Part 2 - Re-envisioning the Baja Hotel Through the Flourishing
Photo by Mark Harpur via Unsplash.
This article was originally posted on Medium in collaboration with Conscious Brands on November 6, 2023.
Summarizing Our Flourishing Business Canvas Journey
In the previous post, we explored the conversation between Rob and Lesley as they aimed to transform the Baja Hotel into a model for sustainable and regenerative tourism. The discussion was brimming with insights and ideas, emphasizing the importance of listening, respect, reciprocity, and relationships in crafting a new narrative for the tourism sector. Today, we continue the journey through the Flourishing Business Canvas and summarize essential themes that emerged from the strategic planning discussion in addition to the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) as revealed in the previous post.
Connecting Ecosystem Stakeholders and Narratives:
Rob and Lesley touched upon the significance of connecting narratives, mainly while keeping the date of the model, year-end 2024, in mind. This date symbolizes the time frame for the hotel’s immediate transformation into a flourishing business while honouring far-future regenerative aspirations within a complex ecosystem. Visually demonstrated by the colour coding on the canvas, connected themes can be seen throughout the canvas and start to form narratives for various stakeholders.
They discussed the challenge of welcoming guests and experimenting with new approaches and immersive experiences in a short (near-future) timeframe. The conversation between Rob and Lesley then turned towards discussing their diverse stakeholders. They highlighted the importance of engaging the host community, Indigenous people, students, youth and NGOs. The interconnections focused on social impact, economic diversity, sustainable growth, and promoting local artisans, culinary businesses, and shops. These stakeholders play a vital role in collaboratively shaping the community for future generations.
Ancient Wisdom and Deep Listening:
During the conversation, the participants emphasized the importance of preserving the ancient knowledge and stewardship passed down for generations. They also highlighted the critical role of listening to the community and stakeholders in bringing about transformation. Rather than imposing preconceived solutions, Rob and Lesley stressed the need to listen and understand the patterns and rhythms of the ecosystem by engaging with the local community. They believe the ecosystem can thrive and reach its full potential by inviting everyone to contribute their unique talents.
The theme of ancient wisdom included the environmental aspect of the transformation. It involved understanding the natural cycles by engaging indigenous people, local post-secondary institutions, and NGOs and listening to realize the power of local knowledge to guide the hotel’s environmental activities. The aim is to build a regenerative practice that respects the ecosystem.
The Needs of Host Communities and Measuring Impact:
Rob and Lesley also stressed the needs of host communities. These included autonomy, privacy, respect, meaningful employment, empowerment, and shared value. Host communities need to feel safe and not displaced by tourism. The goal was to create a mutual understanding and ensure the local community benefited from the hotel’s presence.
The discussion revolved around measuring the impact of the model beyond profit and traditional metrics (though they are also critical and outlined in the previous post) by understanding the community’s needs and how it positively influences the people involved by simply engaging people in dialogue. It was crucial to ensure that the hotel’s actions improved the lives of the community without any adverse effects. Again, they understood that measuring community impact comes from deep listening that includes diverse perspectives.
Storytelling and Building Trust:
Rob and Lesley acknowledged the role of storytelling in building trust with all stakeholders. Sharing the stories of the community and the hotel’s journey aims to foster trust and demonstrate their commitment to regenerative tourism. They recognized, once again, that not listening and acting as experts could be counterproductive.
As they explored the potential of storytelling, the conversation continued into tourism as a form of experiential activism. It was about travelling with a purpose, engaging with local communities, respecting nature, and transforming how we approach tourism. The goal was to create a new narrative for tourism that fosters inclusivity, respect, and reciprocity. They emphasized shifting from a consumerist, all-inclusive model to an inclusive-for-all approach that recognizes destinations as whole ecosystems. Through education, advocacy and awareness, they see the potential power of storytelling to transform the mindsets of travellers and the tourism sector.
The conversation between Rob and Lesley demonstrated the depth and complexity of transforming a traditional hotel into a flourishing business. It highlighted the importance of listening, respect, reciprocity, and relationships in shaping the new narrative for tourism. The Baja Hotel is an inspiring example of how businesses can become agents of positive change in tourism. By adopting a holistic approach and considering the needs of various stakeholders, Baja Hotel is on its way to becoming a transformative force in the industry.
Rob Sinclair is the founder of Conscious Brands, a firm that helps organizations transition from shareholder governance to stakeholder-driven organizations. Lesley Robb is the founder of Swell Impact, a firm specializing in branding and sustainability strategies for the tourism sector. Together, they openly explore holistic business models by prioritizing play over perfection and co-creating community.
