“The developing world need no longer be a no-go area for many forms of commercial activities. UK and international companies can now take practical steps to equip people in developing countries to acquire new skills, create wealth and participate in international markets” according to Colin Coulson-Thomas, author of ‘Shaping Things to Come’* . He believes a new generation of support tools can enable average performers - including those in developing countries - to adopt the approaches of high performing superstars.
According to Coulson-Thomas, “People in unlikely places can be enabled to undertake complex tasks and equipped to compete and win. Activities can be transferred across national borders as never before. Social responsibility needs to move on from charitable gifts to practical approaches that can help people on the ground and contribute to the bottom line, resulting in win-win outcomes for people at home and abroad.”
Following his contribution to the 2006 Global Conference on Social Responsibility Coulson-Thomas believes the lives of millions of people in both the developed and the developing world could be transformed:
“Too many boards and management teams are copying and imitating other enterprises instead of creating new choices for consumers and additional options for mankind. As a consequence, we are missing exciting possibilities for transforming many aspects of our lives and enabling those in poorer countries to better understand, produce and consume.
“The ‘shaping things to come’ investigation challenges prevailing assumptions – for example about what ordinary people can accomplish and what activities can be undertaken in developing countries. Achieving a new balance between certain factors could enrich our lives. The means exist to meet a wider range of needs, provide more bespoke responses and offer new alternatives to individuals, social groups and wider communities.
“The outputs of the investigation include guidance for creating new offerings that provide additional choices, and ensure that businesses remain relevant and distinctive, and a new generation of support tools that are being used by pioneers to transform work group productivity, enable ordinary people to behave like superstars and create new offerings that address the distinct requirements of those in developing countries*.
“A new generation of support tools can play a key role in generating new options, choices and opportunities for people around the world and transforming the prospects of those in developing countries. Critical success factors for key corporate activities and the distinct approaches of high performers can be identified, captured and shared with others.
“Support tools can enable a significant transfer to the developing world of the expertise to engage in more wealth creating activities. Tomorrows leaders will use new tools to challenge assumptions about what can be produced and where."
*‘Shaping Things to Come, strategies for creating alternative enterprises’
Support tools that can transform workgroup performance are discussed in ‘The Knowledge Entrepreneur’
Prof. Coulson-Thomas can be contacted by Tel: +44 (0) 1733 361 149 or via www.coulson-
