From Meeting a Friend to Meeting UN Goals
Paolo Fedi and Manuela Pagani Larghi share their experience with Theory U and the development of the Generative Interdependence Agreements (ADIG “Accordi Di Interdipendenza Generativa” in Italian): tools with which companies, public services, individual professionals and citizens can make themselves promoters of multiplicative impact initiatives and report or “narrate” the way in which their actions contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. Relying on the sharing of non-monetary resources, the Generative Interdependence Agreements represent the intersection of three values: interdependence, trust and generativity.
A Domino Effect
Paolo was working as a consultant looking at the organizational impacts of the introduction of IT when a friend, knowing Paolo’s interest in change management, told him about the u-lab 1x 2015 seminar. After experiencing the process, Paolo co-founded the u-lab Rome hub with three other friends. This enabled Paolo and colleagues to test and practice the techniques such as 3D mapping and Social Presencing Theatre. Hubs often choose to focus on a theme for the application of Theory U tools to a problem or issue, and in 2020 the Rome hub chose Social and Corporate Responsibility (SCR), and drew people together for u-lab 1x.
Manuela lives in Ticino, the only Italian-speaking canton in Switzerland, where her experience of being in a minority highlighted the theme of justice. In her “first life” she was an economist in the financial sector. She felt she was living a duality between her personal beliefs and her work — however, she credits her former job as teaching her substantially about society’s relationship with money. When she had her child, Manuela’s employer would not accept her working part-time. So she left.
Manuela describes her departure from her job as “a turning point of the U in my life. It has been a little bit scary. What do I do, what will happen?” She was introduced to Theory U by a friend, soon thereafter meeting Paolo and the Rome hub. Following u-lab, Manuela founded the Ticino hub.
From all of these chance connections of individual serendipity, a new working relationship began. The first u-lab 1x journey across the two hubs was planned.
What happened in that first u-lab? — Tools for a New Economy
When Italian businessman Francesco Mondora attended u-lab 1x he had already developed the idea of interdependence agreements with suppliers and customers, asking them to make a positive impact (e.g. reducing paper use). These agreements came with a financial condition. This concept of an ADI (interdependence agreements) were, Manuela says, “very challenging and interesting but they needed money in order to be done…. For me, we had to do something that could go beyond the money.” Paolo and Manuela set off to find a way that moved towards the new economy, without monetary incentives and instead emphasizing shared resources.
Paolo explains: “Born in 1x during the generating and prototyping phase we felt this was a good idea — the agreements — but they needed to be modified in some way to be accessible to small and medium enterprises and also to individuals, schools, and families so we decided to build up a 2x project (an advanced u-lab program to move an idea from prototype to action with collaborators and partners) on this issue, to build the structure and process of what became the Generative Interdependence Agreements.”
U.lab 2x: Sowing the Seeds of the Generative Interdependence Agreements
The objective was to define a comprehensive framework, with processes and tools to be used toward making an impact aligned with the 17 goals (UN Sustainable Development Goals). In addition, Manuela and Paolo wanted the Agreements to be accessible for all, so once defined they registered them under a Creative Commons BY-SA International License.
Paolo and Manuela asked some of the companies who had attended 1x if they were interested, and some of them chose to be part of the 2x journey. The 2x project launched in February 2021, with an open session on Zoom counting about 80 participants.
Manuela remembers: “We were quite faithful to the 2x curriculum itself; we were in touch with what the Presencing Institute was offering so we were really following the process together. There were the live sessions and this shared journey, which allowed us to really design the process in a certain way.”
When it comes to prototyping, the results are rarely certain. Manuela explains: “I really had to let go of this attachment to the result. When you start letting go of those things, not only do you really enjoy what emerges — but you also see the little seeds that are there.”
Paolo talks about the next steps: “It was a huge journey and we really applied all the principles and all the processes of Theory U in the u-lab 2x. We created a core team of 7 people who had prior experience of managing a big group (in Theory U) and we followed this U process. We also learned how to hold a space.”
Paolo realised that addressing the format and content of the Interdependence Agreements was only one aspect of the work. The actual process of arriving at a shared agreement was the other root aspect. It was therefore crucial to create the conditions for the partners to become more aware of their own values, allow them to establish a coherence between saying and doing, and to make their purpose explicit instead of taking it for granted. “Even in the choice of resources to deploy, there is often a tendency to “measure up” to the other’s contribution rather than cultivating a “gift” attitude” Manuela notes. To overcome this, Manuela, Paolo and the 2x team used several methodologies, including the 4 Levels of Listening, Journaling , and the Iceberg Model.
The Generative Interdependence Agreements Come Alive
“For me there are 2 journeys, there is our (Manuela & Paolo’s) journey, and there is the participant’s journey,” reflects Manuela. “For us it has been a progressive journey, since at the beginning we were a little bit stuck also in our process: we had objectives, we wanted to reach something, and so we were a little bit over-structured, we didn’t allow things to happen because of this structure. It’s something you have to learn along the way.”
