Solomon Source's approach to strategy development has been derived from scientific approaches, but do not stop there. Engaging Experience means that we see how scientific knowledge provides us a starting point at developing strategies. But now it is necessary to take this knowledge and apply it. One main theory that guides our business is called Systems Thinking.

Actor-network is another theory that has guided the ideas behind the concept that we call the "collaborative network".

Additional theories have guided the over Vision for RRES, but they can be accessed in Chapters 3 and 4 of the VISION: We ARE Re-creating the World" book.

As highlighted in the Web site header, the problems in the world are not as complex as we might imagine. What they require is a radical "stepping back" from the models of development that have been used previously. Most of the systems are totally incompatible with living systems, and are not sustainable in any form of the word. As civilizations we must face the simple fact that most of our political, social, economic, food, transportation and energy systems just don't work. This includes for humans or for the natural world. As shocking as this might seem, one need only look at the conditions of the world. What is necessary is for us to take a hard look at we are doing as a "collective humanity" and go back to the drawing board. This idea is captured in a quote by

In the late 1970s, a well-known equipment company in America realized
it had a 40 percent cost disadvantage in comparison with its direct Japanese
competitor. The company, ironically, was the technological leader in the lift
truck industry. Its cost structure was 40 percent raw material, 15 percent direct
labor, and 45 percent overhead. Overhead (transformation cost) was simply
calculated as 300 percent of direct labor.
The company had decided to reduce its costs by 20 percent. It was
assumed that a 5 percent reduction in direct labor would automatically reduce
overhead by another 15 percent, resulting in a 20 percent cost reduction. After
a whole year of struggle, direct labor was reduced to 10 percent without any
reduction in overhead. When we were asked to deal with the situation, our
first reaction was: Why would anyone want to reduce their cost by 20 percent
when there was a 40 percent cost disadvantage? Where did the competitor’s
40 percent cost advantage come from? It was obvious that even if the workers
gave up all of their wages, the company would not survive.
When we realized that the competitive product used only 1,800 parts,
while our product employed 2,800, the difference in the number of the parts
perfectly explained the difference in cost. The surprising element in all of this
was that a lower number of parts was achieved by utilizing technologies that
had been developed by our client in the last ten years. The problem was that
our client had patched each one of its newly developed technologies into an
old platform, resulting in a complex and inefficient product, whereas the competition
started with a clean slate and took full advantage of the potentials
each technology offered. The moral of this story is that once in a while one
should pause and reflect on oneself and begin anew.

The complexity arises mostly in how to move out of the existing systems without a total collapse. These processes should and will be guided by effective thinking principles and practices, and  ultimately be guided by the heart, or by love. In the end there will be no need to be alarmed because we are being taken care of. Evidence for this can be observed in every second. Who or what do you suppose is keeping the sun shining? How is it possible that we still have air to breath, or water to drink? Or even more amazingly the chemical, energetic systems of all of the organs of our bodies, or the exact harmonious and balanced movement of our planet, our solar system and galaxy throughout the cosmos? The same force that accomplishes and holds all of these things together is guiding us and will be supporting us as we develop human living systems that sustain life for us humans in a more harmonious fashion.

So the intent, and the guidance for the “VISION We Are Re-Creating the World” is the Golden Law. Each of the concepts, practical steps, and tools that are presented are given in a way to be a progression out of our existing conundrum, the cul-de-sac, towards new systems of living that will lead us to the desired goal of peace and harmony for all people, nature and Gaia. If this goal was not possible, we could not imagine it.  In fact, this is one of the key issues of our conundrum, our thinking, or visioning process. How many times I have heard people say things like “war will always exist”. On the other hand we all seem to be “wishing” for peace. But if we make a statement, put it into words, hold in our minds the idea that “war will always exist” we cannot have anything else, and we will never reach our desired goal. But if we move from wishing, along a progressive path to change our deep set (and programmed) thinking and belief systems we will reach our goal. Examples of this fact are uncountable in the world we live in, in individual lives, but also in some of the great transformative movements throughout history. The problem was, the visions were stymied by the old systems that needed to be replaced. And how do we know which of these “systems” were the ones that stopped the process? The answer is in how do they align with the Golden Law, did they step on the Free Will of others?

The key is to begin the journey, with a strong Will to get to our destination, our vision of the world, and progressively, step by step, change the underlying systems that have locked us in, mostly in our minds, to the reality that we are living.

Ghararjedaghi in his book Systems Thinking, discussed in greater detail in the section entitled “Systems Thinking”, presents the metaphorical elephant story which is illustrative of our need to not only look at things from many angles, but after the different people look at the elephant and come up with their individual perceptions, they must “compare notes” and discuss their various findings. Thus creating a picture of the whole. This metaphor applies to us all. Then we can be much more prepared to reach consensus decisions about what exactly we are dealing with. How often have you been involved in any kind of endeavor where it was requirement for a holistic perspective? If we want things to change we must implement better models.