The Joy of Combinatorialism and the Blessings of Diversity
We’re not sure if “combinatorialism” is a word, but if not, it should be added to the list of “isms” already out there. An “~ism” is, per Dictionary.com, a “distinctive practice, system, or philosophy.” As the Asia P3 Hub team closes out 2017 and reflects on the adventure of establishing a new partnership hub over the last 12 months, we’re struck at conversations we’ve had with friends, colleagues and partners about the importance of diversity in 1) charting a course for a new way of working and 2) taking a combinatorial approach to navigate the journey. A combinatorial approach, and combinatorial innovation, isn’t just our mantra, it is indeed the practice and philosophy of the Asia P3 Hub team.
The full time Hub team is five people, two men and three women. We come from five countries, and bring expertise ranging from lifelong development work to multinational sales & business development, to co-founding a tech start-up. Our ages span three decades. Our hobbies vary too: fishing, baking, running, live jazz and sipping merlot are all activities we enjoy. Add our advisors and volunteers, and we’re a veritable United Nations.
A highly engaged, high performing team is required if we are going to be successful in proving the hypothesis that the public, private and social sectors can pool resources in new, innovative ways which create life-changing, positive solutions for families, communities and societies in Asia Pacific. This means co-created, shared value solutions that successfully tackle poverty issues while generating value for all stakeholders involved.
A high performing team, especially one that is small but dreaming big, must be like a rope: the individual strands woven together are stronger and tension is distributed more evenly.
We are big dreamers. We want to be a catalysts and changemakers for a better world. We want to be part of solutions which transform lives of all involved — but especially for those living in the “base of the pyramid”: families and individuals living on a couple of dollars a day. We believe that in spite of the complexity, unconventional, non-traditional relationships and approaches can be brokered to generate impact as never before. This means we must leverage each other’s professional strengths, approaches, networks and personalities. This also requires we not only offer a combinatorial approach to our stakeholders (pooling resources in new ways to co-create innovations which generate shared value and positive impact for all), but we function according to combinatorial principles ourselves. Sharing and combining our unique talents, skills and networks in a generative, open way produces a return multiplied many times over.
Phearak Svay, our Sr. Advisor for WASH & Partnerships, likens diversity and its power to a puzzle: “It can be a picture of anything, and each piece has a vital role to play in completing the image. Every single puzzle piece complements another in some way. Together, a beautiful picture is created.”
Combined with a co-created strategy and business plan, setting and honouring shared team values anchor the team through times thick and thin, binding us together in spite of our different viewpoints, strengths and general ways of working.
“Our combinatorial approach, our teamwork — being different helps us to be more effective in what we do,” reflects Ysel Fresnido, Asia P3 Hub Project Coordinator. “Before Asia P3 Hub, my perspective about teamwork was simply defined as working together; it wasn’t about leveraging different skills and expertise. If we have differences, my thinking was: it won’t work. But now my view has turned the other way around. Diversity on a team makes for success. When I learned about combinatorial innovation and employing a combinatorial approach, it changed my mind.”
Combinatorialism is simply invigorating: so practical and yet such a joy. Are we a highly engaged, high performing team because we subscribe to this “ism”? Is it because we are intentionally diverse to have more resources to pool? How important, really, is the role shared values play? Our conclusion is straightforward: if you’ve got a big dream, unchartered territory, limited resources, and conviction to be the change you want to see in the world, they are inextricably bound. We are champions of a combinatorial philosophy because it blesses us with an exponential degree of creativity, boldness, courage and unadulterated fun. We can’t imagine charting a new course without these, and in any other way.
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