“At a certain moment the Generative Interdependence Agreements were something abstract. An instrument, a framework, something rational. But when we started feeling, we really started understanding it was an agreement, and an agreement is a relationship. We often say in Theory U “the future is there”. From the name Accordi Di Interdipendenza Generativi we already knew it was an agreement, that it was based on interdependence. But we only truly discovered it deeply after one year, and with many changemakers.”
From the seven companies that took part in the u-lab 2x program, four of them are in the process of signing a Generative Interdependence Agreement; Paolo and Manuela facilitated the process. Three other companies still have to complete this process and have already selected a partner with whom they will co-create and sign an agreement. Participating companies include: a large multinational automotive company, a management school of a university, a multinational ISO certification company, a charitable foundation, an Organization working for the Third Sector, and a company offering “city craft co-working” spaces. Many have involved one of their partners, while three of them have decided to co-create together.
The result of the Theory U process was the finished Generative Interdependence Agreements (ADIGs) framework — a tool to stimulate individual and corporate social responsibility towards sustainability, Agenda 2030 and the Common Good. They have a domino effect by including a responsibility to initiate one more agreement with another partner.
The Agreements are non-monetary, representing the intersection of three values: interdependence, trust and generativity. Companies, in partnership with one another and often in a facilitated process using Theory U techniques, align with their intentions, develop their agreement, and then sign a detailed contract committing to operational prototypes. Examples of agreements include circular economy education for the community held by a shipping pallet producer with participation from a timber producer, or a municipality in Italy partnering with two large firms over the border in Switzerland to create sustainable transportation solutions.
Measuring impact through the Common Good
Paolo and Manuela looked at different models to weigh the impact: they came to the Common Good Economy model, which provides a matrix to evaluate an organization’s contribution to people and planet, considering multi-dimensions of ethical behavior. They found it could be a good framework to identify the impact and outcomes of the Agreements. The Economy of the Common Good in turn found the Generative Interdependence Agreements useful as an instrument that they could use with their clients.
The ADIG process was tested with them, and an ADIG signed between the participants.
Manuela adds: “What was also innovative for us was the desire to go beyond numbers and so we talk about “rendi-narrative”. In Italian we say “reporting” which means telling stories through numbers, but we thought of not just talking about said numbers but spreading the initiatives through storytelling, so sharing not only what has been accomplished, but also the crucial changes in relationships, between partners, the empathic aspects and values that are surfaced through stories! For small companies, micro companies, allowing them to say what they are really doing for our society — with the framework that we prepared they have this possibility.”
Abundance and Accountability
Manuela and Paolo feel their calling is to demonstrate that the ADIG works not only as a tool, but really allows people to build a relationship that is based on values instead of only on money. Manuela says: “It gives you abundance, it gives you the possibility to thrive, to do better than if you are merely pursuing profit. For us the community is very important.”
Paolo and Manuela want to share the results of their 2x learning and disseminate the ADIG idea, process and framework. Then they would like to recruit advocates and associations that could spread to their participants the idea of signing an ADIG. There was also an unexpected outcome for Manuela: “From my facilitation of Theory U, I have been called to the Citizens National Assembly for food politics in 2030. Theory U changed my life.”
They would like to reach countries in a wide array of contexts. “We could really use that kind of instrument in order to build relationships, that in a crisis like the one we are facing allows us to find the synergies and overcome challenges we cannot face alone.” Paolo and Manuela describe the idea of a third win: “It’s not only my win, it’s not only your win, but what we are doing has to be something that generates value for all society and it has to be really clear in the agreement.”
To help bring all the ideas together Paolo and Manuela plan to set up a platform, the “story living handbook.” where companies can share their experiences or get ideas about how to write a Generative Interdependence Agreement with others. It will also be a place where those who receive the benefits, the “third win,” from the agreements — society, the locality, etc.” can confirm the value received. In this way, feedback can be represented from all corners of the process.
Manuela and Paolo describe that as Theory U illuminates practice, the Generative Interdependence Agreements are a practice that illuminates Theory U. Partners, accompanied in the process of co-creating an Agreement, acquire techniques or theories that they can integrate into their other practices later.
Often what emerges first are the “blind spots.” Paolo and Manuela have seen groups first express a desire to change and then, after a few steps, fall back into past operating systems. They have seen partners rush to define an action in order to satisfy the “doing,” but without bringing in genuine attention and intention.
Working towards an Generative Interdependence Agreement, a co-created action, acts as a mirror: it tells you what you are willing to do and offer for a better world. It is an act of trust, toward your partner organization and toward the abundance of life. Manuela summarizes: “it is a way to transform your own business, your relationships and yourself.”
Paolo, Manuela and the Presencing Institute invite you to join them as we all journey towards that other world we know is possible. Reach out to Paolo and Manuela if you wish to know more about how to bring an Interdependence Agreement into your work environment, or would like to contribute in some manner to the conversation. If you’d like to embark on a learning journey, check out u-school programs (live and self-paced) on this page to find your next action-oriented learning experience.
Research, interview and drafting by Kathryn Ghent
Edits and curation by Emma Paine
Visual support and production by Rachel Hentsch
