

strategy

brandmanagement

systems

technology

finance

p&l

diversity & inclusion

hrprocess P

P

P

P

P

P

PP

PP

P

complexity

back-biting is cancer

The Quest

the one thing

the magic bullet

the golden nugget

the silver bullet

DOES NOT EXIST

or does it?

Human Capital• The greatest asset • The most important part of our business • The greatest resource in the organization • Our strategic imperative • It’s what sets us apart • Drives our culture

Human Capital Has Multiple Relationships• Organizational structure • Systems • Processes • Performance

management • Resource allocation • Strategy

• Technology • Market conditions • Customer experience • Owner requirements • Leadership • Product

the person

what is the most common denominator in all things?

i am the center of the universe

i’m not even a spec of dust in the grand scheme of things

The Struggle

Learnings And Insight Tracks• from personal life experience • from career and professional experience • from the Baha’i Writings and participation in Baha’i activities

Seminal Experiences1971

Leeds Junior Youth Weekend

1976

Counsels Of Perfection (foundation for being human)

1980s – 2015 Serving in various capacities and life as a Baha’i

1970s, 1990s, 2002 (transformative)

Tablet Of The True Seeker

2002 – 2013 (icing on the cake)

The Seven Valleys & The Four Valleys

The Valley of Search – what is before and after

The Fusion

every learning every insight

The Insight

change me, change my world

people change, the world changes

THE INDIVIDUAL

THE COLLECTIVE

The Logic• People are the most common denominators in all things • Human capital is the organizations, and the world’s, greatest

asset • If enough people transform • Then the organization and the world changes

The Challenge

Transforming who I am is complicated because I’m complicated

The Quest Continues

is there a single quality or attribute you can change in a person to impact everything?

is there something I can drop in the ocean to cause an eternal ripple?

YES

Qualities & Attributes of a Seeker

s e e k

s e

e k

s e e k

s e

e k

s e

e ks e

e k

s e e k s e e k

s e e k

s e e k s e e k s e e k

The Seven Valleys1. THE VALEEY OF SEARCH 2. THE VALLEY OF LOVE 3. THE VALLEY OF KNOWLEDGE 4. THE VALLEY OF UNITY 5. THE VALLEY OF CONTENTMENT 6. THE VALLEY OF WONDERMENT 7. THE VALLEY OF TRUE POVERTY AND ABSOLUTE NOTHINGNESS

what do you see?

why is he covering his face?

what do you see?

what is she feeling?

The Test

The Valley Of SearchThe steed of this Valley is patience; without patience the wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal. Nor should he ever be downhearted; if he strive for a hundred thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the Friend, he should not falter.

The Seven ValleysIt is incumbent on these servants that they cleanse the heart—which is the wellspring of divine treasures—from every marking, and that they turn away from imitation, which is following the traces of their forefathers and sires, and shut the door of friendliness and enmity upon all the people of the earth.

The Seven ValleysOne must judge of search by the standard of the Majnún of Love. It is related that one day they came upon Majnún sifting the dust, and his tears flowing down. They said, “What doest thou?” He said, “I seek for Laylí.” They cried, “Alas for thee! Laylí is of pure spirit, and thou seekest her in the dust!” He said, “I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her.”

The Seven ValleysThe true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and the lover hath no desire save union with his beloved. Nor shall the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all things. That is, whatever he hath seen, and heard, and understood, all must he set at naught, that he may enter the realm of the spirit, which is the City of God. Labor is needed, if we are to seek Him; ardor is needed, if we are to drink of the honey of reunion with Him; and if we taste of this cup, we shall cast away the world.

The Seven ValleysOn this journey the traveler abideth in every land and dwelleth in every region. In every face, he seeketh the beauty of the Friend; in every country he looketh for the Beloved. He joineth every company, and seeketh fellowship with every soul, that haply in some mind he may uncover the secret of the Friend, or in some face he may behold the beauty of the Loved One. And if, by the help of God, he findeth on this journey a trace of the traceless Friend, and inhaleth the fragrance of the long-lost Joseph from the heavenly messenger, he shall straightway step into THE VALLEY OF LOVE

We Always Seeklove

new worlds

justice

fame

approval

honor

attention

status

integrity

perfection

dominance

excellence

moneypeace

PP

P

PP

PP

P

trust

explanations

justification

P

answers

truth

possibility

right

fair

equity

rest

tranquility

The Divine Genius

Tablet Of The True Seeker is the catalyst that impacts every aspect of life

•study ancillary and adjacent Writings •qualities we must have

•how to apply them

•what we will achieve

The Ideal Qualities • Rely upon and trust in God • Detachment from the world of

dust • No trace of love or hate • Never seek to exalt self above

others • Don’t promise what you can’t

deliver • Cleanse the channel of human soul

• Perfect cleanliness of heart • Poor in material wealth • Rich in spiritual wellbeing • Eliminate pride and vainglory • Patience and resignation • Silence and refrain from idle talk

The Promise• Gems of divine knowledge •  Fragrance of mystic Flower •  Blossom of ancient wisdom •  Plants spring forth abundantly • The knowledge of Ancient of

Days • Mysteries unravelled

• Protection against error • Closer to the truth • Doubts and misgivings

dissipated • Enveloped with knowledge • A new eye, a new ear, a new

heart, and a new mind

People & OrganizationsSeeker

Team Work

Decision Making

Production

Innovation

Leadership Structure Solutions Marriage Family Communi

ty

Seeker

Purpose Structure Relations Comp Leadership

Development Clarity

Yin Yang

the person transforms

the organization fosters the transformation

Fostering transformation, transforms the person

My Impact world

continent

nation

organization

community

family

1

One Seeker can change the world

Conclusion

grow the number of seekers

change the world